“Gianna just gave birth. Two girls,fratello.”
I catapult to my feet, a wide grin stretching across my face as pride surges through my veins.Two daughters.Michael and Gianna had chosen not to learn the gender ahead of time,dragging us all through months of suspense. “Where are they?”
“Gianna’s,” he answers simply. The private hospital Michael got for his wife.
“I’m on my way.” I hang up and hand the phone back to Enzo, who’s eyeing me like I’ve grown a second head. The curiosity on his face is so blatant, it actually makes me laugh. His brows shoot up, lips parting like he can’t quite believe what he just heard.
And honestly? I don’t blame him. It’s not often anyone catches me in a good mood, let alone laughing.
“Gianna just gave birth,” I tell him, my cheeks hurting from the foreign sensation of holding such a wide smile for so long. For a second, I have to squash the bizarre urge to hug the man.
Instead, I turn towards the DJ stand and raise a commanding hand.
My man stationed there catches my meaning instantly. He goes up to the DJ, leans in, and whispers something into his ear. The booming music cuts off mid-beat, plunging the club into a startled silence as every eye in the room gravitates towards me with almost magnetic precision.
“Drinks are on the house for the rest of the night!” I announce, and a deafening cheer erupts, the whole club riding the wave of my high.
As the music kicks back up, I grab my jacket off my seat and start making my way to the exit.
“Hey!” Martin calls after me, straining to be heard. “I was in the middle of discussing something important! What about our meeting? Where are you going?!”
I throw a glance over my shoulder. “Enzo will take over the meeting for me. And as for me?” I pause, my smile returning. “I’m going to celebrate with my family.”
A tune escapes my lips as I step outside—I’m actually fucking whistling. Even the falling snow isn’t enough todampen my soaring mood, though it will undoubtedly create traffic delays. Still, nothing can ruin this high right now.
I slide into the back of my Royce, where Alfred already sits at attention behind the wheel. I give him our destination, and he pulls out of the lot, two cars filled with my men falling into formation behind us. Not excessive—merely necessary. After all, my brothers and I, as well as their families, will all be gathered in one place, away from the safety of our fortresses. That kind of concentration makes us a tempting target. Enemies will no doubt try to strike and take us down.
Fortunately, the hospital belonging to Gianna means Michael can take over the security. If anyone can turn a hospital into a fortress, it’s him. Then again, hospitals are messy by nature—too many people coming and going to fully lock it down.
As predicted, we soon hit gridlocked traffic, forcing the car to a crawl. I gaze out the window absently, mind already at the hospital with my new nieces, when a splash of color catches my eye. Right across the street, tucked behind a brightly lit glass front, is what looks like a baby mall. Sure enough, the glittering sign saysBaby Center,and the place is packed to the roof with baby stuff.
Impulse hit. I shoot a quick text to my security team about my spontaneous detour, and before Alfred can say a word, I’m out of the car.
He pulls out of the traffic to the curb as I cross into the mall.
Inside, I’m immediately overwhelmed by the riot of cheerful balloons, flowers, and endless baby merchandise crowding every surface. What are you even supposed to get for newborns?
A store attendant walks up to me with a polite smile. “Do you need help shopping, sir?” Her smile fades a little as my men file in behind me, but she recovers quickly, maintaining her professional mien.
“I’m not sure what an appropriate gift would be,” I admit, scanning the aisles like I’m staring down a battlefield. “I’m honestly considering just buying out the entire store and having the items delivered to the new parents.” They can go through it all at their own pace and pick what they need. With two kids, they’ll probably end up using most of it anyway.
The attendant laughs like I’ve told the world’s funniest joke. When I don’t join in, her amusement dies. “Oh. You were… serious?”
I frown. “Is there a problem with that?”
“Well, I imagine getting an entire store’s worth of baby items might be a bit overwhelming for the new parents…”
Fair enough. If I’m this overwhelmed just looking at it all, they’d probably be buried alive.
“Tell you what,” she says quickly. “I’ll help you. What gender is the baby?”
“Babies,” I correct distractedly, eyes snagging on a cluster of pink balloons a few feet away. “They’re girls.”
“Wow, twins! That’s something special. You want balloons? Getting three might be a great start—One for each girl, and one for the mother. Trust me, she’ll appreciate it. The mothers often get overlooked when a baby is born.”
Can’t have that.“I’ll take three dozen,” I tell her. “And two dozen of those.” I nod towards the display of pink and white roses at the far end of the store. Something specifically for Gianna.
The attendant splutters like a fish out of water, blinking rapidly, then nods quickly and waves to a second attendant lurking nearby. “Would you like to see our collection of baby clothes? They’re quite trendy and the best you’ll find in the city.”
