MILLIE
“Then maybe there’s a chance we can navigate through this unscathed. Gallo might not even notice, and there are ways to fabricate those bloodstains on the sheets,” Gio mused aloud. His eyes didn’t find mine, but I sensed his thoughts had drifted to our own wedding night, a memory marred by the secret I had withheld. I understood his concealed truths, ones meant to shield me from the darkness he faced. My own secrets were woven with different threads, stitched to safeguard my sisters.
“She won’t go through with that marriage,” Dario asserted with conviction.
Gio’s eyebrow raised, skepticism apparent. “Oh, won’t she? Are you planning to defy Pearce? Perhaps kidnap Sienna and claim her for yourself?”
It was a clear challenge, a risk Dario seemed willing to take. A loyal soldier, entangled in a conflict with Gio over Sienna. A conflict born from love, I suspected.
Resting my hand on Gio’s arm, I implored softly, “Gio, please. Can’t you speak to my father?”
“Speak to him and say what?” Gio’s retort held a harsh edge, his steel-gray eyes piercing into me. “That my most trusted man broke his oath, bedded his daughter, and now wants her for himself? That I allowed Sienna’s honor to be compromised? It won’t sit well.”
My suggestion was an attempt to navigate the storm. “No, but you could propose that Harper and I want Sienna with us in New York. Suggest the possibility of her marrying someone from the Famiglia. You don’t need to reveal a name immediately. It could buy us time to find a solution.”
Gio’s tone was resolute, though burdened by the complexity of the situation. “I can’t intervene in this matter. It’s not my place. And if your father has already given his word to Gallo, altering that promise would only tarnish his reputation and insult Gallo.”
In the midst of these tangled emotions and veiled conversations, a troubling reality emerged. The narrative wove a tale of loyalty, love, secrecy, and the heavy consequences that loomed over their choices. The looming shadow of the Famiglia’s power cast a pall over every decision, every whispered conversation, leaving no one untouched by its reach.
Desperation coursed through me, compelling me to clutch onto his arm, my fingers digging into his sleeve. “But we can’t just stand by,” I implored, my voice laced with urgency.
“I won’t let this escalate into a war,” Gio’s voice thundered, forcefully freeing himself from my grip as he stepped back, his eyes blazing with an intensity that left me momentarily speechless. It wasn’t just anger directed at Dario, it was a tempest that engulfed both of us.
“Frustration!” he snarled, his frustration echoing in the air as he abruptly retreated into his office.
I followed him, as I had so often done during my time poring over the books at his desk. I shut the door behind me, and there he was, seated in his imposing chair, his gaze fixed on me, a deep crease etched between his brows.
In the midst of the room, I hesitated, confronting the sheer force of his anger anew.
“Remember the promise you made?” His words sliced through the charged atmosphere, dragging me back to a pact I had made in the past, a commitment to transparency after the Harper incident.
I nodded, slowly circling the desk until I stood before him. “I remember. I thought things might resolve on their own. I just wanted Sienna to be happy. Her love for Dario-it’s something pure, something I was afraid of tainting.” Stepping closer, I positioned myself between his knees, my palms finding their place against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breath as he leaned back, studying my face.
“Taint it with what? Silence?” His eyes bore into mine, his intensity unwavering. “I moved heaven and earth for you, for us, after everything with Harper. I shouldn’t even consider you when the Famiglia is at stake, but I do, every time.”
“I know,” I whispered, the weight of his gaze forcing me to admit that truth. “Can’t I have my own secrets? I didn’t want to burden you further. And I didn’t think Sienna would be pushed into marriage so quickly.”
“You never think things through when it comes to your family,” he retorted, his voice a controlled simmer. “You let your emotions steer you.”
“Wouldn’t you keep a secret for Sebastian?” I challenged, my hand sliding up the curve of his neck and into the silken darkness of his hair. His response was silence, a begrudging acknowledgment of the truth.
“Don’t deflect,” he muttered, his resistance wavering slightly beneath my touch.
My fingers continued their gentle exploration of his hair. “Everyone has secrets, Gio. I would never keep anything from you that concerned us.”
“Can you draw the line though?” His doubt was palpable.
I sighed, frustration and remorse mingling within me. “I’m sorry, Gio. That’s all I can say. We’ll find a way through this mess.”
