Chapter 52

\*Grace POV\*

I woke with a smile stretching across my face, feeling lighter than I had in months. Last night had been everything I needed—and more than I could have dreamed. Elio, whether he meant to or not, had shown me glimpses of love, and it warmed me from the inside out. The memory of his touch and the vulnerability in his eyes played over and over in my mind like a song I couldn’t stop humming. I couldn’t let him slip back behind his walls; I’d have to tread carefully to keep him from retreating.

After getting ready, I threw on a cozy outfit and headed to the kitchen, where Eleonor was already bustling around, starting her day. As soon as she saw me, her face lit up with a smile.

"Good morning," I greeted, practically beaming.

"Good morning, Grace." Eleonor gave me a curious look. "Did something special happen?"

I couldn’t help the excitement bubbling up. \*God, I want to tell her everything!\* "I...I talked to—"

Before I could finish, the front door burst open with a deafening crash, and my heart sank as I turned to see Sony storming in, his face twisted with rage. Thomas rushed in after him, looking tense and desperate as he tried to hold Sony back.

"Dov'è la stronza?" Sony bellowed, his eyes scanning the room with a wild, dangerous glint. "Where’s that damn girl?"

I froze, my pulse hammering as I took in the gun clenched tightly in his hand. My instincts screamed to run, to hide, but as Sony raised the gun to Thomas’s forehead, I forced myself forward, drawing in a steadying breath.

\*I have to protect him.\*

"I’m here," I said, stepping out from behind the kitchen counter.

Sony’s gaze snapped to me, his fury intensifying. He stalked toward me, his eyes narrowed. "Stupid girl," he snarled, closing the distance between us. "What did you do to Elio? Why is he protecting you instead of finding the traitor who nearly got me killed?"

My heart raced, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. "I didn’t do anything to him," I said, my voice trembling but resolute. "I’m not a part of any betrayal. My father—he made his own decisions, but I had nothing to do with them."

Sony didn’t care. He sneered and reached out, his hand clamping around my throat, his fingers digging painfully into my skin. My legs shook, and panic bubbled up as he squeezed, cutting off my air. The kitchen spun, spots appearing in my vision, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

"Get your hands off her."

The voice, laced with venom and icy resolve, sliced through the tension. Sony's grip loosened ever so slightly, and through my hazy vision, I saw Elio standing at the kitchen entrance, his eyes blazing. His gaze was locked on Sony, and there was a dangerous stillness about him.

Sony’s mouth twisted into a smirk, his hand still loosely around my throat. "So here he is, the ever-loyal Elio," he said mockingly. "What? Are you choosing \*her\* over your own father? Over finding the man who betrayed us?"

"Let her go," Elio commanded, his voice low and steady, as though he were keeping himself from lunging at his father.

Sony laughed, the sound cold and bitter. "This is what I get? I raised you to be strong, to lead with an iron fist, and here you are, protecting this girl who has already poisoned your judgment."

With a sharp twist, Sony let go of my throat, pushing me back. I staggered, coughing, my hand instinctively flying to my neck where his fingers had left a painful pressure. Before I could catch my breath, Elio crossed the space between us, his arm wrapping protectively around me.

"Grace has nothing to do with any of this," Elio said through clenched teeth, his eyes not leaving Sony. "The betrayal has nothing to do with her, and you know that."

Sony scoffed, looking at his son with an expression caught between disgust and disappointment. "I thought I raised you to be smarter than this, Elio. You’re letting her drag you down. Your loyalty should be to the family, not to…her."

Elio’s jaw tightened. "My loyalty \*is\* to the family," he said, his voice firm. "And if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that loyalty means protecting those who are innocent."

For a second, I saw a flicker of uncertainty in Sony’s eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it had come. His face hardened, and his gaze shifted to me, a cold, calculating look. "Mark my words, Grace," he said softly, but his voice was filled with menace. "If you come between me and my son’s loyalty to this family… there will be consequences."

Before either of us could respond, Sony turned and stalked out of the kitchen, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. The tension in the room didn’t dissipate even after he was gone; the weight of his words lingered, pressing down on us both.

I looked up at Elio, who still held me close, his face dark and unreadable. I felt his grip on me loosen slightly, and he let out a slow, heavy breath, as if only now allowing himself to relax.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I’m fine… Just a little shaken."

He reached up, gently brushing his thumb along the side of my neck, where Sony’s hand had left faint red marks. His touch was soft, tender, and I leaned into it, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine.

"Elio…" I began, but my voice faltered. I wanted to reassure him, to tell him that no matter how terrifying Sony was, he wouldn’t shake my loyalty to Elio. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw a vulnerability there—a flicker of doubt and guilt.

"I should have protected you better," he said, his voice strained. "This…all of this…is my fault."

"Stop," I whispered, reaching up to cup his face. "None of this is your fault, Elio. I know what your father expects from you, but that doesn’t mean you have to become what he wants."

He closed his eyes, leaning into my touch, as if letting himself believe my words. For a long moment, he simply stood there, breathing slowly, our foreheads pressed together.

"I don’t want you to get hurt," he murmured, his voice barely audible.

"I won’t," I promised, my voice fierce. "I’m stronger than you think. And I’m here because I want to be…because I care about you."

Elio opened his eyes, and for a heartbeat, I saw the weight of everything he carried—the expectations, the conflict between love and loyalty, the pain of trying to be both a son and a man of his own choosing. He looked so vulnerable, like he was holding on by a thread.

Without thinking, I closed the gap between us, pressing my lips to his in a soft, lingering kiss. He froze for a moment, surprised, but then his arms tightened around me, and he kissed me back with an intensity that took my breath away. It wasn’t a kiss of passion alone; it was filled with everything he couldn’t say, the words and feelings he kept locked inside.

When we finally broke apart, he kept me close, his forehead resting against mine. I could feel his heart racing beneath his shirt, echoing my own.

"Grace…" he began, his voice rough. "I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve \*you\*."

I shook my head, my hands gripping his shirt tightly. "Maybe that’s something you need to unlearn," I whispered. "Maybe you deserve more than you’ve let yourself believe."

A faint smile crossed his lips, and he nodded slowly, as if letting my words sink in.

"Then don’t let go," he murmured, his voice a quiet plea.

"I won’t," I promised, my voice unwavering. "Not now. Not ever."