"Matteo," Adrian suggests. "Gift of God. Strong. Classic."
"I like that. What about Lorenzo?"
"Too soft."
"Marco?"
"There's a Marini named Marco, so pass."
I laugh. "Okay, what about... Leonardo? We could call him Leo."
"After my consigliere? Absolutely not."
"Alessandro?"
"Maybe. Keep going."
We lie there, trading names back and forth. Some serious. Some ridiculous. It feels normal. Domestic. I love it.
"What about naming him after your father?" I ask carefully.
The mood shifts immediately. Adrian goes still beside me.
"No."
"Why not? It's tradition, isn't it? To name the firstborn son after?—"
"I said no." His voice is hard now. Final.
I prop myself up on my elbow to look at him. "Adrian?—"
"My father was not a good man, Seraphina. I told you that. I'm not naming my son after him."
There's something in his voice. Something dark and angry and painful.
"Tell me," I say quietly. "Tell me about him."
"Why?"
"Because I want to understand. Because if we're going to raise a child together, I need to know." I touch his face. "Tell me."
He's silent for a long moment. "He beat her."
"What?"
"My father. He beat Bianca. Regularly. And he made me watch."
My blood runs cold. "Adrian?—"
"I was eight the first time. Maybe younger, but that was my first memory of it. He said it was important that I understand what a man does. How a man controls his household. How a man keeps his woman in line." His jaw is tight, every word clipped. "So he'd hit her. And I'd stand there and watch. And if I looked away, if I tried to leave, he'd hit her harder."
"Oh my God." Tears are already burning my eyes.
"Sometimes it was just slaps. Sometimes it was worse. He broke her ribs once. Her wrist another time." His voice is frank, but I can hear the rage underneath. "And she never fought back. Never left. Just took it. Let him do it. Let me watch."
"She was probably terrified?—"
"She was calculating." His eyes meet mine. "Bianca doesn't do anything without a plan. She let him beat her because she was waiting. Building her network. Making allies. And when the time was right, she had him killed."