He shook his head, resignation and authority intertwining in his words. “Your sister will marry Gallo, feign purity. There’s no alternative.”
His tone dared me to dispute, yet the thought of sacrificing Sienna felt like a blade in my chest.
“We can’t let her face that fate.”
“You married me out of duty, Harper did the same, and now Sienna will too.”
“It’s not the same. Harper and I married under different circumstances. And you and Sebastian would never subject women to such cruelty.”
“You didn’t know that when you married me. You expected the worst, yet you said yes. You followed the rules of our world, just like Harper. You can’t shield Sienna.”
Leaning in, I pressed my forehead against his, our closeness a silent plea. “I feared you, yet you showed me otherwise. You gave me love and tenderness, a rarity in our life. I don’t take that for granted.”
Silence enveloped us, his hands tentatively finding my waist, his touch a fragile connection. I took his hand, pressing a kiss to the scar in his palm. “I’m grateful that these hands, amid the violence, have always treated me with care.”
Gio drew me nearer, his lips seeking mine briefly before retreating. “I’m still angry, but your words matter.”
I nodded, understanding his forgiveness was rooted in the deeper truth: that my actions were borne out of concern for family, for us.
GIO
In the waning days of October, Millie and I found ourselves the recipients of an invitation to dinner at Mathias’s residence, a mere two days prior to Sienna’s impending union with Gallo. The secrecy that shrouded our true intentions seemed to hold, for no inkling of suspicion had arisen thus far. My fervent wish was for this fragile equilibrium to endure through their wedding night.
As we crossed the threshold into Mathias’s abode, it was readily apparent that my presence was a thorn in his side. The rationale behind his discomfort was crystal clear, and I empathized. His wife bore the delicate gift of impending motherhood, and somewhere within these walls slumbered their innocent child. Despite the veneer of tranquility that masked our uneasy truce, true trust remained elusive. Time had done little to mend the fractures that had initially divided us. Beyond simply refraining from hostilities, our cooperation had been tepid at best in the intervening years. The fate of impending conflict hinged precariously on Sienna’s ability to convince Gallo of her untouched purity.
The Ruberti villa’s entrance hall greeted Millie and me, and my gaze swept swiftly across our surroundings. Kayla, heavy with child, warmly embraced Millie before offering me a more restrained smile. Her demeanor was one of remarkable composure, rivaled only by Mathias himself. Notwithstanding her practiced restraint, the unease she harbored in my presence remained thinly veiled. A courteous kiss to her hand preempted the decision of whether a more intimate embrace would be shared, a choice that inadvertently heightened Mathias’s already palpable tension.
My attention shifted to Millie, the thought surfacing that were she with child, Mathias’s proximity would be rendered inconceivable. I quietly rejoiced that this wasn’t the case. The current climate was fraught with danger, and my disposition wasn’t suited for the mantle of fatherhood.
“It’s truly a pleasure to welcome you both for dinner,” Kayla’s words were accompanied by a faint smile. Mathias’s inclination of the head conveyed an altogether different sentiment. Millie and I followed our hosts into the dining room, taking our places at the lavishly set table. Across from one another, Mathias and I occupied positions that only amplified the tension in the air.
“Your sister will be the epitome of a radiant bride,” Kayla ventured, striving to break the taut silence.
“Perhaps her radiance will eclipse the fact that she’s been bartered like chattel to a man past his prime,” Millie retorted, her gaze a pointed arrow aimed at Mathias.
My grip on Millie’s hand tightened, a silent warning amidst the gathering storm. Ignoring the physical cue, she held Mathias’s gaze unflinchingly. My own focus remained on Mathias, alert to any moment that might necessitate drawing my weapon.
“Your father intends only the best for…”
“Himself,” Millie’s interruption sliced through Mathias’s words, prompting my grip to intensify. A wince escaped her, but her resolve held steady. “Let’s be honest, he secured a child-bride in exchange for selling off my sister.”
“Millie, that’s enough,” my voice lashed out like a whip.
Only when her eyes met mine did she relent, acquiescing to the authority I needed to project in Mathias’s presence. Reluctantly, her gaze shifted downward, a hesitant swallow betraying the turmoil within her. After a tense pause, she addressed Mathias once more, her tone now laden with contrition. “I apologize for any perceived disrespect.”