She gave me a pointed look, unimpressed. “I can’t imagine what that poor girl is going through. Forced here against her will, witnessing a double homicide at point-blank range, and then enduring that gods-awful binding ceremony left her sick as a dog. You’ve put her through hell, Raffaele.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk. “She knew coming here was the only way for her and that boy to survive. She made her choice.”
Eldora’s expression didn’t soften. “It wasn’t much of a choice, was it?”
I clenched my jaw as I stared at my desk. Eldora was right, of course, but I wasn’t about to admit it.
“She’s strong,” Eldora continued, her tone gentler now. “Stronger than you give her credit for. But even the strongest people have their breaking points, Raffaele. And you’re not making it any easier for her.”
“What do you expect me to do?” I snapped. “Hold her hand? Whisper sweet nothings in her ear? That’s not who I am, Eldora. You know that.”
She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I’m not asking you to change who you are. I’m asking you to stop pushing her away. Let your guard down, just a little. Show her that you’re not the monster she thinks you are.”
I scoffed. “Maybe I am the monster she thinks I am.”
“Bullshit,” she said, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. “You’ve spent your entire life building walls, convincing yourself that emotions are a weakness, that caring for someone makes you vulnerable. But that’s not strength, Raffaele. That’s fear.”
Her words hit harder than I cared to admit, but I didn’t let it show. Instead, I leaned back in my chair. “I’ll give it some thought,” I said dismissively.
“Sure you will. But you’d better think fast. Because if you keep shutting her out, you’re going to lose her before you ever had her.”
She turned and walked toward the door, pausing just before she reached it. “Oh, and one more thing,” she said, glancing back over her shoulder. “Stop being such an asshole.”
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me alone with her words—and the truth I didn’t want to face.
Eldora was right. I’d spent my entire life believing that emotions were a liability, that caring for someone would only lead to pain and betrayal. My father had hammered that lesson into me, using every opportunity to remind me that love was a fatal flaw, a weapon my enemies would use against me.
I couldn’t afford to let Vivian in. Couldn’t afford to care for her, to let her see the cracks in my armor. It would make me weak. Vulnerable. And yet, I couldn’t shake the image of Vivian’s face—the fire in her eyes, the way she’d looked at me when she thought I wasn’t watching.
I couldn’t afford to care for her.
But maybe it was already too late.
The door to my office opened with a creak, interrupting the fragile silence that had settled after Eldora’s departure. I didn’t bother to look up, already irritated by the intrusion.
“I don’t recall scheduling a meeting,” I said flatly, my tone laced with venom. But when I finally glanced up, my irritation sharpened. Vincenzo stood there, flanked by two of his enforcers—Camilla and Alessandro. He wore his usual air of composed arrogance, his suit immaculate, and his expression unreadable.
“Vincenzo,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
He stepped inside, motioning for the two at his side to follow. “I’m here to discuss Vivian.”
Of course. “What about her?”
Vincenzo gestured toward Camilla. “This is Camilla. I’d like to station her here, at your estate. To keep an eye on Vivian.”
I barked a laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Let me guess—this was Celeste’s fucking idea?”
He smiled faintly, not denying it. “Celeste might have suggested it, but I happen to agree. If you’re going to insist on this arrangement, Vivian needs someone she trusts nearby. Someone who isn’t you.”
His words hit harder than I cared to admit, but I didn’t let it show. “And what’s in it for me?”
Vincenzo stepped forward, his hands in his pockets. “Camilla is one of my best enforcers. You know I don’t part with my people easily, but this is an exception. She might be useful to you as well.”
I turned my attention to Camilla, who stood with her arms crossed, her posture relaxed but her gaze sharp. “Is that so?” I drawled. “What exactly is your specialty?”
She shrugged. “I’m a shifter. Heightened senses, stealth missions, weapons, hand-to-hand combat. You name it, I’ve probably done it.”
Her confidence intrigued me, but I wasn’t about to let her waltz in and play babysitter. “If you think I’m letting her come here just to babysit my wife, you’re out of your fucking mind,” I said to Vincenzo. “I already have one pain-in-the-ass shifter running around. I don’t need another.”
