Chapter 182

Chapter 182
Salvatore's lips crashed against mine, and my world stopped spinning. His kiss was desperate, hungry, like a drowning man gasping for air. I should have pushed him away, should have remembered all the reasons this was wrong, but my body betrayed me. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer.

The rain continued to pour around us, soaking through our clothes, but I barely noticed. All I could feel was the heat of his body pressing against mine, the taste of him on my tongue. For a brief moment, I forgot about everything—about Enzo, about Franco, about all the pain that had torn my life apart.

When we finally broke apart, both gasping for breath, Salvatore's amber eyes locked with mine. Raindrops clung to his long eyelashes, and his usually perfect hair was plastered to his forehead. He'd never looked more vulnerable.

"I don't fear death, Beatrice!" he whispered fiercely, his hands framing my face.

Before I could respond, Salvatore pulled me close again. This time, his kiss was slower, deeper, as if he was trying to memorize the feel of my lips against his.

I gave in to the moment, letting myself enjoy this stolen piece of happiness. His hands slid down to my waist, fingers digging into my hips as he backed me against the marble statue. I could feel his heart hammering against my chest, matching the wild rhythm of my own.

He moved his lips to my neck, and I tilted my head back, eyes fluttering closed. The rain pattered against the leaves around us, creating a curtain of white noise that separated us from the rest of the world. In this moment, nothing existed but us.

"Salvatore!" A sharp voice cut through our bubble like a knife.

We jumped apart, and I turned to see Lydia standing a few feet away, her expensive heels sinking into the wet grass, her face a mask of cold fury. She marched forward and grabbed my arm, yanking me away from her son with surprising strength.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

Salvatore immediately pulled me back to his side, his jaw clenched in defiance. "Leave her alone, Mother."

Lydia's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't you remember what happened to your brother because of her?" She spat the words like venom. "Have you forgotten Enzo already?"

"I haven't forgotten anything," Salvatore said, his voice low and dangerous. "But I'm not afraid to go after what I want."

Lydia looked at me with disgust, as if I were something she'd scraped off the bottom of her designer shoe. "So she's bewitched you too? Just like she did to Enzo and Matteo?" She laughed bitterly. "Antonio should have thrown her out on the street the moment she set foot in our house."

"That's enough," Salvatore warned.

Lydia's eyes flickered between us, a realization dawning on her face. "It was never about Enzo or Matteo, was it?" she said slowly. "It was always about dividing this family. What better way to destroy the Vasquez brothers than to turn them against each other over a girl?"

I couldn't take it anymore. The guilt, the accusations—they were too much.

"You're wrong," I said, my voice shaking. "I never meant to come between anyone. I was just—I was using Salvatore to make Franco jealous."

The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but I forced myself to continue. "Franco and I... we have history. I thought if Salvatore showed interest in me, Franco would notice me again."

Salvatore's grip on my waist loosened, his expression hardening with disbelief. But I couldn't look at him. I kept my eyes fixed on Lydia, willing her to believe me.

"Is that so?" she said, skepticism dripping from every syllable.

I nodded frantically. "Yes. I never had any real interest in your sons. They were just... convenient."

Each word felt like a betrayal, but I knew it was the only way to protect Salvatore. I couldn't let another Vasquez brother die because of me.

Lydia studied me for a long moment, then smiled thinly. "Well, that certainly sounds more believable than my son actually caring about you." She turned to Salvatore. "Don't waste your time on her. You deserve better than Antonio's whore's daughter."

With that parting shot, she turned and walked back toward the mansion, her posture rigid with victory.

I couldn't bear to look at Salvatore, couldn't face the hurt or anger I knew would be written across his face. Instead, I pulled away from him and hurried after Amelia, desperate to escape the suffocating tension of the garden.

As I entered the mansion, I nearly collided with Antonio himself. He was deep in conversation with Amelia about the catering arrangements for some event, but he paused when he saw me.

"Where's Marisa?" he asked, his dark eyes scrutinizing me. "I thought she was helping with the desserts."

"She's sick," I managed to say, my voice steadier than I expected.

"How's your mother?" Antonio asked, a mocking edge to his voice.

“She is doing much better now that she doesn’t have to follow someone’s lead just to please him.” I reminded him how hard it was for her to always be on her feet and walk behind him.

“You sound bitter,” Antonio scoffed, smiling and trying to make it seem like I was the only one at the receiving end of an agonizing pain.

“You should be too. You lost your son, or perhaps you didn’t care.” As soon as I reminded him of his heartless act, he grunted and slammed his fist on the table to alert me.

“She is just joking.” Amelia rushed over to me and hurriedly held my arm to shake me awake. Antonio and I were only staring angrily into each other’s eyes.

“Go wait outside for me.” Amelia eyed me and told me to not go any further and leave. We both knew what happens when Antonio’s dignity and self- esteem are challenged.

Not wanting to stick around for too long, I ambled out of the living room and to the garden in haste, but little did I know Dante had followed me.

“What was all that? Why would you mess with him and get yourself in trouble?” he questioned, stopping behind me and talking to me aggressively.

“Because I don’t give a fuck!” I turned to him and looked him straight in the eye.

“Don’t get under his radar.” Now that I was facing him, he didn’t respond aggressively to me.

“That’s none of your business,” I told him, remembering how easily he forgot about his brother, and instead of helping me find his body, he just went around fucking other girls.

“It is my business. I care about you!” he said, sounding offended that I didn’t consider his emotions.

“Really? Is that why you were fucking another girl instead of helping me find Enzo’s body?” I scoffed as I told him I knew about his dirty little secrets.

Needless to say, he was shocked...