Page 90 of Ruthless Royalty

“And they will,” Dmitri says, his voice steady, unwavering. “But we do this right, Giovanni. We don’t rush in. We plan, we strategize, and then we strike. We’re going to dismantle the Giannini family piece by piece, and when we’re done, there won’t be anything left of them.”

The room falls silent, and I can feel the fury burning inside me, the desire for vengeance boiling over. But I force myself to nod. He’s right.

As much as I want to go out there and start tearing the Gianninis apart with my bare hands, I know that’s not the way to do it. Not if I want to keep Chiara safe.

“I’ll take care of her,” I say, my voice rough, full of barely restrained anger. “But when the time comes … I want to be the one to end this.”

Dmitri meets my gaze, and after a moment, he nods. “You will be.”

Mihai, who’s been silent this whole time, speaks up, his expression dark. “And you’re not doing this alone, Gio. We’re in this together. The Gianninis fucked with the wrong people.”

“Damn right,” Connor adds, his voice full of grim determination. “We’ll make sure they never forget it.”

Nikolai places a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. “We’ll take care of Leo, get every last bit of information out of him. But after that … it’s up to you.”

I nod, the rage still boiling beneath the surface, but I force myself to take a deep breath, to focus on what needs to be done.

“First, I need to take care of Chiara. She needs to know the truth.”

“Tell her everything,” Dmitri says. “But be careful. This isn’t going to be easy for her to hear. She’s already been through hell.”

“I know,” I say, my voice softening as I think about her, about everything she’s been through. “I’ll be there for her. I won’t fail her again.”

“You’d better not,” Dmitri says, his tone sharp. “Because if anything happens to her?—”

“Nothing will happen to her,” I cut him off, my voice firm. “I’ll protect her. No matter what.”

“Good,” Dmitri says, his expression finally softening. “Now go to her. She needs you.”

I nod, my resolve solidifying as I turn and leave the room, my mind already racing with everything that needs to be done. The Gianninis think they can come after Chiara, that they can take what’s mine? They’re about to learn just how wrong they are.

But first, I need to see her. I need to hold her, to make sure she’s okay. And then … then we’ll deal with the rest.

One way or another, this war is going to end. And when it does, there won’t be anything left of the Giannini family. I’ll make sure of that.

CHIARA

Iwake up slowly, the world around me coming into focus like a dream fading into reality. The first thing I notice is the unfamiliar ceiling above me, a soft cream color that I don’t recognize. The sheets beneath me are smooth, clean, and the bed is far too comfortable to be the one I remember from before.

Panic starts to bubble up in my chest as I try to figure out where I am, but before I can even move, I hear a soft sobbing sound beside me.

Turning my head slowly, I see my mother sitting in a chair by the bed, her face buried in her hands. The sight of her makes my heart lurch, and for a moment, I just stare at her, unable to speak. She looks so small, so fragile, and it hits me all at once that she’s here, that somehow, I’m safe.

“Mom?” My voice is barely a whisper, raspy and weak.

She looks up at me, her eyes red and swollen, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Oh, Chiara,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so, so sorry.”

Seeing her like this, so broken, sends a fresh wave of painthrough me, but it’s not anger I feel. It’s a deep, aching sadness. I reach out, my hand trembling as I take hers, squeezing it gently.

“Mom, it’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry.”

She shakes her head, more tears falling as she clutches my hand like it’s a lifeline. “No, it’s not okay. I never wanted this for you, Chiara. I never wanted you to be part of this world. But when I chose Dmitri … when I married him, I brought you into it, and now … now this.”

I squeeze her hand again, trying to convey as much comfort as I can through that simple touch. “I don’t blame you, Mom. You did what you had to do, and Dmitri loves you.”

She looks at me, her eyes filled with guilt and regret. “But if it weren’t for me, if I hadn’t run from your father … you wouldn’t have been put in this position. You wouldn’t have been targeted by those monsters.”

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