Chapter 40 IN front Of Him, It was Difficult
"That hardly makes any sense." I roll my eyes.
He sighs. "Trust me, Rosie, we know."
"I hate that we know so little about him," Roman says. "But he asked for an audience, and we'll hear him out. Enzo Russo has no choice but to be careful. Right now, he's trying to restore his family's reputation. He won't do anything stupid.”
Enzo Russo. I'm turning the name over in my head. I have to agree with my brother. He actually sounds interesting.
Elena
There were no emotions in Roman’s eyes. They were cold, unreadable, as if the year that had torn me apart had been nothing more than a blink for him.
I stood in front of the man I had loved, my heart pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it, and wondered how I would ever find the words to tell him about his daughter.
I had rehearsed this moment a thousand times. In every version, he looked at me with anger, with longing, with regret, anything but this hollow indifference.
He didn’t ask where I had been. He didn’t ask why I’d come back. It was clear in the way he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, that he hadn’t missed me at all.
But I had missed him in every moment.
I missed him in the quiet mornings when the sun slipped through the curtains and I imagined him beside me. I missed him in sleepless nights, when my hand rested on my swollen belly and I whispered apologies to the life growing inside me.
I missed him when our daughter took her first breath, when her tiny fingers curled around mine, when I realized she had his eyes.
Now those same eyes stared at me without recognition.
My throat tightened. How could I tell him that while he had moved on, a part of him had been living with me all along? How could I explain that I hadn’t left to punish him, but to survive? That fear, pride, and love had tangled together until running away felt like the only choice?
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. The truth felt too fragile to survive his coldness. Yet I knew I couldn’t carry it alone anymore.
“I didn’t come back for him,” I finally thought, my voice trembling. “I came back for her.”
For the first time, something flickered in Roman’s eyes. And in that fleeting moment, I dared to hope that this time, he would be polite to me.
"Elena," he says in acknowledgement, nodding briefly.
I've noticed one small change in him, though. His overall aura, I think. He's not the same person he was a year ago. He's much more confident. Stronger. He's a don now, in complete control of the situation. I'm glad.
I give him a quick nod before my gaze shifts to the man next to him.
Michael smiles widely and steps forward to hug me.
“Hey,” he says, ruffling my hair. “How are you?”
“Okay,” I say, rolling my eyes and holding out my hand to fix the mess he’s made. “Thanks for arresting us, dumbass.” My tone is light and good-natured. Michael’s brown eyes narrow.
“Why did you even sneak into the country?”
“Good question, Mikey,” my brother says next to me.
My mouth drops open slightly.
“We didn’t sneak in.” We bought our plane tickets and boarded the plane. Legally.
He shakes his head, clearly unconvinced by my poor attempt at distraction.
“Where’s Kiara?” he asks, and I notice a slight edge to his voice.
“She’s in our apartment.”
His eyebrows rise.
“Tony will explain,” I say in response to his unasked question. “Now we're going to leave. See you later.”
He shrugs and continues into the living room. Roman stays behind. I catch his eye, wondering why he's still waiting. He seems to have something to say, but he seems to be reconsidering it, clenching his jaw.
Then he starts walking too. My breath catches when he brushes against me on his way out.
"Welcome home, trouble."
His voice is a deep, low rumble that does the same strange things to my heart it did a year ago. I smile softly, though he can't see me. When I look up, my brother is looking at me strangely.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he says, shaking his head. “Let's go.”
As soon as we leave the apartment, I spend the next five minutes convincing him not to come near me.
“Kiara’s asleep. She’s seriously jet-lagged. Plus, the house is a mess. We don’t want anyone to see this until we get everything in order,” I say, repeating the excuses I’ve been making for the past few minutes.
They just won’t get through his thick, stubborn head. Tony looks suspicious as hell, and that’s proof enough that I won’t be able to hide my secret for much longer. I sigh internally, feeling my heart sink.
“Dude, why the hell should I care?”
“Dude,” I say, my tone annoyed. “Please let me come in and rest. I'm exhausted. I'll come see you tomorrow.”
He should see from my face that I'm done talking.
“Fine. Go. However, I'm placing one of the men in front of the building. To monitor and ensure your safety, both of you.”
I smile. His patronage can be sweet. Mostly annoying as hell, but still sweet.
“Okay, bro. Goodbye.”
I step out of the car onto the curb, waving at him as he drives away. My breath catches, and I feel drained as I stumble into the apartment lobby and into the elevator. I’m taken to our third-floor apartment. Kiara opens the door as soon as I ring the bell, a worried look on her face.
“Hey, how did it go?”
“I told them we were staying here together,” I say as I step inside. “And no, I didn’t tell them the truth.”
She frowns.
“You have to tell them eventually, Elena.”
“And I will,” I say. “As soon as I tell Roman.”
Kiara follows me as I head to the bedroom. There's a crib next to the bed, and my heart aches as I walk up to it and look down at the tiny baby inside. She's fast asleep.
Cassiopeia De Luca was born three months ago. A happy, healthy baby. She's the most beautiful, precious thing I've ever seen. And she's mine, and Roman's, too.
The future has never seemed more uncertain than it does right now, but I'll do anything to fix it.
For my little girl.