Salvatore leans forward. “You’ll love it here, Matthew. My family has lived on this land since before your country even existed. Its security is unmatched. Carlo runs things like a well-oiled machine.”
There it is—a calculated reminder that Salvatore owns the air we’re breathing, and thanks to Carlo, there’s nothing that happens on this estate without his knowledge.
I give him a thin, courteous smile. “It’s a beautiful estate. If Carlo runs your systems, I’d like to be introduced. I prefer to know the people watching my back.”
“It is beautiful,” he agrees smoothly. “And soon it’ll be part of your family’s history too.”
He pauses for a beat, looking out the window before continuing, “As for Carlo… he is a very busy man. I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t see him until the wedding. He keeps… interesting hours.”
My chest tightens, wrapped in barbed wire.
Not because of Carlo and his nocturnal schedule.
Because every word is a reminder that this isn’t a visit.
It’s a cage, and the wedding is the lock snapping shut.
The gates swing open, revealing manicured gardens bursting with blooms, white statues gleaming in the sun. Beyond stands the Salvatore villa—a baroque monster of pale stone and wrought iron balconies. Marble stairs climb to towering double doors, the façade so bright it almost blinds me.
I step out, heat and birdsong enveloping me. My shoes crunch gravel as soldiers fan out discreetly, scanning the perimeter. Gianna walks ahead before pausing at the base of the stairs. Same stiff smile, perfect posture, as she tries again to speak.
“Hi. I… I just wanted to say I’m really happy you’re here.” Her voice is small, cautious. A kid trying her best. It almost makes me feel like shit for how hard I don’t want this.
“Yeah,” I say. “Sure.” That’s about all the kindness I can muster up for today.
Salvatore waves her off. “Go inside, Gianna. Give us a moment.”
She obeys instantly, vanishing into shadow.
Salvatore turns to me, all fatherly warmth. “Come. Let me show you your rooms. We’ll talk more tonight. The chef has prepared something special. You like lamb?”
“I like whatever’s in front of me,” I say flatly.
He laughs, clapping me on the shoulder, and I fight the urge to move away from his touch.
As I follow him toward the house, a breeze lifts the scent of lavender and old stone. For a second, I almost forget why I’m here. But then Lily’s face flashes in my mind. Her eyes wide, her voice shaking as she said,“I’m not like my mother.”
And I wonder—for the thousandth time—if that’s true.
Chapter 14
“Remind me again why we can’t just come visit you?”
Abbie’s sigh drips through my phone speakers like honey laced with vinegar. On the screen, she’s in her kitchen, a streak of flour on her cheek, hair twisted into a messy bun. She’s juggling a wooden spoon in one hand and her phone in the other, looking exasperated and beautiful as ever. In the background, Rocky and Teddy—her rescue pets Logan surprised her with—are curled up around each other, watching for any scraps.
In the next square on the call, Cora’s perched on her living room floor with little April bouncing beside her, a mass of curls and sticky fingers. Toys are strewn everywhere—blocks, stuffed animals, and a sparkly tiara lying abandoned under the coffeetable. Cora’s trying to look somewhat put together in a sleek black jumpsuit, but there’s a smear of yoghurt on one shoulder to complete the look.
These calls have kept me tethered over the past year. But lately, even the glittering pixels between us feel like an ocean. It’s as though the more we talk, the more aware we all are of the miles stretching taut between us, and while they want to erase that distance, I’m not so sure I do.
“Because Logan and Owen would lose their minds,” I say firmly, rolling my eyes. “You really think they’d let you leave the safety of the Points or the Clan just to hang out with me? Especially with the sex trafficking ring still unresolved?”
Abbie groans. “Ugh. I hate this. I hate that we can’t justbetogether like normal people.”
April shrieks in the background and Cora winces, clutching her toddler gently around the middle. “April, baby, mummy’s talking.” She flashes me a grin. “I still think we should come anyway. Screw the rules. It’s been far too long since we were all in one place. If our husbands don’t like it, they can come with us for all I care.”
“Oh! We could finally meet your friends,” Abbie cuts in, jabbing her spoon at the screen. “And vet these roommates of yours.”
I laugh softly. “If we do this, you’re talking your husbands into it. I’m not getting involved in that. And we’re staying in a hotel, preferably one on the other side of the city that comes with spa robes and champagne room service. As for meeting my friends, yeah, no thanks. I quite like keeping them away from this shit, thank you very much.”
