I remember what Bianca told me, months ago, in her office. Before everything went wrong.
"Use what you have. The baby. His desire. His guilt. That's power."
She was right. But also, wrong.
I am the soft place in a hard world. The reason Adrian fights harder. Kills faster. Protects fiercer.
That makes me powerful. And dangerous.
We reach the bottom of the stairs. The crowd parts around us.
Antonio Marini approaches first. Offers his hand to Adrian. They shake, and then his eyes move to me.
"Mrs. Nero. You look radiant."
"Thank you, Don Marini."
His gaze drops to Angelo, sleeping peacefully in Adrian's arms. "And the heir grows strong."
"He does."
There's approval in his eyes. I've given Adrian an heir. Secured the bloodline. Done my duty.
But it's more than duty.
Angelo is everything. My whole heart outside my body. The reason I wake up every morning and thank God I survived.
Other guests approach. Offer congratulations. Make small talk. I smile and respond appropriately, my hand still on Adrian's arm, keeping contact.
Anchoring us together.
Alexei Morozov watches from across the room. He doesn't approach. Just watches with that unsettling intensity.
I meet his gaze and don't look away.
Finally, Gemma approaches. Her maid of honor, some cousin I don't know, trails behind her.
"Adrian. Sera." Her voice is cold.
"Gemma." Adrian's voice is equally cold. "You look beautiful."
"Do I?" She laughs, bitter and sharp. "The bride always looks beautiful, even when she's walking to her execution."
"This isn't an execution?—"
"Isn't it?" Her eyes are hard. "You sold me. Just like Bianca sold me. The only difference is you're calling it protection instead of power."
I bite my lip. I agreed not to defy Adrian in public, for Angelo's sake more than anything else, but this one…this is hard.
I want to tell her I understand. That I didn't choose this life either. That sometimes we do what we have to do to survive.
But I can't because I've met Saint, and I'm scared for her.
"I hope you're happy," Gemma says, and her voice breaks slightly. "I hope whatever you have with him is worth it. Because you're complicit in this. In all of it."
The words hit like a slap. She's right. I know she's right. Six months ago, I would have fought this. Would have begged Adrian to find another way.
But now I have Angelo. And the thought of doing anything that might destabilize Adrian's position, that might put my son at risk...
