Edmond Lattone's POV
I was breathing hard when I stopped and parked the car on the parking spot outside the building. I got out of the car and Lyana was walking beside me while she was holding my hands. I was thankful that she was here with me as I was about to meet my niece.
Which I have no idea about.
How come my sister never told me that she had a daughter and now she was gone? I cannot blame her if she had a child out of wedlock. We're in the 21st century, the accident happened.
"Hey, it's going to be okay," Lyana said as I was nodding at her. She was smiling at me before she was opening the door and we walked inside the building as there was no one inside the building right now.
We arrived at 9 PM and all the businesses have been closed down. But luckily, this officer knows my family and our influence, so we have a special treatment right now.
"Edmond Lattone?" The man asked as he was standing in front of me. I nodded.
"Hi, my name is Lucien De Ville. I am the one that was responsible for this case of your niece. Is you are comfortable right now, she's in the room waiting for you," Lucien said as I was nodding at him before my eyes were looking at the blonde girl that was waiting for us to pick her up.
I would guess that she's 15 years old right now.
"Come, I will introduce you to her," Lucien said as I was pulling Lyana by my side and we entered the room as Lucien opened the door and walked inside.
"Ella, I want you to meet someone. This person will take care of you from now on," Lucien said to Ella as her blue eyes were looking at Lucien before she was looking at me and Lyana.
The blue eyes that have been in our family for generations.
"Come," Lucien asked Ella to walk up to us before I was looking at her fair locks and freckles on her face. She was the walking image of my sister.
The sister that I have been missing for 17 years old.
"Hi," Ella said as she was waving at me. I was stunned when I know that I have a niece and I cannot form words right now as she was smiling like my late sister.
Oh, sister…
"Hi, your name is Ella? My name is Lyana, your uncle's wife. I hope we will get along well," Lyana said as she was shaking her hand with Ella. Ella was still looking at me as I was blinking a few times.
"Hi, aunt Lyana. I'm Ella. I hope I was not giving you guys a hard time since this news was—"
"No, of course not. You're a Lattone and we always stick together," I said as I was putting my hands on her shoulders. Ella was lonely in this world and I have to make it right by my sister. She must be alone when she was dying.
"If you don't mind asking, may I know how my sis—I mean, your mother died?" I asked Ella before Lyana was pinching my shoulder.
"Edmond, I don't think that would be wise," Lyana whispered to me before Ella was taking something from her coat.
"No, it's fine. My mother knew that she had been dying for the last 5 years but she was ashamed to tell you that. And of course, an illegitimate child by her side would not do good for the family reputation," Ella said, speaking like an adult.
I was looking at her with a new light. How long has Ella suffered to take care of my sick sister? She must have to take care of her all the time, forgot how to be a child any more. Ella was holding a letter for me as it indicated on the front page: To Edmond Lattone.
"So, why don't we go to the cafeteria? I heard they have some good junk foods," Lyana said as she took Ella's hand.
"But mum said we don't have money for it,"
"No, it's fine. I will be treating you for tonight," Lyana said before she was out of the building with Ella. I was looking at the letter before Lucien was clearing his throat.
"So, the papers for the guardianship," Lucien said as I was breaking out of the spell that I was in when I was looking at the letter.
"Ah, yes. Let's settle that first, shall we?" I asked him before we were sitting at his desk and I signed the papers that needed to be done before Lucien gave me all the documents that stating Ella Lattone was my niece and she will be my ward until she was 21 years old.
"Thank you for your help. I appreciate it," I said as I was shaking Lucien's hand. He smiled.
"My pleasure, have a good night,"
"You too," I said as I was walking out of the building before Ella and Lyana were coming at me. I was smiling at them before I was gesturing to go to the car. We got in before I started the ignition and sped off to my apartment in Glasgow for the night.
I parked the car inside the garage before Ella slid out of the car and she was looking around. To say it was an apartment was an understatement. It was a townhouse and I got it from the inheritance that I managed from my parents'.
"So, welcome home," I said as I was looking at Ella when she was in awe of our surroundings now. Lyana and I have put our stuff here before we went to pick Ella. She only had one luggage and she was smiling at me when I was opening the door for her to enter the house.
"It's your home now," I said as Ella was smiling weakly.
"Thank you, Uncle Edmond,"
"You can just call me Uncle Ed," I said, trying to be familiar with Ella but she was still distancing herself from me. But not with Lyana, she was all over her.
"Okay, so why don't we settle down and I will show you your room? You must be exhausted waiting for us the whole day," Lyana said before she was bringing Ella to the guest room as I was looking at them. I sighed before I was feeling the weight of the letter from my sister.
I took them out and I was tearing the envelope before I was reading the content of the letter:
Dear brother,
I know that by reading this letter, it means that I have gone from this world. I just hope that you will not be mad at me when you discovered that I have to keep a deep secret from you since mum and dad were gone.
I know I was a rebellious person but to end up knocked up by some stranger was acceptable by our society. And with that, I'm sorry for tainted the name of our good family. But you don't have to worry, I will carry my secret to my grave and Ella will never tell anyone about it.
I know you will be asking a lot of questions about Ella's father and my only request was not to go after him. He did not know it. And I don't think you will ever find him again. It was a one night stand and I know you will never rest until that man took his responsibility but it was my choice to keep the child. He does not know anything and I intended to keep it that way.
Please be happy for me and I hope that you will take care of Ella as if she was your own. I know you will have your kids someday but I just hope that you can spare some love for Ella like her father.
And I know you will.
Love,
Your beloved sister.
I did not know that I was crying until Lyana was wiping my tears as I turned to look at her face. She was smiling at me before she was hugging me and I was happy to know that someone was there to support me. And I was thankful for Lyana.
"Thank you,"
"For what?" Lyana asked me as she was playing with my hair.
"For being here, in my life when I needed you the most," I said before Lyana was gripping my face in her hands. I was smiling at her before I sniffed. She sighed.
"I like Ella. She's like my younger sister and I know that she will be fine with you. With us. She's our family and we took care of each other," Lyana said as I heard someone was calling for her. I smiled.
"I guess she kind of sees you as her mother now," I said as Lyana smirked at me.
"Looks like we have to wait before we can have our kids then. Since Ella can be a handful for me," Lyana said before I was slapping playfully on her butt before she laughed and retreated to the guest room to help Ella.