Page 194 of Forced Vows

He assigns Zoey to teach them three more times a week.

He cares about my family and their safety. That means a lot to me.

Fiona's special "secret" 18th birthday celebration goes off with without a hitch. She absolutely loves the cloak and dagger of sneaking off the property and the bike ride is so much fun.

She calls me late that night to tell me she had her first kiss. And it was wonderful.

Kara texts me fifteen minutes later.

Kara: I told Zoey that if she broke Fi's heart, I would cut hers out of her chest.

Rosy: I'll help.

You can take the girl out of the mob, but you can't take the mob out of the girl.

Remembering that would have saved me a lot of heartache grieving my lost dreams.

Moma comes to stay for two days a week and helps me with the interior design update. Miceli makes sure he's there to have at least one meal with her and she adores him.

I haven't lost my family at all.

There's also a bunch of construction happening two floors down. I've asked what it is, but Miceli keeps telling me it's a project for the office building. Only I'm pretty sure this isn't about an increase in office space, especially since they're tearing down offices on those floors.

We go out on public dates once or twice a week. So do Severu and Catalina. Though we never meet up.

Miceli says it's our way of showing the city that the De Lucas are not afraid.

That doesn't mean he's like my grandfather and putting me at risk. Oh, no. Whenever we are out those snipers he told me about are always there. The stealth security detail is always there too. Miceli said it's the same for Severu and Catalina.

My fiancé works from his home office as often as he can. Which is the desk in one of the spare bedrooms.

One of the first things I'm going to fix in this apartment, that's really a giant six bedroom hotel suite, is his home office.

Even the terrace outside has no personality. I have an entire container garden of bright foliage and mini trees arriving soon to make it more welcoming.

I'm having fun making Miceli think I'm using pink everywhere. Moma said I always had a streak of mischief in me.

She is not wrong.

I keep pink swatches of fabric out all the time along with paint cards. But underneath I have the real stuff.

I'm updating all the furniture to warmer items. I like Scandinavian design too, but I'm adding the throw pillow and blanket throws that give coziness to a room. Even one as big as our great room.

The sunroom off the kitchen reminds me of my mom's favorite room in the mansion. She called it the morning room so I'm calling this one, the morning room too. It's my domain and I've already changed the furniture.

Instead of a glass top table with four leather chairs, there is now a wicker dinette set with a matching chair and ottoman in one corner.

There's one other change I'm making right away. The far bedroom at the end of the hall is the only other room, besides the primary bedroom, with a corner view and two walls of windows.

It's perfect for an artist's studio, but I have no idea how Miceli's going to respond to it when it's done. I hope he'll use it because I want his heart here.

Not in another building.

The table is covered with my design samples right now and it makes me happy to see them because I finally get why we're really living here.

It's to protect me, but not from our enemies. Miceli's mom hasn't accepted me yet and he doesn't want her distrust and lack of welcome to hurt my feelings.

Chapter 67: MICELI

---