Page 39 of Bound By Honor

“Hey.” I tug his hand until he looks at me. “You didn’t lose me. And what happened to Maria wasn’t your fault.”

“Wasn’t it?” His laugh is bitter. “I was supposed to protect her. Just like I was supposed to protect you, and look how that turned out.”

“I’m not Maria.” The words come out fiercer than intended. “And I don’t need protection. I need a partner.”

His eyes search mine, something vulnerable flickering in their depths. “Aurora?—”

The door creaks open, and a small voice fills the room. “Papá! Aurora!”

Luca bursts in, his nanny following with an apologetic smile. He climbs onto Luciano’s bed with careful excitement, his eyes wide as he takes in all the medical equipment.

“Careful,piccolo.” Luciano’s voice softens as he helps Luca settle beside him. “We’re both a little sore.”

“Papàsaid you were sick, but you’re going to be okay now because he gave you a special gift.” Luca’s face scrunches in confusion. “Does that mean you’re sharing parts now?”

“That’s right,tesoro. Something like that” I smile, watching Luciano’s face soften as he looks at his son.

Luca fidgets with the blanket. “Does this mean... are you going to be my new Mamma?”

The room goes still. Rosetta busies herself with the food, but I catch her small smile.

“Luca—” Luciano starts, his voice strained, but I squeeze his hand.

“I’m not trying to replace your Mamma,” I tell Luca gently. “She’ll always be special and important. But I do love you and yourPapàvery much.”

Luciano’s grip on my hand tightens almost painfully.

“Good,” Luca declares. “Because I love you too—you make us happy. AndPapàsmiles more now.”

“I’d like to be part of your family,” I tell him honestly. “If that’s okay with you.”

His whole face lights up. “Really?Papá, did you hear that?”

“I heard,piccolo.” Luciano’s voice is rough with emotion. “Why don’t you show Aurora your new drawing while I talk to your nanny?”

As Luca chatters about his artwork, I watch Luciano have a quiet conversation with Rosetta. His movements are stiff, but there’s a new lightness to him I’ve never seen before.

After they leave, silence settles over us like a warm blanket. “Luciano?” I wait until he meets my gaze. “About what I said before—about wanting you to kill Alessandro...”

“Aurora—”

“No, let me finish.” I shift carefully to face him better. “I was wrong. Revenge isn’t worth your soul.”

His expression softens. “My soul isn’t exactly pristine,Principessa.”

“Maybe not. But there’s a difference between protecting family and cold-blooded murder.” I reach for his hand again. “I won’t ask you to cross that line. Not for me.”

“I was wrong to tell you to kill him. He’s your brother, and no matter what he’s done...” I swallow hard. “I understand now, after everything with my own brothers. Some lines, once crossed, you can’t come back from. And I don’t want that for you.”

“He nearly killed you.”

“And you saved me.” I lean across my bed as far as I can to touch his face, making him look at me. “Not because you had to, or because of duty or protection or any of the walls we’ve built between us. You saved me because you love me. That’s enough.”

“Is it?” His eyes search mine. The hospital machinery beeps steadily in the background as he seems to wage an internal battle. Finally, he speaks, his voice coming out raw. “During a raid on the Rossi compound, Alessandro came to me with proof that Maria was feeding information to our enemies. Securityfootage, phone records, bank transfers. All pointing to her being a double agent.”

His hand grips mine tighter. “I refused to believe it. Demanded time to investigate myself. But Alessandro insisted we had to act immediately—said she was about to expose our entire operation. He wanted me to... to handle it. To prove my loyalty to the family over my marriage.”

“I chose duty. Told Alessandro I’d confront her that night. But when I arrived at the compound...” His voice breaks. “I was too late. He’d already taken matters into his own hands. Made it look like a rival hit.”

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