Page 48 of Silent Night with Massimo

"Kids, just give me a minute, I'll get dressed and then we can go open presents." Vera says, climbing off the bed. I drag her back towards me and kiss her again. Then let her go so she can get ready.

The kids bolt back out of the room to wait downstairs.

"I miss being a kid at Christmas time."

"Me too." She giggles.

We walk downstairs, my arm wrapped around her, holding her close against me. I haven't felt this happy in a really long time. For the first time since I lost her, I feel like I am where I'm meant to be - and like my life is back on course. Everything that happened - it happened for a reason. All the tragedy, all the pain, all the loss - it led me to this moment. Right now.

Bella is sitting on Adrian's lap on the floor, next to the giant, towering Christmas tree. He's still in his sweatpants and hoodie, clearly not fully awake yet. "The coffee hasn't kicked in yet." He grumbles, grinning at me as Bella wiggles further onto his lap and demands we sit down too so we can open presents.

"Did the kids wake you up?" Vera asks with a grin.

"Jeez, they were both like a tornado on my bed. I was practically fighting for my life." He laughs loudly. Then he lifts Bella in his hands and wiggles her in the air. "She's too naughty."

"No, I good girl." She demands, mid-air. "I good girl, Santi Claws said so."

"Of course you are." Adrian chuckles, setting her back down on his lap.

Adrian’s phone buzzes, interrupting the laughter and excitement. He glances down, and his expression darkens.

"Adrian?" I ask, noticing the shift in his demeanor.

Without saying a word, he shows me the message on his phone from one of his contacts:

The operation's a go. You need to leave now.

I meet his eyes, already knowing what’s next. "You have to go right away?"

Adrian nods, his voice low and urgent. "I don't have a choice, Massimo. It has to happen now, or we lose the advantage."

I nod, gripping his shoulder. "Be careful. Don’t let them outmaneuver you."

Adrian glances at the kids for a brief moment, then back to me, his jaw set.

"I'll handle it. Watch your back here, and I'll deal with the rest."

He gives a final nod before heading out. As I watch him leave, I know what this means for the war with the Vitales. It’s far from over, but for today, my focus has to be on my family.

I exhale deeply, pushing the weight of it all aside—at least for now. Today isn’t about that battle. Today is about my family, about the moment we fought so hard to have.

The kids are laughing and tearing into their gifts with joy, and that’s where my focus needs to stay.

Luckily, we had so many presents for all the kids that it was easy to swap out some gifts and put Mateo's name onit. The rest of the family all helped out and all the kids are laughing and screaming with joy as they open gifts, tossing wrapping paper in the air and jumping around excitedly.

This is exactly how Christmas should be. Beautiful, happy chaos.

We watch the kids, playing and laughing, while Vera is snuggled against my side.

"Breakfast will be ready in thirty minutes." The chef calls out into the room.

"Thanks, Bennie." I shout back. Then I lean close to Vera and whisper. "I know what I want to do for thirty minutes."

She bites her lips and raises her brows at me.

With one last check at where the kids are, we see they are far too busy showing their cousins everything they got to even notice us sneaking away for a little while.

I hurry up stairs, pulling Vera with me.

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