My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 110

Ivy

The moment my eyes fluttered open, a surge of excitement pulsed through me. I rolled over, glancing at the empty space beside me where Aidan usually lay.

Today was different, special—it was my birthday. I pushed off the sheets and sat up, heart thrumming with anticipation. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Morning," I called out as I stepped into the kitchen. Aidan stood there, his back to me, his hands busy fixing his coffee. No sign of recognition flashed across his face—no ’happy birthday,’ no smile. Just the clink of his spoon against the mug.

"Sleep well?" I asked, leaning against the counter, eyeing the calendar on the fridge where I had circled the date in red.

"Like a rock," he replied, not turning around. The steam from his mug rose in the air, disappearing without a trace—just like my hopes that he would remember.

"Big day today," I said, trying not to let the disappointment seep into my voice.

"Is it?" Aidan finally looked at me, his eyebrows raised, a question in his gaze but missing the point entirely.

"Thought we might do something... celebratory," I hinted, my fingers drumming a quick, impatient rhythm on the countertop.

"Celebratory," he said distractedly, sipping his coffee, "What’s the occasion?"

My heart sank. This bastard totally forgot!

"Anything wrong?" Aidan asked finally looking at me.

"Nothing," I replied, too quick, too sharp. My foot tapped an impatient beat on the hardwood floor.

"Okay then." He scribbled something on a document, oblivious.

"Busy with work?" I probed, my voice edging toward confrontation.

"Yeah," he muttered, not missing a beat.

"Right." My fingers curled into fists at my sides.

I stormed to the window, staring out at nothing. The glass fogged with my breath, each exhale a silent scream. Betrayal simmered beneath my skin, thoughts of loyalty and revenge battling for dominance. How could he forget?

"Nice view today," I said aloud, hoping to snag his attention.

"Uh-huh." Aidan’s voice floated from the table, detached.

"Clear skies, bright sun... kind of like a day for celebrating, don’t you think?" My tone spiked with sarcasm, my body tense, ready to spring.

"Sure, Ivy." He didn’t look up. "Celebrate away."

I whirled around, fists clenched. "You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Me, celebrating all by myself while you bury yourself in work!"

"Hey, what’s gotten into you?" Aidan stood, papers forgotten, his expression a mix of confusion and concern.

"Nothing, Aidan," I spat out his name like it was poison. "Absolutely nothing has gotten into me today. Not one thing."

"Are your pregnancy hormones acting up again?" Aidan asked and then winced as he realized he made a mistake.

I felt the sharp sting of his words like a slap. Pregnancy hormones. That’s what he thought this was about? My eyes narrowed, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

"You really have no idea, do you?" I whispered, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt.

Aidan took a step toward me, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "Ivy, I—"

"Today is my birthday!" I shouted, cutting him off. "I can’t believe you forgot. And you think this is just about hormones?"

"Your birthday—" Aidan’s voice faltered. "Today?"

"Congratulations, you got it!" I clapped mockingly, my heart pounding against my ribs. "And you’ve done absolutely nothing about it."

"Shit, Ivy, I—" He started, but I wasn’t in the mood for excuses.

"No, you know what? Don’t bother." I spun on my heel, ready to storm out of the room, feeling the sting of tears threatening to betray my anger.

"Ivy, wait, please." His chair scraped against the floor as he stood abruptly, reaching for me.

"Let go," I snapped, jerking my arm away from his grasp. "Just forget it, Aidan. Like you forgot me."

The door slammed shut behind me, the sound reverberating through the empty hallway as I paced away, each step a sharp echo of my racing heartbeat. I didn’t get far. Aidan’s voice chased after me, tinged with panic.

"Ivy! Please, just... listen to me."

I spun around to face him, arms crossed, my glare icy. He stood there, hair disheveled, his usual composure shattered. The sight almost made me falter—almost.

"Sorry doesn’t cut it, Aidan."

His eyes were wide, the horror in them unmistakable. "I know, I know," he rushed out, stepping closer. "I can’t believe I forgot. There’s no excuse."

"Damn right, there isn’t." My voice was low, a dangerous edge creeping into every word.

He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of distress I’d come to recognize. "Let me make it up to you. Please, Ivy."

"Make it up to me?" I scoffed, disbelief sharp in my tone. "How? You can’t turn back time."

"Give me a chance to fix this. I’ll throw you the best birthday party, I promise." His desperation was palpable, his words tripping over themselves as he sought to mend the rift between us.

"A party?" I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "You think a party will make everything okay?"

"I don’t know, but I have to try. I owe you that much. More than that." He reached for my hand, and this time, I didn’t pull away.

"Alright," I said, the word heavy on my tongue. "But it better be good, Aidan. Really good."

"Trust me, it will be." His grip tightened, a silent vow passing between us. "I won’t let you down again."

"See that you don’t." I pulled my hand back.

Okay, maybe I was being too hard on him, but he deserved it!

"Ivy," Aidan’s voice was softer now, filled with regret. "I really am sorry. Let me make this right. I’ll clear my schedule, we’ll do whatever you want today."

I glanced back at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. "I want to invite Lila."

Aidan nodded. "Of course. She is your best friend."

"Ellie and the kids. Giovanni can be here too," I said. Aidan told me about meeting Ellie at the park and how Giovanni was taking care of her. I had a feeling Ellie was softening toward him.

Aidan nodded again. "Yes. Ellie and the kids have to be here," he said.

"And..." I hesitated.

Aidan looked at me questioningly. "And who else?" Don’t tell me you want to invite Derek," he winced.

I rolled my eyes. "Don’t be ridiculous."

"Then who?"

I didn’t look him in the eyes when I said it. "And...my parents."

Aidan’s eyes widened slightly at my last request. There was a long, tense silence between us as he processed what I’d said.

"Your parents?" he repeated slowly.

"Yes," I said, meeting his gaze. "It’s been a long time. I am running out of excuses when they ask me where I am. I can’t keep hiding from them forever, Aidan."

"They won’t understand our lifestyle," he argued.

"I know that. But you could just...not tell them what you do," I said.

Aidan’s face tightened at my words. He was silent for a moment, clearly weighing his options.

"Ivy," he began slowly, "you know how complicated this is."

I stepped closer to him, my gaze unwavering. "I know it’s complicated, Aidan. But they’re my parents. They deserve to see their daughter, and I deserve to see them. Even if it means hiding the truth."

He let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright," he said finally. "We’ll invite them. But you know how careful we have to be."

Aidan took a deep breath, his expression softening. "Alright," he said finally. "If that’s what you want, we’ll invite them."

"Thank you," I said quietly, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.

He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me in a tentative hug. "We’ll make this right," he murmured against my hair. "I promise."

I leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his embrace. "I hope so," I whispered back.