AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gian releases him and moves over to me. His arm wraps around my shoulder in a protective hug as he surveys his brothers. They’re all watching us and I’m extremely self-conscious. I keep thinking they’ll see through this bullshit, they’ll never believe that we’re in love, how could we be in love, I hate this guy, but none of them speaks up. Saul looks smug, Renzo’s frowning, and Carlo’s shaking his head and downing a drink.
“That was the easy part,” Gian says, looking at Renzo now. “But we’re going to need help with her father.”
Renzo rubs his face with both hands. “I figured as much. And since I have a vested interest in this working out—” He sighs and moves to the door. “You motherfucker. You planned this out, huh?”
“Pretty much, yes.” Gian’s smile is surprisingly proud. “Going pretty good so far.”
“Except your nose is probably broken,” Saul quips as Renzo leaves the room and Gian steers me after him.
“I had hoped you’d get pulled off faster,” Gian answers, grinning. There’s blood in his gums and his lip is split.
I stare at my husband. He seems happy, which should be impossible. He just lost the business he built from the ground up. It must’ve been his entire life for the past decade, and now it’s all gone, all because of me.
And I let him do it, knowing full well I’m going to leave him in a year.
Gian was right about one thing: that was the easy part.
As we follow Renzo to the cars, my stomach’s an ugly mess of nerves, and I can’t imagine how anything could get worse.
Chapter 17
Allegra
Dad looms over me as I sit in a chair in front of his desk. Gian’s next to me and Renzo’s standing behind us. Dad’s face is purple with rage and his hands are clenched so tight his knuckles are white and his shoulders are trembling.
“You—Are—Deadto me,” he says through his teeth. “I am disowning you as of right now. You lying, disobedient?—”
“Careful, Don Rinaldo,” Renzo says, his tone surprisingly calm. “Don’t say something you’ll regret.”
Dad snarls through his teeth and walks back around behind his desk. A tear rolls down my face and I’m barely holding it together. Gian reaches over and puts his hand over mine, and I want to yank away, but we’re supposed to be playing the role of a newlywed couple deeply in love.
I lace my fingers through his. Dad stares and somehow turns a deeper shade of crimson.
Except it feels good, touching Gian like this, and I think of the way my husband stood up to defend me. When Saul said those awful things about me, it was like Gian activated and wasn’t going to take any shit. It was one thing to punch him in the face, but to insult me—that was too far.
A little confidence swells in my chest. Not enough to make this bearable, but enough to keep me from sobbing at least.
“I raised this girl to be better,” he says and I grimace at his use ofthis girl. Not daughter, not Allegra, butthis girllike we barely know each other. “I spoiled her. I doted on her. I loved her—” The past tense makes a fresh wave of pain roll into my stomach. Gian’s grip on my hand tightens, a reassuring weight, but I’m not sure it’s enough. “But she broke my trust. Not once, but twice. I forgave her for what she did to you, Don Rossi, but I cannot forgive this.”
The room goes silent. I hang my head, unable to look up. I want to be brave and strong, to face this with clear eyes and a raised chin, but this is worse than I expected.
Because Dad’s right. I deserve his scorn.
“They’re in love,” Renzo says, his voice measured and soft, trying to deescalate the situation. “Can you blame them? This doesn’t change your plans. Gian is still a Rossi.”
“You are young and recently married. I am old and I know how these things go. Whatever they think is happening will burn bright and hot until they get sick of each other, and then what? At least with your brother Saul, the two of them could’ve built a relationship on a reasonable foundation. Instead, she chose this.”
“I understand how you feel, Don Rossi, but like I said, this changes nothing.”
Dad takes a deep breath and levels a stare at Renzo. “You’re right. Our alliance moves forward.” Then his gaze moves to me. “To the outside world, I’ll bless this idiotic, disgusting little union. I’ll smile and shake my head and laugh about the absurdity of young love. But you are no longer my daughter.”
I grimace like he struck me. “Dad—” I start, but he interrupts.
“Don’t call me that anymore. You will address me as Don Rinaldo from here on out. Preferably, I won’t ever see you again. You broke my trust, Allegra, and that’s the worst thing you could’ve done.”
I nod once, looking down at the floor again.
“Your daughter is one of the most loyal and caring people I’ve ever met,” Gian says which makes me look up in surprise. I expected him to speak as little as possible during this.
