Page 17 of Banished and Pregnant by Her Sicilian Billionaire Husband

When Marcello banished me, it meant losing contact with his entire family. That’s just how things work in their world, and that’s why I never held it against them, when neither Ana nor his brothers made any attempt to see me.

But the truth is...

“I missed you all, too.”

The two men smile as I end up mumbling this while pinching my cheeks. This is my last resort; it’s silly but it also works, and after a moment, the urge to cry finally passes.

“What about me?”

A familiar third voice chimes in, and I can’t help but smile as Vico comes to join us. Vico, Marcello’s first cousin, was a witness at our wedding, and like always—

“Vico!”

He gives me a bear hug before spinning me around.

Daniele clucks his tongue. “You’ll make Marcello jealous if he sees you doing that.”

Vico sets me down with an unrepentant grin. “That should make things interesting.” He then ruffles my hair, asking, “How have you been, Professor?”

I make a face. “Stop that.” I’m not a professor in any way, but it’s what Vico likes to call me because of my glasses.

“You look like you haven’t aged at all,” Vico comments.

I wish I could say the same, but the thing is...

Vico looks like he’s aged a lot in the past eight years.

But since never in a million years would I ever say something so rude, I decide to change the subject, asking them how they’ve been, and why all of them have yet to marry.

Camillo checks his watch. “I just remembered I have a meeting.”

Daniele looks at his older brother in amazement. “What a coincidence. I remember the same thing, too.”

Vico throws an arm around each man’s shoulders. “The same goes for me. Shall we head back to the house?”

That was, quite possibly, the most horrible acting I’ve ever seen in my life. All I can do is shake my head with a laugh, but as I watch them walk away, I can’t help feeling a little grateful, too. In those few minutes with them, I was at least able to forget the most painful thing of all.

Everyone in this home seems glad to see me back.

Everyone, that is...except for my own husband.

I’M HALFWAY BACK TO the house when Vico catches up with me.

“Professor. Give me those.”

“Give you what?”

“Your glasses. They’ve been sitting crooked on your face all afternoon and it’s driving me mad.”

So I hand them over, and this enormous man sits down on the low wall by the roses, takes a little folding tool out of his pocket, and bends over my glasses like a jeweller.

“How are you doing after everything that’s happened?”

“I’m...just more concerned about Rica.”

Vico nods. “We all are. But that’s not my question. How are you holding up? Being back here...after everything?”

“I’m adjusting.”