I just hope it doesn't upset my children and make them turn against Tori once again.
Later that evening, I gather my children in the sitting room. Vittoria is upstairs resting, still recovering from her injuries, but I know this conversation will affect her deeply.
"I have news from today's meeting," I begin, noting how they all tense slightly. "There will be more marriages."
Elisabetta's face goes pale, and I see her hands tremble slightly. But she lifts her chin, meeting my gaze directly.
"Who?" she questions, her voice shaky.
"Lorenzo, you'll marry Daire Delaney. Elisabetta, you'll marry Danil Morozov."
The silence that follows is deafening. Elisabetta's composure finally cracks, and tears spill down her cheeks.
"When?" she whispers.
This is where Vittoria's influence comes in. "Not for at least a year," I say, and I see relief flood Elisabetta's face. "I've proposed pushing the timeline back to give everyone more time to prepare."
"A year?" Lorenzo asks, surprise in his voice.
I nod. "Your stepmother suggested it. She thought it would be better for everyone involved, especially Elisabetta."
I see the surprise on all their faces. They're still adjusting to the idea that Vittoria cares about their welfare.
"She... she did that for me?" Elisabetta asks, voice barely audible.
"Yes," I say firmly. "Vittoria understands what it's like to face an arranged marriage. She wanted to make sure you had time to prepare, to finish your education."
Elisabetta breaks down completely then, sobbing into her hands. Sofia immediately goes to her sister, wrapping her arms around her.
"I want to thank her," Elisabetta says between sobs. "I've been so awful to her, and she still..."
"She still cares about you," I finish. "All of you. Despite how you've treated her, she sees you as family."
The guilt on my children's faces is clear. They're realizing what I've known for weeks now: Vittoria isn't just some outsider trying to replace their mother. She's genuinely trying to become part of our family.
As Elisabetta rushes out of the room, I turn to my sons. "This is how it works in our world," I say quietly. "But that doesn't mean we can't try to make it easier for each other. Vittoria understands that, even if it took the rest of us longer to see it."
Lorenzo looks at me with new understanding in his eyes. "She's not what any of us expected, is she?"
"No," I agree. "She's not. She's better."
And as I head upstairs to check on my wife, I realize that's the truth. Vittoria has become far more than I ever hoped for when this arrangement was made.
She's become the heart of our family.
CHAPTER TWELVE
vittoria
I smoothdown my dress nervously as I wait for Sofia and Valentina to arrive for lunch. It's been a month since our first real conversation, and while things have been improving between us, I still feel anxious about spending time alone with them.
The door opens and the girls walk in, both looking slightly apprehensive but offering small smiles. They're not alone. They've brought Elisabetta with them too.
Fuck. This just got more complicated.
"Hi, Vittoria," Sofia says, taking a seat across from me. "Thanks for inviting us to lunch."
I return her smile, feeling some tension ease. "Of course. I'm glad you all could make it."
