Valentina
“Valentina, I said I’m alright.” Matteo groaned for the umpteenth time that morning.
The hours after finding Matteo bruised and bloodied passed in a blur. Despite his insistence that it was “nothing,” his wounds told me a different story.
I’d stayed up all night watching over him, tending to his injuries as best as I could, all while he stubbornly refused to explain how he ended up in this state.
Was this what I had to contend with with too?
As the first light of dawn filtered through the heavy curtains of my bedroom, l lay awake beside him, my mind racing.
His apology – if one can even call it that – still echoed in my ears. It was the first time he had shown me any real vulnerability, and I didn’t know what to make of it.
Matteo Nevarro, the ruthless mafia Don who had an entire empire under his fingers, was sorry. Sorry for what?
For getting married to me despite the fact that he was in love with my sister? For keeping me at arm’s length? For not helping me find my sister?
I glanced over at him, still asleep beside me. Even in his slumber, there was a tension in his body, a hardness in his jaw that never seemed to disappear.
His hand rested on the pillow between us. Should I reach out to him? Smoothed out the lines of tension on his face.
I stopped myself before I would do something against my better judgement.
What was the point?
Matteo would push me aside once he was well rested and strong enough to go about his day without my help.
He didn’t care about me.
Everything that happened last night was probably some scheme of his to keep me closer. Stop me from finding Isabella.
The sooner I understood his motives and stayed away from him, the better it would be for everyone.
***
Later that morning, after ensuring nothing would happen to Matteo in my absence, I found myself wandering through the estate.
The vast mansion, with its cold marble floors and high ceilings, always felt more like a prison than a home.
I was planning a party to be hosted at this very location.
The staff went about their duties quietly, avoiding eye contact as I passed. They were not the types to engage in idle conversations in the hallways.
My mind went back to the man who was asleep on my bed.
Who had hurt him?
And why?
The mafia was serious business. One where whoever was involved could only leave when they were six feet below. Nobody in their right senses should join something like that.
Anyone could have done that to him.
Caterina was already waiting for me in the study, her ever present notebook in hand. She raised an eyebrow as I entered but said nothing.
If she knew Matteo had been injured, she didn’t let on.
“Good morning,” she said crisply, flipping a page in her notebook. “I trust you’re ready to continue with the party preparations?”
I nodded, though my mind was far from focused on the upcoming event. It was to happen on Saturday, I was supposed to go dress shopping on Friday.
Today was Thursday.
To prove my worth as a lady of the house. As a Nevarro.
Caterina launched into her usual instructions, listing off tasks that needed to be completed and decisions that needed to be made. I tried to focus, but her words blurred together as my thoughts wandered.
The party would be filled with powerful figures from the criminal underworld, men and women who held more influence than most politicians. It was a dangerous crowd, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the person responsible for Matteo’s injuries would be among them.
“… and you’ll need to choose a colour scheme for the decorations,” Caterina was saying, her eyes flicking up from the notebook to assess my distracted state. “Valentina, are you listening?”
I blinked, pulling myself back to the present. “Yes, of course. Colour scheme. Right.”
She sighed, clearly unimpressed. “You can’t afford to be distracted right now. This event is crucial, not just for Matteo, but for you as well. If you fail to make a good impression, people will start to talk. In this world, rumours can be dangerous.”
I nodded, knowing she was right. My position in Matteo’s life – and in this world – was precarious. I had to play my part, even if I didn’t fully understand the rules of the game yet.
But what if I didn’t play my part?
We haven’t consummated yet. Our marriage might be considered null if Matteo continued to stay away from me.
If I can’t give him heirs.
Caterina paused for a moment, studying me with those sharp eyes of hers. “What happened last night?”
I stiffened, caught off guard by the sudden shift in her tone. “What do you mean?”
“Matteo.” She closed the notebook and leaned forward slightly. “He came back injured, didn’t he?”
I swallowed hard, unsure of how much to reveal. “Yes,” I admitted quietly. “He was hurt, but he didn’t tell me what happened.”
Caterina’s expression softened slightly, though her eyes remained calculating. “It’s not uncommon for men in his position to return from a business meeting with a few bruises. But if Matteo was seriously injured, it meant something went wrong.”
“Do you know who did this?” I asked, unable to hide the desperation in my voice.
She shook her head. “If I did, I would have already dealt with it. But I do know this: whoever it was, they’re sending a message. And Matteo will not let it go unanswered.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. I knew what Matteo was capable of when he was pushed. Violence was as much a part of his life as breathing, and whoever had hurt him would likely pay the price.
But what scared me more was the thought that I might be caught in the crossfire.
***
By the time I returned to my room later that afternoon, Matteo was awake. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his expression unreadable as he stared out the window. The bruises on his face had darkened overnight, making him look even more dangerous than usual.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, hesitant to approach him.
He didn’t respond at first, his gaze still fixed on the view outside. Then, without turning to look at me, he spoke.
“I’m fine.”
It was the same curt response I had expected, but there was something different in his tone. A weariness, perhaps. Or maybe frustration.
I stepped closer, my heart pounding in my chest. “Matteo, what happened? Who did this to you?”
He finally turned to face me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, I thought he might actually answer. But then, just as quickly, the mask slipped back into place.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, his voice cold and distant once more. “You don’t need to worry about it.”
I felt a surge of anger rise within me. “How can you say that? Of course I’m worried! You came back covered in blood, and you expect me to just… ignore it?”
He stood up abruptly, wincing slightly as he moved. “This is my business, Valentina. Not yours.”
I clenched my fists, refusing to back down. “I’m your wife, Matteo. Whether you like it or not, I’m part of this now. You can’t keep shutting me out.”
His expression hardened, but there was a flicker of something else. Regret? “This life…. she wouldn’t have wanted it for you,” He said quietly. “I don’t want it for you. Coming here was a lapse in judgement.”
She? Isabella?
I stared at him, my heart pounding so hard I was scared it was about to fly out. “But I am involved. You made sure of that when you married me.”
The silence between us was thick with tension, unspoken words hung in the air. I walked closer to him so I could see the conflict in his eyes. The war he was fighting with himself.
I couldn’t stop myself.
He didn’t try to stop me.
He leaned in and tilted his head, his mouth inches from mine. “Yeah, I did.” He said before crashing his lips on mine, and I groaned when his palm found my neck.
This kiss was different from the last one we shared in the rain. It’s filled with unbridled desperation that I met beat for beat.
“I can’t believe you’re mine.” He murmured before nipping my bottom lips, only to run his tongue over the seam of my lips, in a silent demand to open up for him.
He deepened our kiss, his hands roaming over my body as he grabbed my hips and lifted me up unto his thighs, my legs wrapping around him.
I moaned against his mouth when I felt how hard he was, and he rolled his hips, his hands slipping underneath the t-shirt I was wearing.
This wasn’t so bad.