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“Now now, children, play nice,” he said as he extended one of the drinks to his son. “Here. You see? I knew you were coming. No need to alert you – you already know everything that’s going on in this house.”
I noticed how Fausto placated his son with flattery.
If he’d done that all his life, no wonder Aurelio was such a fucking brat.
Aurelio took the drink and slugged it back, then resumed staring at me hatefully. “She better be worth it.”
“She will be,” Fausto said reassuringly.
“What were you talking about when I walked in?”
Fausto looked at me as though inviting me to answer.
“Your nephews’ various strengths,” I said.
Aurelio snorted. “Being assholes – every single one of them.”
I wanted to say,Must be a family trait,but I kept that one to myself.
Fausto smiled. “Just because one detests one’s enemy, we mustn’t let that blind us to their abilities.”
Then he turned to me. “Dario is a born leader. The others follow him without question.”
“Little fan girls,” Aurelio scoffed.
Fausto gave his son some side-eye but continued. “Adriano’s weakness is his temper… but he’s absolutely fearless when he’s angry. And he’s angry all the time.”
I noticed Aurelio didn’t have anything to say to that.
“Massimo? His strength is his greatest asset. Plus, his easygoing nature makes him a team player. Valentino – ”
“Is stuck on himself,” Aurelio interjected. “Looks at his reflection every time he passes a mirror.”
I glanced at Aurelio’s carefully coifed ponytail and once again wondered if there was a family trait at play.
“Valentino’s strength is his youthful exuberance,” Fausto said. “He’s like an enthusiastic puppy dog – he wants to do anything the others are doing. He wants to prove himself.”
“Sounds like a weakness as well,” I said.
“Yes… but like Adriano, it’s a double-edged sword,” Fausto replied. “Then there’s Roberto. He has the personality of vanilla ice cream – bland and unremarkable – but he truly is a wizard with numbers. He eats, sleeps, and breathes spreadsheets. He’s done wonders organizing the family’s finances, I have to admit.
“And finally… there’s Niccolo.”
I caught the look of fondness on Fausto’s face.
Aurelio seemed to notice it as well. His expression darkened, and he launched into a tirade.
“He’s a fucking prick,” Aurelio spat. “An arrogant, smug, self-satisfied piece of shit.”
“He’s also a brilliant strategist,” Fausto said sharply. “He notices things no one else does – and makes connections no one else does.”
It was the first time Fausto had come anywhere close to rebuking his son, who seemed slightly taken aback.
“You just say that because you trained him,” Aurelio complained bitterly.
“I take credit for molding him,” Fausto replied as he sat down behind the desk, “but Niccolo had natural talent from the beginning.”
Aurelio’s expression darkened even more.