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My mother only saysgood godin Italian when she's truly surprised.
"This is me finally taking one."
"But…why? You've never wanted this before."
I lift my chin, looking at my father instead. "And?"
My father's gaze hardens. "Don’t be capricious, Giulia. Your mother and I are not questioning your value to the family. Nor are we suggesting you don’t deserve a break. We are only questioning the timing. You understand the importance of this assignment.Vitalenis essential to our plans for the future and to all Five Families, and it is precisely the type of assignment I know you live and breathe for. Tell us why you would suddenly want to resign from this momentous assignment."
Because I'm tired of living and breathing for your recognition. Because I'm over being an overachiever. Because I'm unhappy and haven't been for a long time, I'm pregnant, and I want a new start.
Instead of offering the many reasons on the tip of my tongue, I look between them again. "Because if I stay, I'll ruin it. The assignment. If I stay, theVitalendeal will go down in flames because I'll make a mistake. You were the ones who told me never to make a mistake. I don’t want our future resting on my shoulders, not when I'm…burned out."
"You're burned out?" My mother's brow is furrowed now, and she and my father keep exchanging looks like they're worried I'm fatally ill. "Darling, you wouldn't make a mistake. You never have."
Oh, yes, I have. I've fallen for the son of our enemy.
My heart throbs at the realization. I have fallenhardfor Roberto, and now I can't let him, my parents, or anyone else know. I just want to raise my baby in secret. To do that, I need enough time away from anyone who could put two and two together.
"I'm taking a year off," I say quietly. "For mental health."
At this, both of them look appalled.
"Ayear?" my father repeats as if he heard me wrong.
"That's so long," Mother splutters. "Buon Dio,if you're feeling burned out, take a month off at our private island and return to us. That should be plenty, wouldn't you think, Frank?"
He straightens more and narrows his eyes at me. I'm sure he would scour my mind if he could. "It would greatly disappoint us if you were away for a year,mia figlia."
My daughter. He's calling me that affectionately, but there's no mistaking the undertone. To my parents, I'm as much an asset to the Russos as I am their child.
I'd be insulted that they're so baffled by my need for some space, only I see that despite all their stiffness and high expectations, they both have an edge of concern in their voices and looks. Of course, they would never voice it—we Russos never show our weaknesses—but they're worried about me leaving for so long. My father, in particular, looks suspicious that I might be hiding my true reasoning.
But I don’t have to explain myself to them. I'm a grown adult; they both know I'm more capable than most in our family. I stand and push my chair into the table.
"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you," I offer, swallowing back the sting in my chest when they both give me chastising looks. They look disappointed, and no wonder I've worked so hard to keep this from happening because it makes me feel like shit. "I'll forward all my work as representative to whoever is appointed next in our family. And… don’t worry too much. I'll call when I can."
My mother protests, but my father holds up a hand and simply watches as I excuse myself, hurrying out of their house. As I get back into my car, I take a deep breath. They're disappointed but concerned, and I'm sure they'll also be calling me to try to convince me to stay.
But I'm leaving after my gynecologist appointment in a couple of days. I'll go somewhere I can lay low and ensure I won't be easily traced. Somewhere the baby and I will be safe.
Chapter 23
Roberto
"Yourphoneisringingagain, asshole," Marcus grumbles, throwing it at me as he steps into the office.
Over a week has passed, and he and Bruno are still pissed that I picked a fight with Dante Parisi and ended up behind bars. They don’t even care that it was just for a few hours or that I pulled strings under my other name, Rob Leone, to get out without raising interest in the Giovannis in the least.
My father called me to see him when I flew in from California. He chewed me out for an hour before Gabriella pointed out that he couldn't make me sorry for something if I wasn't, and it might be better just to let this slide. He did because the stalemate between the Five Families is still, surprisingly, intact. There's tension in the stalemate; otherwise, working together to distributeVitalenis still going strong.
I forgot to even thank Gabriella for stepping in. To be honest, I've been too consumed with my own search to care how mad anyone is or give a fuck about much else.
Giulia ran, and I'm going to fucking find her.
And I know she disappeared on purpose because she pushed back all of our contact meetings. Of course, she did—she's a perfectionist, and it would have killed her to leave work unfinished while she went…wherever she went to get away from me.
I'm marrying Dante Parisi. Leave me alone.
