Scarlett's Pov
I didn't waste time chewing and nearly swallowed the whole steak just so we could move to the living room asap.
This was what I’ve been waiting for. I thought I'd only get answers if they'd allow me to be with dad alone, but I was finally going to get the truth I've been dying to hear ever since I gained consciousness of the fact I don't really have a mother —which is kinda an important factor in the production of me.
“Easy, they're not gonna change their mind if you take two extra minutes.” Theo drawled out coming to my side and sitting on the chair previously occupied by his mother.
While dad had to go to the loo real quick and Mateo followed to keep an eye on him, Genesis, Jude and Noah had moved to the living room to sit down for the conversation. Which left Theo and I and my not-so-empty plate behind.
I shoved another piece of cauliflower in my mouth and gulped it down with some juice, ignoring Theo's advice.
“I'm done!” I announced with a horrible amount of enthusiasm radiating from me.
“Should I get your coffee cake or you’ll eat it tomorrow?” He asked and I realized I was about to accidentally leave without my dessert.
I stretched my arm and grabbed the box, putting it on my lap. “I'll eat it before sleeping.”
Theo pulled my wheelchair out of the table, dragging it to our destination of answers. I'm being too dramatic but when your whole life is turned upside down because of one truth, it becomes too important.
As we went to the living room I looked back, sensing Theo wasn't in a pleasant mood due to the conversation that awaits us. But I still wanted to take the chance and ask a small question.
“Do you know what they're gonna tell us?”
“Yes.”
“You always knew?”
He took a moment to answer. “I was twelve when he ran away. Our parents didn't tell us anything about the Mafia shit that young. Until another three years, I only knew he ran away after killing you and a few soldiers.”
“Who told you?”
“Our mother.” Your mother.
“And you believed her without hearing your dad's side?” I fisted my hand on the armrest of the wheelchair, hoping he won't kill me for the straight up offensive words.
“Just like you believed him without hearing mom’s side.”
But I’m willing to listen to her —even if I've already picked a side.
“He didn't kill me but… are you still mad about your soldiers?”
Unsurprisingly, he didn't hesitate a second before answering. “Casualties happen in our line of work. Everyone signing up is well aware of it.”
It sounded like a pure stone-hearted psychopath’s reply. Theo didn't have an ounce of sympathy for those who lost their lives stopping his family's prisoner.
I guess that's the Mafia morals; people are only numbers to them.
“But we do provide a good compensation for their families.” He added as an afterthought, probably sensing the shift in my mood.
As we neared the living room I heard the same yelling of dad and Genesis. But I didn't panic because I knew they weren't alone to get a chance for an angry make out session again.
“...wait till I tell her how you betrayed-” Genesis fell silent as Theo cleared his throat, making everyone aware of our presence.
She exhaled and sat back pretending like her voice wasn't at a deafening pitch minutes ago. Dad came to my side and helped me shift to the sofa opposite from her and Noah hurriedly took the seat next to mine.
Dad didn't fight to sit with me like I wanted him to. He instead settled next to Genesis as Jude was occupying her other side while Theo sat with Mateo on the couch to my right.
“Are you comfortable, Scar?” Genesis asked me without the smallest essence of her harsh voice earlier.
“Yes.” I replied politely.
“Do you want your leg elevated?” Mateo asked.
“If it's not a bother…”
“Not at all.”
“Place a cushion behind her back.” Theo ordered as Mateo helped me position my leg on the stool placed in front of me by Jude.
“Do you want me to put that on the table?” Noah asked, gesturing to the box in my lap.
Everyone seems to be focused on me, putting in efforts to make me comfortable as if this is gonna be most hard for me. But as far as I know Jude and Noah don't know a lot either.
“Yes please.” I handed the box to him and he put it on the table.
“Okay so where do I start?” Dad clapped his hands together, rubbing them as if to get ready for the forbidden topic on hand.
Genesis didn't like him volunteering and her eyes narrowed at him. “I'll take my turn first.”
“Go ahead.”
She ignored the irritation in dad's voice and gave me sort of a reassuring smile. “I think I should start from the beginning… I first met Elijah in college. He was my senior so we didn't have any classes together, I only saw him a few times around the campus…” She took a pause like she's contemplating on what to say next. “After a couple of months I thought I should just ask him out but he declined-”
“She came drunk to my dorm and threatened me with a gun to go out on a date with her.” Dad blurted what she was planning to leave out.
“I must let you know we really don't need details. Just tell us what's important to the story.” Mateo added with a sarcastic smile on his face.
“It was an important detail. Imagine someone threatening you to go out with them, that's definitely not an oopsie.” Dad said in a tone of exaggeration.
