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“Theo,” he says, nodding me over.
“Yes?”
“I just want to make sure things are going well over here.”
I frown, looking around. I can hear Giulia in the kitchen. Cecilia and her other siblings must be upstairs. “Things are going well. Why wouldn’t they be?”
“Salvatore thinks there’s something going on between you and my sister. Is that true?”
“Of course not. I’m her guard. Nothing more.”
He nods. “That’s what I told him, but he seems to think there’s more. Now, I know my sister has had a crush on you. I’ve talked to her about it before, but now, with things being tense between us, she won’t even look at me anymore.”
“Can you blame her?”
Antonio freezes, his eyes hardening. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean,” I say, crossing my arms, “you’re marrying her to a man old enough to be her grandfather. You’re choosing money over her. Of course, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“I’m not choosing money over her,” Antonio hisses. Suddenly, he looks tired and leans back against the wall. His father’s pendant is around his neck, and he grabs it in one hand, similar to how Cecilia holds onto her cross. “I’m choosing safety for this family. Franco almost destroyed everything. I had to fight for five years to kill him. But I’m still fighting his legacy. I can’t risk someone else swooping in and taking over and hurting my family again. Do you think I like doing this to Cecilia? To my favorite sister? Of course not. It’s the last thing I want.”
“Then why not tell her that?”
“Because I need to be strong.” He sighs, dropping his head. “No one can see any weakness from me. Salvatore made it clear that between Cecilia and Mia, he wanted Cecilia. Lucia is too young to marry. So, it was either Cecilia or Mia who was going to be collateral damage to save the rest of our family. Unfortunately, it ended up being Cecilia. Now, it has hurt my heart every fucking day that I’m doing this to her. But it’s what’s best for this family. That’s what my father would have done. Family first over the individual.”
I look at Antonio for a moment. “Do you really believe that? About your father?”
“Don’t’ talk about my father like you knew him.”
I raise my hands in surrender. “All I’m going to say is you don’t have to be like your father or Franco. You can be your own leader. You can make your own rules. If you really don’t want to marry Cecilia to Salvatore, then don’t. You can always find someone else who has the money to help support your business. You’re young, Antonio. Twenty-three. Being a leader at that age is a lot to take on. You have the rest of your life to gain power.”
“Not in this business,” he says, shaking his head. “In this business, if you don’t show strength from the beginning, there’s someone waiting in the wings ready to kill you.”
“You spent the past five years looking over your shoulder. I don’t think you need to keep doing that. Let Cecilia go. Don’t make her marry Salvatore. You can call it off.”
Antonio huffs. “And what? Make an enemy of Salvatore? That won’t be good.”
“He might have more money, but you have more men. And a lot of men respect your name. That goes a long way.”
“And so does money.”
I stifle a sigh and press forward. “Antonio, I am asking you to end this arranged marriage between Cecilia and Salvatore. You think that’s what’s best for your family. I think it will only hurt your family in the long run.”
“How so?” he asks softly.
“Salvatore is already putting a wedge between you and Cecilia. This marriage will divide your family in half. How can you protect them if that’s the case?”
Antonio looks down at his feet, his blonde hair, so similar to Cecilia’s, falling into his eyes. At this moment, he looks younger than he is. Vulnerable. Cecilia isn’t the only one who’s been struggling lately.
“You’re a lot like her, you know,” I say.
He glances up. “Cecilia?” I nod. “People always said they thought we were twins growing up.” Antonio straightens to hisfull height, his mask slipping back into place. “Despite how much I don’t want to do this, my hands are tied. Salvatore is a powerful man. The wedding is happening.”
It’s like he just stomped on my heart with his dirty shoes. “Antonio?—”
“No.” He raises his hand. “I came here to make sure nothing was going on between you and Cecilia. I need your word that that is true.”
I can tell him everything. How Cecilia and I are in love and planning to run away together. But Antonio would surely stop it.
