My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 74

Ivy

As the days turned into weeks, Ellie’s presence in our home became more and more natural. The once haunted look in her emerald eyes had faded, replaced by a sense of warmth and contentment.

The bond between her and Aidan, which was once strained and distant, had grown into a warm companionship filled with laughter and trust. It was heartwarming to witness their relationship flourish before my very eyes.

I glanced down at the swell of my belly, the faint fluttering within reminding me of the life we’ve created. A future. A tiny heartbeat that synced with ours.

"Can you believe it?" I asked Aidan. The disbelief still tinged my voice, a quiver of wonder threading through each word. "Soon, there’ll be three of us."

Aidan’s gaze softened, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I can."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you can. You got me pregnant on purpose, didn’t you? Just to trap me."

Aidan chuckled. "Why would you think that? Did you need to be trapped?"

I bit my lower lip. "I guess not. I fell for you like the idiot I am even before the baby."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "The most beautiful idiot."

I pushed him playfully and glared at him.

Aidan looked down at his phone and frowned. "Shit," he murmured.

"What’s wrong?" I asked, my voice laced with worry. His serious demeanor was not uncommon, but it still sent a chill through me every time. "I have to go," he said, his tone firm and determined.

As always, I knew better than to ask for details. Aidan’s comings and goings were shrouded in mystery and secrecy, and I preferred not to pry into whatever dangerous or illicit activities he may be involved in. It was easier to pretend that he had a normal job, even though deep down, I knew better.

But today, as Aidan slipped out of our home, anxiety gnawed at my gut. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

I picked up Aidan’s half-drunk coffee, cradling the still-warm cup in my hands as I watched him drive away.

I looked up as I heard light footsteps. Ellie was standing by the door, her eyes solemn.

"Can we talk?" Her voice was timid. She fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, eyes downcast.

"Of course," I said, setting the cup aside.

"I’ve been doing a lot of thinking," she started, and I could tell she was struggling to find the right words. "About everything—I was wrong, Ivy. So wrong." Tears glistened on the edge of her lashes, threatening to spill over.

"Ellie, it’s okay..." I tried to interrupt.

"I know saying sorry doesn’t fix things," she rushed on, "but I need you to know how much I regret lying to you about Aidan."

I knew what she was talking about. That day, I tried to tell Aidan how I felt, but I could never do so. Because Ellie lied to me and told me Aidan didn’t care about me and he hated me. "It’s okay, Ellie. It happened a long time ago."

"I know, but I still want you to know how sorry I am. I was jealous of you. I hated how good your life was and how much Aidan cared about you," she breathed.

"I forgive you, Ellie," I whispered, earning a smile from her.

The moment was interrupted as I heard the doorbell ring.

I opened the door to find no one there. But there, on the doorstep, sat a package wrapped in plain brown paper. Curiosity prickles at my skin as I bent to retrieve it, the cardboard cool and impersonal in my hands.

"Who is it?" Ellie called from the kitchen.

"Probably just some delivery mix-up," I said, trying to keep my voice light as I returned indoors.

But the package had my name scrawled in nondescript print.

"Let’s see what we’ve got here," I murmured, slipping a finger under the sealed flap, eager yet hesitant to reveal its secrets.

The seal broke, and a bunch of glossy photos spilled onto the table. I shuffled through them, my fingers trembling as they brushed against the smooth surfaces.

"What are those?" Ellie asked, curiously looking at me.

"Someone had been watching us," I whispered, my eyes wide as I took in the next photo—a picture of me standing by the window, holding a mug of tea. The details were so clear, so crisp, it was like the lens was inches away, not hidden amongst the trees. A chill raced up my spine, and the room seems to drop a few degrees in warmth.

"Watching us? Who?" Ellie’s voice cut through the quiet, now standing beside me.

I shuffled to another photo, one of Aidan in our driveway talking on the phone.

"Look at these, Ellie. They’re...they’re methodical. Every angle, every time of day..."

"You have to tell Aidan," Ellie said.

Anger flared inside me. "They think they can intimidate us? Invade our lives like this?"

Ellie’s face turned grim. "Maybe this is my fault. Maybe the people who murdered Slava followed me here."

"Whoever it is, they need to be stopped. I won’t run away again," I said determinedly.

~-~

When Aidan finally got home, I decided to tell him about the package. Ellie stood next to us quietly, her eyes downcast.

"I need to talk to you about something," I said quietly.

Aidan’s head snapped up in alarm. "What is it?" he asked, looking back and forth between Ellie and Me.

I took a deep breath and told him everything about the photos and how someone had been watching us.

Aidan’s expression turned angry. "Whoever this is, they won’t get away with it," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"But what will you do? What if they were the ones who killed Slava?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear.

"I will have to increase the security here," Aidan replied. "My men will keep an eye out on who goes in and out of the gate. Whoever this is, won’t stop at one package."

Ellie shrank back, hands wringing in front of her. "Maybe I...I should leave," she whispered. "I don’t want to bring any more trouble here."

"No," Aidan said firmly, rounding on her. "This is your home too, Ellie. We’re not letting you run away from this." He glanced at me for confirmation.

And I nodded, my voice steady. "You’re not alone in this, Ellie. We stick together."

Aidan turned to me then, his gaze softening as he ran a hand through his hair, an unconscious gesture of frustration and worry I’d come to know well since we’d been living together.

"I will find out who this is," he murmured. "And when I do, I will fucking kill him."

Routines were broken, and new ones formed as fear and paranoia began to run through our veins like a steady undercurrent. The days went on as we lived in a state of heightened awareness.

And then, just when we thought we had a handle on things, another package arrived.

We were having lunch at the table when one of Aidan’s men brought the package. "Someone left this at the gate," he said.

"What’s in it?" I asked as I watched Aidan rip it open.

"It’s nothing," he muttered under his breath, his tone stone-cold and distant.

I knew immediately he was lying.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"You guys don’t need to see it. I will handle it," he said and tried to walk away but I was already close to him, peering into the box. A small gasp escaped my throat as I saw the content of the box and I suddenly felt nauseous.

It was a finger—severed cleanly at the base and chillingly preserved—an emerald ring encircling it.

"What’s going on?" Ellie asked and moved toward us before either of us could stop her.

"It...it’s Slava’s ring," Ellie gasped from beside me. Her hand flew to her mouth as she took an instinctive step back. Her eyes were filled with terror.

I felt my stomach churn violently as I watched Aidan’s knuckles whiten around the box.

"Someone’s sending a message," Aidan said, his voice low and serious.

"Slava’s enemy. The one who killed him. They found me," Ellie sobbed.

Aidan shot her a fiery look. "Good. I hope they come here soon so I can wring his neck. How dare he threaten my family?" he growled.

Ellie’s eyes were full of tears. "I am so sorry, Aidan and Ivy. I brought them to you guys. I made things worse. I should’ve stayed back and let them take me."

"No!" Aidan roared. "You did the right thing by coming here, Elle. You protected your children. And now, I will make sure they stay protected."

I put my arms around Ellie. "Don’t worry. Aidan can handle whoever this is," I said, feeling fully confident in him. I looked at him, a question lingering in my mind. "But how do you think they put the package in front of the gate without the guards noticing it?"

Aidan stared at the box, his jaw clenched tight. "Good, fucking, question," he admitted, his voice practically a growl. "Either we have a blind spot or..."

"Or what?" Ellie whispered.

"There’s a traitor here," he said grimly.