Genesis glared at dad before taking another calming breath. “For everyone's knowledge, I felt bad for that. I didn't digest alcohol well in those days and I had a habit of drinking on empty stomach- anyways,” She got back on track. “I felt bad for what I had done and planned to apologize so I waited for him at the restaurant I had invited him to. I really thought he'd come because nobody had ever not taken my threats seriously —especially when there's a gun involved.”
“But he didn't show up.” She lightly scoffed as an amusement danced in her eyes. “When I went to him again —sober this time— he spoke so calmly like he had never seen a gun in my hand. He told me I'm not his type and I shouldn't waste my time on him.”
“You rejected mom?” Noah asked as a curiosity built in him.
“We were really different so I figured it's the best for both of us.” Dad answered.
“I avoided him after that. Six months passed and I finally decided to just try one more time because maybe second time's the charm.” She let out a breathy laugh as if she's finding it stupid of her past self. “He rejected me again.” Wow. I like this old dad of mine —who wasn't so blind to her personality. “I finally moved on from my silly little crush on him and started dating Scott-”
“You dated Scott?” Theo asked in complete disbelief.
“Yes. For two years.”
“Why didn't you tell us?” He sounded almost offended.
“Because it's none of your business.” She said nonchalantly.
“It is when he’s roaming around in our house and at our offices all the fucking time!”
How do I tell him if he keeps interrupting her, the chapter might end and we’ll be left on another cliffhanger?
“I can't imagine you and him together.” Jude said wrinkling up his face.
In all honesty I wanted her to get with Scott so she'd leave my dad alone but for some weird reason when I think about it… I didn't like the idea of them either.
Genesis rolled her eyes at her sons’ overreaction. “He was my father's Consigliere’s son, we had been friends since childhood, we went to the same college, we were the same age, it just made sense…”
“But it never felt right.” Dad completed her sentence.
Her gaze shifted to him just for a second and the look they shared really scared me. They looked at each other like two lovers would. It was like they remembered the same memory or they both shared the same emotions on the subject without voicing anything.
“By the time I graduated, Scott and I had broken up. I was all set to take over the throne in three years… that's when I met Elijah again, at a painting auction.” A bitter smile appeared on her face as if she hated the upcoming line of story. “He was so warm when we met. He didn't remind me of how embarrassed I was when he rejected me or how stupid I was to seek him when it was clear he was only there to study —on his scholarship.”
She fell silent for a few moments, looking nowhere in particular. That's when Jude placed a hand on hers and brought her back from the memories that still seem to disturb her.
“I was happy to see him but I really thought this was it, it would be the last time we meet… until he asked me for coffee. I obviously said yes —almost instantly.” She shook her head with disappointment for herself. “One coffee turned into a second then third and… we became best of friends in a matter of weeks. The more time I spent with him the more I realized how perfect he was for me. I just… I started to really fall for him, it wasn't a silly crush anymore.”
“I too was-” She cuts dad off pointing a finger at him.
“Let me finish my side first.” She huffed and looked at me and Noah again as we sat directly in front of her. “Where was I…”
“You became friends…” I provided.
“Right. Two months in he told me he always wished to get in the similar line of work as me.”
A lump started to form in my throat imagining my father willingly signing up to commit murders. I wanted to believe he was forced into it by the woman he accidentally —stupidly— fell in love with.
“It was contrary to the assumptions I had of him but I decided to give him a chance. I gave him a job as my bodyguard so he'd be close to me and I could monitor if he's fit for it.”
“I was.” Dad declared earning a glare from everyone in the room —including me.
“He was. He was good at what he did. He was confident, he was brutal, he knew how to lead, he knew how to kil-”
Genesis fell silent when Theo cleared his throat. She then realized I wasn't comfortable hearing the details of how much of a monster my dad can be. His sons turning out this way wasn't only because of their mother.
“Anyways, he was always glued to my side. He showed so much interest in my work, he wanted to learn, he had that hunger to get somewhere. I really admired that about him and took it upon myself to teach him the Mafia ways, even revealing some sensitive information in the process.” A sarcastic smirk itched her face and she shook her head again.
“I trusted him. I knew this would turn into something, we always had that thing, that…” She thought of a better word. “Spark. Long story short, we officially started dating after a month of his recruitment —just three months after we actually knew each other. Everything was happening so fast but I loved it this way. He was supportive, he was… everything I was looking for.”
My eyes slid to dad and I saw him shift uncomfortably. I knew my father well enough to know that is guilt on his face. I didn't want to assume anything so I shut off my brain from drawing conclusions and focused back on the story.
