Cara's POV
The funeral had gone smoother than I had anticipated, and it was almost comical because during the mass, I had convinced myself that everyone's eyes were on me, accusing me of being the cause of Manuel's death. It felt like I could feel their stares on my body wherever I turned; sharp and heavy, full of judgment. It was dramatic but a part of me had expected whispers to grow louder as soon as I stepped into the church, to be chased away like some sort of witch.
But the truth was, no one had even looked at me that way. It was just me. My own guilt twisting the world around me, making it hard to breathe, making it hard to believe that no one had given me more than a cursory glance. Even in a moment as somber as a funeral, it was my own mind making me the enemy.
I wanted to laugh at myself for all the worrying I had done. Everyone was focused on their own grief, their own loss. They weren't looking at me in judgment. They weren't even looking at me at all.
It was just me, making everything worse with my own internal dialogue. I was never going to be chased away from anything with Luca by my side. The power he wielded was more than enough to shield me from any accusations, even if they did exist.
The compound of the Salvatore estate was punctuated with important guests of the underworld. Thankfully, Valentina and her posse kept their distance and I didn't have to carry on a conversation that I didn't have the strength for. Amanda held court, playing her role of bereaved widow. My heart went out for Gina. She maintained the poise and grace of a royal but the grief in her eyes couldn't be so easily masked.
A shock of reddish brown hair interrupted my line of vision and Santino- Santi, like he liked to correct me- appeared into view, a sad smile on his roguish face. "Hey there, Cinderella," he grinned softly, "you seem to be holding up just fine."
"Then I must be a better actress than I thought," I flashed a weak smile, 'you're a sight for sore eyes, Santi." I offered a hand that he took and pressed a kiss in greeting to.
"I aim to please you, princess," he grinned against my skin.
I rolled my eyes, suppressing a laugh. This man is going to get himself killed one day from flirting with the wrong person.
Eyes burned the side of my head and I turned to see Luca with his dark eyes trained on us, surrounded by some men that looked like Arabian royalty.
Santino gave a respectable nod in greeting which Luca returned before focusing his attention back on his audience.
"He really does love you, you know," he said, a wistful look in his eyes.
"I know."
"Maybe you should stop trying to run away from him all the time."
I winced. "You heard huh?" Santino was usually clueless and the last to hear of important gossip in the family. If he knew of my attempt at running away, it means everyone had heard of it already.
"He practically put out a bloody statement about you when you got missing again. There's not a single person in this room that will mess with the don's woman now that he has claimed you as his."
My heart fluttered into my stomach at his words, the extent Luca had gone through for me… efforts that I had taken for granted. It steeled my resolve.
This time, nothing… nothing will separate me from him. I was here to stay by his side as anything he wanted me to be. I was done running. I finally had something to fight for. I had finally found a home.
Santino took his leave after keeping me company and distracting me with small talk for a while. I did my fair share of making an appearance and playing my part as a core member of the Salvatore family.
Despite realizing that it was all in my head, having to interact with people who came to share their condolences had worn me out and I was more than ready for a break.
I excused myself from the reception that was happening in the garden, telling Luca I needed to rest, to which he'd happily obliged even though he'd grumbled about having to be away from me. Business had to be done and he was the host.
The guards he had assigned to me followed me back into the house, keeping watch outside the door.
The moment I got to Luca's bedroom, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I sank down onto the bed, heaving a sigh of relief as I stepped out of the outfit I'd picked for the occasion and changed into a simple sleeveless silk gown.
My entire body ached slightly, a sour reminder of how I hadn't completely recovered from Diego's attack. I poured myself a glass of wine and ordered a box of pizza, hoping to relax and watch Real Housewives reruns to possibly dispel the remainder of my chaotic thoughts.
I had just made myself comfortable, hit play and was about to take a sip of wine when a knock on the door shattered the moment of peace I had finally found.
Luca wouldn't knock. He had the keys to his own apartment.
That better be my pizza, I grumbled, unfolding myself from my comfortable position on the bed.
I opened it without thinking, expecting to see the delivery guy, but my smile faltered when I saw who was standing there.
Amanda.
Her expression was guarded, her lips tight as though she were holding something back.
My annoyance returned with full force and I gazed at her suspiciously. There was a frantic look in her eyes, the way she seemed like she was about to say something but couldn't quite find the words.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and I was honestly tempted to shut the door in her face if she doesn't just spit out what it is was troubling her enough to show up in front of me.
She certainly didn't care about the fact that I got hurt. Her silence had been loud enough, seeing that she didn't pay me a visit or even send a message to check on me.
"Can I come in?" she finally asked.
No.
Before I could respond, she brushed past me, her movements stiff and I fought the urge to curse. She was still wearing her black dress from the funeral, the same somber expression she'd had the entire time I'd glanced at her, but now there was an edge to her that made me uneasy.
