Chapter 27 When He Claims You
GIOVANNI POV
I adjusted the angle of my laptop, bringing Luigi's face into sharper focus on the video call. The hotel manager was gesturing enthusiastically, his hands flying through the air as he spoke.
"I'm telling you, Mr. De Santis, we've reinforced everything. The perimeter is guarded by your men, the exits are controlled, and the walls…" Luigi leaned closer to the camera, his expression deadly serious. "Even a missile couldn't penetrate those walls."
My lips twitched. That was a ridiculous stretch, but Luigi was clearly proud of his preparations, and I had learned long ago that you caught more flies with honey.
"Excellent work, Luigi," I said smoothly. "I trust everything will run without incident."
"You have my word, Mr. De Santis.” The Frenchman grinned with a thumbs up. “Nothing will disrupt your special day."
Special day. As if this were a normal wedding.
We wrapped up the call with a few more discussions, and I closed the laptop with an exhausted sigh. I turned my attention to the stack of documents on my desk, eyeing the contracts, shipment manifests, and financial reports with a frown.
Work never stopped, even on the eve of my wedding.
I was halfway through reviewing a particularly tedious contract when I became aware of it.
The burning feeling on the side of my face.
"How long are you going to keep staring at me like that?" I asked without looking up, my pen still moving across the page.
A huff of frustration came from across the room.
I finally looked up to find Enzo sitting on one of the leather couches, his arms crossed, and a deep frown creasing his forehead. He looked like he'd been holding something back for hours and was about to burst.
"You have something to say," I observed. "Say it."
Enzo stood and moved to the chair directly opposite my desk, sitting down heavily. "Are you actually going through with this?"
"The wedding?" I flipped to the next page. "Of course."
"Why?"
I paused, my eyes flicking up to meet Enzo's. "Why what?"
"Why the wedding?" Enzo leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "The marriage was supposed to be a front. You said it yourself, it's about controlling Robert Vitale, You don’t need an actual ceremony. You don’t need all this…" he gestured vaguely toward the door, presumably encompassing the dress fittings and the hotel arrangements and all the elaborate planning. "So why are you doing it?"
I set down my pen deliberately and met Enzo's gaze. "I know what the marriage is supposed to be. You don't need to remind me."
"Then why?" Enzo pressed. "What's the point of the show?"
A slow smirk curved my lips. "Watch and see."
Enzo stared at me for a long moment, his eyes wide and his lips parted in disbelief. Then he covered his face with both hands, dragging them down slowly. "You better not be planning anything crazy."
"I'm not making any promises," I said, the smirk widening.
Enzo groaned but didn't argue further. He knew me well enough to recognize a lost cause when he saw one.
I returned to my work, and Enzo eventually left, still shaking his head in bewilderment.
The rest of the day blurred together in a haze of business.
I handled calls, reviewed shipments, dealt with the endless work that came with running an empire. By late afternoon, I had to go down to the warehouse personally to inspect a delivery; guns from out supplier in Eastern Europe, and other high-quality merchandise that required his direct oversight.
I spent hours there, checking serial numbers, verifying inventory, and ensuring nothing had been tampered with during transport. By the time I returned to the house, exhaustion was pulling at the edges of my consciousness.
It was already evening, the sky darkening to deep purple as my SUV pulled into the driveway. i climbed out, rolling my shoulders to ease the tension that had settled there.
My guards filed out behind me, looking just as worn.
"Go eat and rest," I told them, waving them off. "You did well today."
"Yes, boss!" they chorused, their voices echoing through the courtyard.
I allowed himself a small smile as he watched them disperse, their lively chatter filling the evening air.
I walked into the house, unhooking my cufflinks and rolling up my sleeves as I made my way to the dining room.
I decided to put off showering for later. My stomac was nearly caving in from hunger and if I didn’t eat something soon, I was going to collapse.
The staff had laid out dinner and it smelled incredible, my stomach grumbled, reminding me that I’d barely eaten all day.
The table was set for two, but Arya was nowhere to be found.
"Claire," I called out, and the maid appeared almost instantly, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.
"Yes, Mr. De Santis?"
"Where is she?" I asked
Claire's eyes dropped to the floor. "Miss Arya ate a little earlier, but she... she went back to her room. She said she wasn't feeling well."
My jaw tightened. I wasn't in the mood for her antics tonight. Not after the day I’d had.
I forced myself to relax. "Thank you, Claire."
I ate alone, the food tasting like ash despite its quality. When I was finished, I thanked the staff and made my way to my room, already imagining the warmth of the water rolling down my body.
But as I walked down the hallway, my mind kept drifting to her room.
After several minutes of ridiculous internal debate, I took the turn leading to her room and climbed the stairs.
My footsteps were silent on the thick carpet. And when I reached her door, I raised my hand to knock then I heard it.
Soft, broken sounds that made something uncomfortable twist in my chest.
I pressed my ear to the door, listening.
"I don't want to do this," she was saying, her voice thick with tears. "I hate everything about this. What if.."
Her voice broke. "What if death is better? What if that's the only way out?"
My jaw clenched and my hand fell away from the door.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the wood, my mind replaying her words over and over again.
She still hadn't learned.
She still thought there was a way out. That escape was possible or that death could take her away from me.
"Nothing can take you away from me," I muttered under my breath. "Not even death."
I turned and walked away, and as I reached the end of the hallway, I paused and glanced back at her closed door.
"Good night, princess," I whispered into the darkness.