Page 31 of The Bratty Heir

But pride and fear held his tongue. He watched Victor's retreating form, each step feeling like another nail in the coffin of whatever they'd been building between them.

Alone in the sterile infirmary, surrounded by the trappings of his family's power, Rocco had never felt more lost. The road ahead loomed dark and uncertain, fraught with danger from without and within.

And for the first time since this whole mess began, Rocco wasn't sure he had the strength to face it alone.

CHAPTER 12

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

The Rossetti compound felt like a prison, its opulent halls suffocating Rocco as he paced restlessly. Three days had passed since the disastrous night at the casino, and the tension in the air was thick enough to choke on.

Victor had been conspicuously absent, throwing himself into shoring up their defenses and rooting out any remaining traitors. Rocco's shoulder ached, a constant reminder of his failure and the growing distance between them.

A soft knock at his bedroom door pulled Rocco from his brooding. "Come in," he called, expecting another faceless guard with an update.

Instead, his mother glided into the room, her usual grace tempered by worry. "Rocco, darling. How are you feeling?"

Rocco forced a smile, not wanting to add to her concerns. "I'm fine, Mom. Just a little sore."

Lucia's eyes narrowed, seeing through his facade as easily as she always had. "Don't lie to me, tesoro. I know you too well for that."

With a sigh, Rocco sank onto the edge of his bed. "What do you want me to say? That I fucked up? That I nearly got myself killed and put the entire family at risk?"

Lucia sat beside him, her hand coming to rest on his uninjured shoulder. "I want you to tell me the truth. About Victor."

Rocco's head snapped up, heart racing. "What about Victor?"

His mother's gaze was piercing, searching his face for answers. "I've seen the way you look at him, Rocco. The way he looks at you. It's more than just bodyguard and charge, isn't it?"

Heat flooded Rocco's cheeks, equal parts embarrassment and defiance. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lucia's sigh was heavy with disappointment. "Don't insult my intelligence, darling. I may be your mother, but I'm not blind. Something's changed between you two."

Rocco stood abruptly, pacing to the window. He stared out at the manicured grounds, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. "It's... complicated."

"I'm sure it is," Lucia said, her voice gentle but firm. "But Rocco, you need to be careful. Men like Victor... they're dangerous. Not just physically, but emotionally."

Rocco's jaw clenched, a surge of protectiveness rising in his chest. "You don't know him like I do."

"Maybe not," Lucia conceded. "But I know men like him. I've seen what they can do to people who love them. The way they twist loyalty into control, affection into ownership."

Rocco whirled to face her, anger flaring hot in his veins. "Victor's not like that. He's... he's good to me. He sees me for who I am, not just as the boss's son."

Lucia stood, crossing to him with measured steps. "Oh, tesoro. That's what I'm afraid of. Victor Kovac is a skilled manipulator. It's what makes him so valuable to your father. But it also makes him dangerous to you."

"You're wrong," Rocco insisted, even as doubt gnawed at the edges of his certainty. "Victor wouldn't... he cares about me."

His mother's eyes softened with sympathy. "I'm sure he does, in his way. But Rocco, you have to ask yourself—is it you he cares for? Or the power you represent?"

The words hit Rocco like a physical blow, stealing the air from his lungs. He wanted to deny it, to rage against the implication. But a small, traitorous part of his mind whispered that maybe, just maybe, his mother had a point.

"I need to talk to him," Rocco said, already moving towards the door. "I need to know the truth."

Lucia caught his arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "Be careful, Rocco. Whatever you decide, remember that your loyalty must always be to the family first. We can't afford any more... distractions."

The warning in her tone was clear. Rocco nodded stiffly, shrugging off her hand. "I know where my priorities lie, Mom. You don't have to worry about that."

As he strode out of the room, Rocco's mind whirled with conflicting emotions. He needed answers, needed to confront Victor and clear the air between them once and for all.

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