Page 172 of His Cursed Heart

"Thank fucking Christ for that or I would've awakened you with that spanking."

Althea's soft laugh warms my muscles as she listens to Vincent's stories from this past week without her.

I take in the sight of my little family and my chest hurts in the most beautiful way. Vincent is in lap and he talks about how he took care of Althea's dogs and how mature he got since he thought he'll be alone, but he doesn't say that he slept in my bed every night. And Althea listens with the most beautiful smile I've ever seen.

She is still weak, her body trying to recover at a normal phase. And by trying, I mean that Althea doesn't want to accept that she needs rest. She wasn't even awake by ten minutes and I already had to force her to stay in bed and not go home.

Her stubbornness is still beyond me and if Vincent will turn out like her in ten years, I will be in my grave much sooner than I planned.

And despite all these things, Althea looks like the happiest person in the world. Her eyes have a powerful sparkle that makes her look like a teenager, her mouth is always in a smile, letting her face relax and enjoy the feeling of peace. She took thirteen days to come

back, but it seems that everything was worth it.

Althea explained to me how she talked with Keres in this fake heavenly purgatory about every single trauma they've been through. To how Keres fell in love with Ivan in the little walks she went in the mornings, to the jealousy Ivan had because she was promised to be my wife. And the child that had to suffer because of his father's wrath.

Althea Seraphina Moretti, my wife, the love of my life, came back to life because she couldn't live in a world where I wasn't. Just like I can't live in a world where she isn't holding my heart in her hands.

Yesterday, when she woke up, I didn't let anyone see her. Not Vincent(sorry not sorry, bug), not Venus, who almost killed me, and not Gianna.

When I saw her in the hospital room, claiming to see her daughter, I taught I was dreaming. For six years, Gianna haven't step in the outside world. For the underworld, she was a ghost of Famiglia's. Her cries were desperate for her daughter, who almost left her alone like Keres once did. Gianna Rossi showed that even though she hurt her daughter by ignoring her, she loves her more than anything in this world.

What was more shocking was the person who showed up when she came here.

The person that almost made me punch him so hard until not even his men wouldn't recognize him.

All these people who came to see her, but I didn't give a flying fuck. I had to live for thirteen days in fear and agony because I taught my heart would leave me. I had to force myself to wake up every day and go to her hospital bed and beg her to wake up. I was a living ghost until she made my heart beat again when her

body started to respond to our voices. Until she made me shed tears, I never knew I had.

Althea Moretti came back for me and I won't let her go even when death comes for both of us.

"And then I helped Dad wash his favorite car." Vincent blurs out, making me focus again on them.

I freeze when Vincent calls me Dad. My heart warms at the trust he has in me, but I didn't tell Althea yet about this. I know she won't be mad, especially because Hanibal never behaved like a father, but I wanted to be the one who tells her about this damn milestone.

Althea's eyes are round, eyeing me to make sure I won't react badly, but she doesn't know that I was the one who was desperate to call him son. Her brown eyes are soft and tears are filling her eyes, but she doesn't let them fall.

"Yeah? Did you do all the job?" Her voice is much better than yesterday, a sign that she's getting better and better. And I can't wait to finally have her home with me.

I try to keep my smile in check when I see that she accepted immediately my new role.

My smile falls when I realize it.

I'm a fucking father.

I have a child who depends on me and I'm starting to freak out just now.

"Of course I did." Vincent murmurs, even though he remembers how the power of the water jet from the hose knocked him to the ground and he cried for half an hour that his ass hurt.

"That's my boy." Althea smiles again and my fucking body melts.

It's feels like the greatest gift seeing her so happy.

"Now, do you mind telling me what was in your head when you ran into Everette's car two weeks ago? Actually, you're not minding because I'm forcing you to tell me, young man." This time, I let my laugh come out.

Fuck, she is so sexy when she is in this mom mode.

Vincent looks up to me and I shrug, letting him explain. I also want to know what made him do such reckless thing. Just the thought of losing both Althea and Vincent makes me angry.

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