Chapter 78 Chapter 78
Chapter 78 Chapter 78
“Massimo…” I trail off.
“I want to it all with you, Aya. I married you for a reason. Now comes children.” In the winter light, the shade of his gray eyes have never looked purer. They’re softer and paler, almost a new shade altogether. Enough to make me melt and throw my arms around him in a loving embrace.
“I want to do it all with you too.”
“More excuses to keep you trapped in my bed,” he growls. “But first… there’s something else. A Christmas surprise.”
He leads me by the hand across the snow-dusted courtyard. Though I don’t ask where we’re going or what’s the surprise, I’m racking my brain for what it could be. Earlier I’d doubted if Massimo got me a Christmas present; he’s simply not the holiday type.
It seems I’ve underestimated him…
When he brings me around the corner and a woman with shoulder-length butterfly locs and familiar eyes comes into view, I scream.
“Mom!”
I sprint the rest of the way to her. She welcomes me with the kind of motherly hug only she can give.
It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, my memory barely registers the last time we were able to embrace like this. She strokes my hair and then pulls back for a once over of me.
“My beautiful girl,” she says. “You look just the same as ever.”
“But how? Massimo?”
I glance over my shoulder at him. His expression would be considered ambiguous to most people who don’t know him. But I do—I see the trust in his gaze and the subtle quirk of his lips. He’s letting me have this.
My mom for Christmas, when a few weeks ago he wouldn’t even allow for a phone call. He knew how much it would mean…
“I’ll leave you two ladies alone.” He winks at me on his stroll toward the house.
I’m speechless for a moment longer, swimming in the deep feelings I’ve developed for Massimo.
Aware how big of a sign this is for us. How much it demonstrates he’ll give me the freedom I’ve craved and love me in a way that isn’t all-consuming control.
Mom brings me back to the present with another stroke of my hair. “He doesn’t seem too bad.”
I smile. “He’s wonderful.”
“I was so worried from your phone calls.”
“We had growing pains. But… we’ve come out on the other side.”
“Good. Listen, sweetheart.” Mom glances around to check that we’re alone and no one is in the vicinity to eavesdrop. “Where have you kept it?”
My stomach roils. “Mom—”
“Yuri said you still have it. Nero never got his hands on it.”
“It’s Christmas, Mom. I don’t want to talk about this right now.”
“This is exactly the time to talk about this. We don’t know how much longer we have. What’s the matter with you? You know what’s at stake,” she scolds. “We can’t get too comfortable, and this is the perfect opportunity.”
I frown. “For… what?”
“For our escape. Yuri’s going to help us. It’s a blessing in disguise that this estate is so remote. These woods will make it easy to disappear. We’ll do it tonight.”
“I’m not coming,” I say, taking a step back.
Mom takes one toward me and grabs my hands in hers. “Sweetheart, we’re a family. The survival of all of us depends on it. Your father’s survival. If we mess this up, we’ll suffer at Nero’s hand. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not—”
“Then you’ll do what we have to do. It’s your out. All you’ve said over your phone calls is that you wanted one,” she says. “Let’s head back inside, or he’ll get suspicious.”
“But we can tell him the truth. He’ll help us.”
She scoffs as she turns to walk off. “Do you know how naive you sound? Do you know why what you have is so important, and what that would mean for him? He would never forgive you.”
I’m left behind in the middle of the snow, unable to form a real rebuttal. Mostly because I’m unsure if what she says is true. If Massimo would hold my secrecy against me. He’s reacted to my perceived deceit before, and it wasn’t pretty at all…
What would he do if he found out? Can I really risk the survival of my family?
With a deep, troubled sigh, I trail in Mom’s footsteps, lost as to what to do.