Chapter 77 Chapter 77
Chapter 77 Chapter 77
Ayanna
Massimo keeps to his word. We spend the morning indulging in a large breakfast in the sunroom off the west wing where we watch the snow fall through the glass ceiling and wall.
After we’ve eaten to our heart’s content, we bundle up and go for a long walk along the trail that leads into the woods.
Other times I’ve been hesitant and even fearful of the woodland surrounding Massimo’s remote estate. His presence makes me feel safe as we wander the trees and snow.
He scoops up my gloved hand in his and holds me close to his side.
The frigid air frosts out in front of us. I shiver and press myself closer into Massimo in hopes of absorbing some of his body heat. He radiates so much of it that he begins to feel like a lifeline the farther out we make it.
“A deer,” I gasp.
It emerges from beyond the clearing up ahead, looking svelte on twiggy legs.
Massimo’s arm comes around my shoulders, and we stop some distance back to observe the skittish creature.
“It’s a good thing it’s not a wolf,” Massimo says.
I tip my head up for a concerned look at him. He can’t hold in his husky laughter.
“Kidding, Aya. There are no wolves in these woods… during daylight hours. Most of the time.”
“Massimo, if you keep this up, you’re going to make me pass out. I don’t do well with wild animals.”
“And yet you’ve fallen for me.” He catches me by surprise by nipping at my jaw.
We move on from our trek through the woods and return to the main courtyard outside his home. I crouch low to scoop up a handful of snow and then catch Massimo by surprise from behind.
My snowball hits him in the back of his shoulder and garners a stern glare.
Smirking, I play innocent and attempt to stroll away.
Massimo’s not having it. He intercepts me with ease. His strong arms sweep me off my feet and he spins me around ’til we’re collapsing in the snow and I’m breathless from the laughter his ticklish fingers have forced out of me.
“Great, I have snow all over me,” I pant, shoving at his shoulders. It’s no use yet I do it anyway.
He merely grins down at me and then pulls me up to my feet as though he’s decided I’ve had enough of his torture.
“You know, I never had a happy childhood. I was a very sick child and always stuck in bed during holidays,” he explains. He wraps his arms around me from behind and steers me ahead. “But my few happy moments were when I was allowed out on a snowy day like this. My brother and cousins used to race each other in their snow boots. Cristian would always throw himself down on the ground and cry if he didn’t win.”
“And you?”
“I would race too. I’d try to keep up… but I was usually too slow.”
“Your sickness…”
“Yes,” he answers. He bows his head and nuzzles his face to mine. “I enjoyed myself anyway. The crisp air and the icy feel of the snow. I used to like to make snow angels.”
A serene smile comes to my lips. “Me too. When I was a girl, we didn’t get to play much in the snow either. Deep in the city, there wasn’t much room outside. Our instructors would sometimes let us, if training went really well.”
“Dance training… or the other kind of training?”
“Both.”
“Mia bella ballerina is a spy,” he teases. “It still astounds me.”
“I’m not a spy. I’m… I’m a pawn,” I say. “That’s all and my family have ever been to a guy like Salvatore.”
“Don’t worry. He’ll never harm you again. We’ve won this last battle. We’ll win the war too. We got him to retreat. A first for someone like Salvatore.
He failed at everything he wanted. Taking you back and gaining control of the key you have. Whatever medicine he claimed would make him rich. He thought he’d have control over Disc Co. by now.”
“What about your family?”
“A lot of shit needs to be sorted out. I want my revenge on them for what they’ve done to em. I’ll make sure they suffer. All of them. Including Salvatore.”
I try to find comfort in Massimo’s words, though it’s next to impossible. How can I when I’m left pondering about Mom and Dad and their safety?
Worries I don’t raise to Massimo. He still doesn’t understand the complexity of our situation. He doesn’t need that kind of trouble in his life.
Especially when I know getting him more involved will put his life at risk.
He kisses me on the cheek, then unwraps his heavy arms from around me. “Aya, I’ve been thinking about our future. I don’t know how much time I have left.”
“If you follow Tulio’s advice—”
“There’s no cure for my condition,” he interrupts matter-of-factly. “We’ve been over this. It’s not a matter of if, but when.”
My sadness drips off me. I tilt my head downward and sink into the heaviness that weighs on my heart. Massimo senses it right away and takes hold of my hand, his thumb stroking my knuckles.
“That’s not to darken the mood. If anything, I was trying to be uplifting.”
“Your version of uplifting needs some work.”
“Aya, I want you to bear my child. It’ll be the way I’ll live on.”
I stop altogether for a stunned moment of silence. It’s thrown me for a loop. Massimo’s never expressed any interest in having a family or building any kind of legacy.
He’s seemed indifferent about his family and what would come after he’s gone.