Page 40 of His Bride

He turns to face me with a cocky smirk. “I’m very fucking reasonable.”

“No, you’re not.” I glare and fold my arms. “You’re insanely unreasonable.”

“Maybe that’s true. I married you, after all.”

My father straightens, and, behind Caelian, Nicoli mutters, “Time and place, Caelian.”

“And when’s the right time? Alexius would string this shit up by his wrinkled balls if he were here right now.”

“Caelian—”

“Shut up, Isaia. We all know the truth. This man is a snake, and he’s not worth the toilet paper he wipes his ass with. First he used his daughter, now his son. There is no low you can’t reach, is there?”

“Caelian,” I say. “Just stop.”

“See?” He lifts his brows. “You even let your daughter fight your battles for you.” Caelian grabs my father’s coat collar, and I rush over, managing to get myself between them and facing Caelian.

“Get your hands off him. He’s my father.”

“He’s poison, Giana. Maybe I should do the world a favor and drive a knife through his heart.”

With a fierce growl, I violently shove Caelian with all my strength. He doesn’t expect it, and he stumbles back but recovers quickly.

“What is wrong with you?” I grit at Caelian. “He came here asking for help to protect my brother, not himself.”

“That’s what he wants you to believe,” Caelian says, righting his collar. “That’s what snakes do. They show you their belly in submission, but the moment you let your guard down, they strike. And your father… oh, he's a motherfucking viper.”

There’s a sudden shift in the air—it’s heavier, denser, the sense of impending danger palpable.

The three brothers move toward each other—a wall of Del Rossa power. They’re a unit, just like they were at our wedding when they forced me to say, “I do.” Just like they were at the funeral when they buried their mother. And as a family unit, they’ve excluded me…because I’m not one of them. I’m not a Del Rossa.

I see that now.

“Dad?” I say, not taking my eyes off Caelian. “Call Aurelio. Tell him to call off his dogs and to keep his filthy hands off my brother. We’ve got a deal.”

Caelian’s eyes widen, and he moves forward. “What. Deal?”

“A deal that will keep my brother safe.”

“What deal, Giana?”

“Something I should have done in the first place, then all of this could have been avoided.” There’s fear inside me. Uncertainty. Asense of dread and terror colliding into a great, oppressive mass. But my voice doesn't waver as I say, “I’m going to give him what he wants. Me.”

Chapter 10

GIANA

My old bedroom is just as I left it.

I know it hasn’t been that long, and yet…it feels like a lifetime ago. The whole mansion feels that way. It’s like someone stole the familiarity of it the moment I chose to run from home.

Home. Something I don’t think this place is anymore.

I set my bags down, letting out a bone deep sigh. Exhaustion weighs down on me like a thousand rocks, and for a moment, I'm tempted to collapse onto the untouched bedspread, but I resist.

My weary eyes take in the room. Once a comforting hue, the lavender walls now seem disconcertingly bright and garish. This is my room. I know that. It just doesn’t feel like it belongs to me anymore.

A thin layer of dust covers my old bedside table. I guess the housekeepers no longer frequent this room since I’ve left, and my dad isn’t one to keep on top of staff matters regarding the household. Now that I’m back, it’ll probably fall on me to manage staff.

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