Page 9 of Titan

I glanced at my brother, but he wasn’t paying attention, too busy saying hello to everyone. I nodded at all of my cousins but didn’t speak. This whole thing made me uneasy as fuck. Zayn was acting like everything was normal when we were about to drop a bombshell on Gian and Dino. I hoped he wouldn’t announce it during dinner. The whole family didn’t need to be involved. It was a wonder Dino hadn’t also invited his sisters, Legra and Carlotta. Their dining room was certainly big enough to accommodate the entire Villetti clan.

Pippa encouraged everyone to sit down when she came through with a clap of her hands. I ended up sandwiched in between Gian and Ari. She didn’t look particularly pleased to have been separated from Zayn, who was sitting across from us.

“Is this going to turn into the dinner from hell?” she murmured.

“Probably,” I said, keeping my voice low.

She glanced up at me.

“Thanks for the heads-up. I was suspicious as fuck when Zayn told me about this.”

Typical Zayn.

“You didn’t immediately assume it was a nice family dinner, then?”

She snorted before putting her hand to her mouth and passing it off as a cough. Zayn gave her a sharp look across the table as if to tell her to behave herself. Ari’s eyes were full of mischief like she knew something I didn’t. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to know in all honesty. Their dynamic was… interesting, to say the least.

“Considering all of the Villetti family gatherings I’ve been to have ended in an argument, I’m going to say no,” she whispered, leaning closer to me, “unless you’ve already forgotten, Legra got into a fight with her husband at Noemi’s wake and threw her martini in his face.”

How could I forget? It was an absolute mess.

Ari raised her eyebrows at me. I looked down at the table, trying my best not to smile. I wouldn’t tell Zayn I liked his girlfriend because she was blunt to a fault. I preferred people who were honest and upfront. I didn’t have to interpret their intentions.

We didn’t say anything further because dinner was served. Dino waved at everyone to start when all the plates were placed down. I picked up my fork, staring down at the dish and wondering what on earth was in it. Pippa was exacting about what she served. No doubt it was the latest fad that was going around or something.

“So, Gil, how’re things with you? I imagine you’re helping Zayn deal with everything,” Gian said, nudging my shoulder.

I almost glared at him for touching me. Why couldn’t people respect my personal space?

“They’re fine.”

“And you’re okay with him taking over?” He huffed. “Honestly, I’m surprised he even managed to bring everyone in line.”

“Then you don’t know Zayn very well,” I muttered.

Gian thankfully didn’t hear me as he continued talking.

“But I’m impressed all the same. For such a young’un, he’s done well for himself.”

Zayn was thirty-four, hardly a “young’un,” but I supposed to Gian, who had turned fifty-two not too long ago, he was.

“How are your children?” I asked, interrupting his talk of Zayn because I really didn’t want to have a conversation about my brother’s takeover of London.

Gian started going on about Nino and Roche, his sons, and how they’d taken well to their roles underneath him. Roche was my age and Nino was thirty. He had two younger daughters, Neryssa and Etta, but Gian rarely waxed poetic about them. Unsurprisingly, some members of my family were sexist pieces of shit. I wasn’t a fan of their attitudes towards women. Despite the man our father was, I had never bought into his views on that matter. Neither had my older brother.

For the rest of dinner, I was stuck listening to Gian prattle on about his sons while Ari kept giving me these ‘are you as bored as I am’ looks. It was the only thing that carried me through this fucking farce, knowing I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to be here. Afterwards, Zayn suggested to Gian and Dino that we should retire to Dino’s office.

Dino poured us all a glass of whisky. I took mine but didn’t drink. I rarely did, preferring to keep a clear head. Zayn gave me a significant look as he stood by the fireplace. Gian stared out of the window over the garden.

“So, what’s this about?” Dino asked before he sipped from his tumbler.

“As you’re family, I wanted to extend to you the courtesy of informing you about the leadership change now our father is no longer with us.”

Dino frowned.

“We assumed you would take his place.”

I placed my tumbler down on the side table, knowing Zayn was about to stir shit right up and I was in the middle of the brewing storm.

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