She hadn't said a word to me during the ceremony, hadn't even glanced at me, not that I minded, especially because it would have been awkward as hell if she wanted us to pretend to be a happy family that we were not, but to have her here now, looking so nervous, caught me off guard.
"I-I need to talk to you," she said after a long silence, biting her lip as though she wasn't sure how to continue.
I folded my arms, my gaze steady as I waited for her to continue.
It had to be about Diego. Of course, it was. I was certain she had found out about him being held by Luca and had come to plead for her son's release, to demand mercy on his behalf when he had never shown me any mercy. Still, a part of me-a stupid, desperate part of me-hoped that she was here to finally acknowledge everything her son had done to me.
Maybe she had come to admit the years she had spent turning a blind eye, the way she had let me suffer in silence while she clung to the illusion of a perfect family.
Her gaze dropped briefly to my arms, where the bruises Diego had left behind were still visible, their edges tinged with the sickly yellow of healing. I didn't move to hide them. Let her see. Let her face the truth she had ignored for so long.
But when her eyes returned to mine, there was no guilt, no acknowledgment. Just that same guarded, calculating look she always wore when she wanted something.
"It's been a difficult day," she started, her voice strained.
"Just get to the point."
She flinched at my tone but quickly straightened, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I need your help," she said finally.
Of course, she did.
The next words she let out shouldn't have shocked me but I hated the way my stomach plummeted as she spoke, "Luca is holding him hostage and hurting him. You need to talk to him."
I stood there, staring at Amanda as her words sank in, each one cutting deeper than the last. She hadn't begged; she hadn't pleaded. No, she had demanded-as though she had any right to after everything her son had done to me.
"Excuse me?"
"You'll tell Luca to let Diego go," Amanda said, her voice sharp and full of authority, as though it were the most reasonable request in the world.
I folded my arms, my jaw tightening. "No, I won't."
Amanda's lips thinned. "Of course you will."
"I said no," I repeated, my voice steady despite the rage building in my chest. "Diego hurt me, Amanda. For years, he made my life a living hell, and you turned a blind eye to all of it. You let it happen."
Amanda's face twisted with anger, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Hurt you? Don't be ridiculous. Diego has always been a good boy. He would never-"
"Don't!" I snapped, cutting her off. "Don't stand there and lie to my face. You knew. You always knew, Amanda, and you did nothing. You let him torment me, humiliate me, and now, after everything, you have the audacity to stand here and demand that I help him?"
Her nostrils flared, and for a moment, I thought she might back down. But then she straightened, her expression hardening into something cold and cruel.
"You're just a stupid little orphan," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "You're ungrateful and wicked. Theo took you in even though I didn't want you, gave you a home, and this-this is how you repay us? He's dead because of you. First, you take my husband, and now you want to take my son too?"
"He died because of a freaking car accident!" I yelled at her, sick and tired of the narrative she kept running with.
"He was only in that car because of you! When will you realise that you're bad luck! Every person that comes close to you ends up dead, or worse!"
Her words hit me like a slap, leaving me stunned. "What?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"My son was caught in a trap you spun for attention. You've always had it out for him and now you have Luca bewitched, you think you have the upperhand here? I am still the late don's wife and I won't let it happen. I'll ruin you before I let you ruin my family. You seduced Luca, just like you seduced my son. You're nothing but an opportunistic whore."
The room felt like it was spinning. My hands shook as her words echoed in my ears, each one laced with cruelty. I could feel the sting of pain rising, but beneath it was something raw and painful; something red hot and consuming. A feeling I welcomed with open arms; rage.
Something in me snapped.
"I'm so fucking sick of you!" I screamed at her for the first time in my life.
She startled, her gaze flinching at the bite in my tone. "Excuse me?"
"I said I'm sick of you, Amanda. Fuck- I despise you!" my voice trembling, my entire body shaking. "After everything Diego has done, you still think I'm the problem? What would it take for you to finally see the fucking stronzo of son you have? You're nothing but a blind, disillusioned, horrible excuse of a mother that will rather lie to herself than see the fucking truth!"
Amanda's hand shot out, her palm connecting with my cheek in a stinging slap that sent my head snapping to the side.
"How dare you disrespect me?" she said, her voice shaking with fury. "Just because you're fucking Luca now, you think you're above me. Above everyone!" Her shriek was accompanied by a second slap that didn't quite reach its mark because I caught her mid-raised wrist and slapped her right back.
The sound echoed in the room, sharp and final.
Amanda staggered back, her hand flying to her cheek as she stared at me with wide, shocked eyes.
A dark delightful feeling rushed through my veins. I wanted to hit her again, again and again.