“I kept-” She cleared her throat. “I kept pressuring him to… well, sleep with me.” Did we really need to know that? “But he kept making excuses —delaying it. I should’ve understood something was wrong but I didn't. I kept trying to understand him. I kept trying to justify the distance that was between us. I kept thinking I just need to put a little more effort into our relationship and everything will be better…” The emotions were heavy in her voice and each of her words made me feel a certain pinge in my heart. “After another four months when he proposed me for marriage, I-” She looked overwhelmed with the conversation.
I felt so weird hearing her side. It truly sounded like she loved dad more than anything in her life. Even if it turns out to be her own mistake that ruined their relationship, it definitely took a toll on her. She was heartbroken and I’m disappointed in myself for already feeling an ounce of sympathy for her.
“I was over the moon. But I knew the familia won't be happy about it-”
“Familiar's the Mafia family.” Noah whispered to me, not wanting to cut off his mother.
“...so my dad announced anyone who goes against his heir’s marriage would be deemed a traitor and the protests died down. We got married the next year. I thought everything would be perfect, and it was.” Her eyes flicked to dad but she looked away right when they made eye contact. “He loved me so much. He even took my name because I wanted people to know he's a Russell and no one should dare mess with him.”
The calmness on her face was betraying the emptiness of her eyes. It was like she was holding herself together for our sake.
“I trusted him and he was capable of it so I made him my commander when I became Donna. He deserved it.” She licked her lips thinking of what to say next. “When my dad died, Elijah was always there for me —physically and emotionally. And even though he was completely against kids and Theo was conceived accidentally…” She looked at her first born to make sure he hadn't gotten a terrible shock. “Our baby only brought us even closer. Our relationship was unbreakable after all we had been through —at least that's what I thought.”
I shifted my gaze to her sons to see their reaction. So far they were all calm. They were equally interested in the story —even those that I thought knew.
“Around the time Noah was born, Scott told me Elijah's getting too close with our new trauma surgeon; Emma.”
The moment I heard her name, I was even more focused on Genesis' words. I wanted to understand how anyone could hate a perfect woman like Emma.
“I didn't believe him because I knew he was always jealous of my husband —or maybe the position he had.” So this wasn't a fight over misunderstanding. “I talked to Elijah about it and he told me Emma has confessed about having feelings for him but she also said she’ll get over it because she would never get with a married man.” The distaste on Genesis’ face told me exactly how much she hated Emma's confession. “I was livid. I wanted to kill her for even thinking about my man in such a way. But Elijah stopped me. He assured she's harmless and it doesn't matter what she thinks because there's no way he'd ever betray me. I believed him, I always had. But…” But?
“Two years later when my brother told me Elijah frequently goes uptown behind my back, I thought to just see what it was…” It felt like she knew her doubting his loyalty was contrary to her statement about trust. “It was six months after Scar was born. I still hadn't lost the weight from my pregnancy, I was struggling feeling good about myself, managing five kids was becoming a task and I used to sometimes take out my frustrations on Elijah so I… I just couldn't help but think maybe he got someone else…”
She closed her eyes for a second and Theo reassured his mother. “It's okay, mom. You don't have to justify it. Because at the end of the day, your suspicions were right.”
Genesis opened her eyes again. She straightened up on her seat and something told me this was it. We're finally getting to what destroyed the seemingly perfect happy Russell family.
“I did find him with a woman. They were meeting in an abandoned factory after he told me he was just going for a routine checkup of our warehouse. But I didn't confront him for it, they were just talking, I didn't want to instantly assume he was cheating. So instead, I got the woman's records and it turns out…”
I held my breath with my eyes fixed on her. I felt Noah scoot closer to me but I ignored him and focused on the story.
“My husband has been working for the CSIS as an undercover officer. Everything between us was a lie. He just wanted a way in and I was that to him.”
My eyes widened and for a moment I just sat there completely frozen. I didn't understand what to think of this. My dad was an undercover officer? Being a commander was all a part of his job? He wasn't a monster?
But after everything he did, was he still a good man? He used her like a ladder. He exploited her. He betrayed her trust. He made false promises to her, he gave her hopes of a future together, they made love, they had kids, they stuck together for years, how could he-
All of it was just an act?
I couldn't help but search my father's face for the truth —I wasn't going to believe the woman I only met a few days ago. But all I saw was the way dad didn't look at me. The way he wiped his hand on his jeans and the way he gulped in discomfort.
It was enough to tell me whatever she said was true. Dad wouldn't be ashamed otherwise.
I took a breath. I had to remain calm. I can't draw conclusions yet. Her sad story might’ve affected me but dad still had his side to share. Unlike his sons, I'll give him a fair chance to present his case.
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You guys have to tell me what you think of this chapter. Is Elijah a monster or not?
Also, which Pov do you want for the other half of the parents’ story? (Except for Elijah & Theo’s Pov, I'm saving theirs for something special.)