Page 20 of Silent Night with Massimo

"I trust him. I'll be by his side through everything and believe me when I say—I've got my eye on you, Vera. One wrong move, and you're done."

I sigh, nodding slowly, trying not to provoke him further. "I understand."

There's no point in trying to win Adrian over, not now. He's as fiercely loyal to Massimo as ever. I'm not here to make enemies, least of all with him.

"I'm not here to cause more damage," I say quietly. "I only want the truth to come out."

His eyes flicker with a mixture of doubt and anger. "Good luck with that," he mutters darkly.

"No one here is going to be happy to see you. They allthink you're guilty, and it's only a matter of time before you make a mistake."

I swallow hard, the weight of his words settling in. "I know. Facing them is the price I'm willing to pay."

I follow Adrian up the stairs, toward the dining room.

He leads me into the noisy area where everyone is seated, about to have dinner.

I freeze in nervous tension.

"Vera?"

"Is that Vera Santoro?"

"But she was exiled?"

"What is going on?"

The murmurs rush through the room like a swarm of bees.

Massimo stands up at the head of the table.

"She will be seated next to me." He says, loud enough that everyone else stops talking and turns towards him. "Vera is here as my guest and I trust everyone will treat her with respect." People look around in shock, but they all nod. "Yes, Mas, of course." Uncle Marzio says. "Sit down, young lady. Dinner is about to be served, and we are all starving."

I bite my lip as I walk around the table towards Massimo. The only person I feel any serious threat from is Elio who has not taken his eyes off me. His glare is like heated rods of steel, stabbing into my body.

I sit down with Massimo watching me closely.

He doesn't say a word while they serve dinner, and I don't either.

I feel it's best for me to stay quiet, and despite being an obvious topic of discussion, I don't want to draw any additional attention to myself.

After dinner, I help everyone carry the plates and dishes to the kitchen where the cleaners will handle it.

Some of the family members are friendly to me and others just steer completely clear of my path. It's ok.

I'm here to find the truth. Once I have the truth, they will all see I was never a traitor.

Massimo is talking to a group of his uncles and cousins when Adrian comes to find me. "I'll escort you to your room." He says, stern and unfriendly. He clearly still doesn't trust me.

"It's okay," I tell myself, trying to calm the frustration rising in me. Adrian isn't the one I need to convince—it's Massimo. But I know the bond between them is tight, unbreakable. If Adrian remains hostile, it'll only make things harder. Winning him over, or at least dulling his hostility, would be a small victory. It might even open the door to reaching Massimo more easily.

I exhale, forcing myself to focus. Adrian's skepticism is to be expected, but that doesn't mean I can't change things. It wouldn't hurt to have Adrian on my side—or at the very least, not actively working against me.

I square my shoulders, silently vowing to find a way, no matter how steep the climb may be. Convincing Massimo won't be easy, but I've come too far and risked too much to stop now.

"Where's Elio?" I ask, following Adrian up the stairs.

"You don't get to ask questions, Vera. I don't even understand why my brother let you out of the cell." He huffs.

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