This is what I love about us.
Even with all the darkness, all the violence and complicated family drama and criminal empire bullshit, we can still be like this.
Playful. Normal.
Like two people who are just figuring out how to be together instead of partners in psychological warfare.
It’s been four days since the reconciliation meeting with Matteo, and I do feel lighter somehow.
Not fixed—I don’t think I’ll ever be completely fixed after learning the truth about Giuseppe and Sophia—but less like I’m drowning in anger all the time.
The knot in my chest that’s been there since that awful night everything went to hell has loosened enough that I can breathe normally again.
And it allows me to want to eat again. Starting with Alessandro’s bacon.
But seeing the twins… Ugh, their faces when they saw me.
Pure joy, no complicated emotions or hurt feelings.
Just “Banca’s here!” and everything was right in their world again.
I read them three bedtime stories that night, and when Arianna fell asleep holding onto my finger, I almost started crying again.
“We should head over to the compound soon,” Alessandro says, checking his watch. “Matteo wanted to discuss the potential timeline for the final trial.”
My stomach clenches at the mention of it. The final trial that hasn’t fucking been announced yet, hasn’t even beenhintedat.
Ugh. Ugh.Ugh.
It’s been over a week since I passed the interrogation test, and the silence is making me crazy.
“It’s taking too long,” I say, pushing my plate away. My appetite has basically disappeared. “Something’s wrong.”
Alessandro’s expression grows serious, and he sets down his coffee cup, biting his lip.
That means he’s thinking hard about something. “You think they’re planning something specific?”
“I think the longer they wait, the more time they have to design something that will destroy me.” I stand up, suddenly too restless to sit still.
The anxiety has been building for days, this low-level buzz of worry that makes my skin feel too tight. “What if they’re not planning a trial at all? What if they’re planning something else entirely?”
They want to break you,Giuseppe’s voice snarls in my head, his voice low and menacing.They want to prove you’re weak.
They’re afraid of what you’ve become,Sophia whispers.That’s why they’re stalling. They’re looking for a way to eliminate you without looking like cowards.
The voices are getting louder again, more insistent. I press my palms against my temples, trying to shut them out, but they just keep talking over each other.Just shut up!I mentally order the voices, but they ignore me.
“Hey.” Alessandro is suddenly in front of me, his hands on my shoulders, his hazel eyes focused intently on my face. “Breathe. You’re spiraling.”
My stomach is in knots and my mouth feels dry, like it does before I vomit.
Alessandro’s hands slide up from my shoulders to cup my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. “Bianca. Focus on me. What’s wrong?”
“I can’t stop thinking about what they might be planning,” I admit, my voice shaky.
God, I hate this. I hate that I sound like a little girl. “Every scenario I come up with gets worse. What if it’s not a test at all? What if it’s an execution disguised as a trial?”
“Then we’ll handle it,” he says simply as if it were that easy.Men.
