Page 95 of Ruthless Royalty

“Chiara, what are you doing?” he says, rushing forward, his voice tight with fear.

“I … I can’t get clean,” I sob, my voice barely audible over the sound of the water. “I can’t … I can’t get it off…”

Gio’s expression crumples, and he quickly steps into the shower, not caring that he’s still fully dressed. He reaches for the soap, gently prying it from my hands, his touch careful, tender.

“Stop, baby, please. You’re hurting yourself.”

“But I have to get it off!” I cry, my voice breaking as I look up at him, my vision swimming with tears. “I—I can still feel him on me, Gio. I can’t get clean…”

He shakes his head, pulling me into his arms, holding me close as the water pours over us.

“You’re not dirty,” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. “You’re safe now, okay? You’re safe.”

I cling to him, my sobs shaking my entire body, and he holds me tighter, his hands running up and down my back in soothing, gentle strokes.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against my wet hair. “It’s okay, babygirl. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

“But I feel ruined,” I whisper, my voice trembling with the weight of my own shame, my own self-loathing. “I won’t ever be the same again and it’s all my fault! You shouldn’t have to be with someone like me.”

“Don’t say that,” he says fiercely, pulling back just enough to look me in the eye. “You’re not ruined, Chiara. You’re not broken. You’re mine, and I love you. I love you so fucking much.”

His words cut through the fog of panic and despair, the weight of them sinking into my heart, into my soul. I look up at him, my eyes wide and filled with tears, not sure if I heard him right.

“You … you love me?”

Gio’s eyes soften, and he nods, his hand cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing away the tears.

“Yes, Kitten. I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment I met you, and nothing will ever change that. You’re mine, Chiara. All of you. The good, the bad, the broken, the whole. I love every part of you.”

I break down completely and sink to the shower floor, the weight of his words, the raw sincerity in his voice, overwhelming me. I bury my face in his chest, my sobs shaking both of us as he holds me close, his hands cradling my head, his touch grounding me.

The water continues to pour over us, but I don’t care. I don’t care about anything except the way he’s holding me, the way his words seep into my soul, chasing away the darkness, the filth, the fear.

“I’m so scared, Gio,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “I’m so scared that I’ll never be the same, that I’ll always feel this way, that I’ll always feel dirty.”

“You won’t,” he says firmly, his voice a lifeline in the storm of my emotions. “You won’t always feel this way, baby. I’ll help you through this, I promise you.”

I nod, but I can’t stop the fear, the doubt that creeps in. “But what if I can’t? What if I’m never the same again?”

Gio pulls back slightly, his hands framing my face, his gaze locked onto mine.

“Chiara,” he says softly, his voice filled with a tenderness that almost breaks me. “What you went through was traumatic and it’s okay if you feel this way right now. It’s okay if you’re scared, if you’re angry, if you feel like you’ll never be the same. You went through hell, and no one expects you to just bounce back like nothing happened.”

I close my eyes, letting his words wash over me, but the fear, the doubt, still lingers, gnawing at the edges of my mind.

“But what if … what if I can’t get past it, Gio? What if I’m too broken?”

“You’re not broken, baby. You’re hurt, and you’re scared, and that’s okay. But you’re not broken,” he says, kissing my forehead. “You’re the strongest person I know, and I’m next in line to be thefucking Capo dei Capi. I’ll be here with you every step of the way as you heal.”

“But what if it takes too long?” I whisper, my voice trembling. “What if I’m never the same?”

“Then we’ll take it one day at a time,” he says firmly, his thumb gently brushing away the tears that continue to fall. “And I’ll be right there with you, no matter how long it takes. I’m not going anywhere.”

His words are like a balm to my shattered soul, and I feel something inside me start to loosen, to unravel. I’m still scared, still filled with self-loathing and doubt, but there’s a small part of me that believes him, that trusts him.

“Gio…” I whisper, my voice trembling.

“Yeah, baby?”

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