Page 49 of Dark Mafia Vows

Without another word, she’s gone.

I focus on the extravagant spread before me, taking a bite of caviar, savoring the rich taste while trying to ignore the inevitable conversation with my worst enemy across from me. Lorenzo is glued to his phone, typing away, the silence between us stretching thin. After a few more minutes, and the quiet departure of the other two guests, it’s just the two of us left at the table.

“She’s still mad, huh?” Lorenzo finally speaks, breaking the strained quiet.

I lean back into my seat, running a hand through my hair. “Yeah.”

“She’s probably mad at you, too.”

“She hates me,” I admit, and for the first time, the weight of that reality sinks in, sending a sharp, unwelcome ache through my chest.

I don’t want her to hate me.

Lorenzo sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. I haven’t exactly painted the best picture of you to her.”

“I’ll bet you haven’t. Telling her that her precious brother’s a backstabber doesn’t exactly make you the good guy here either.”

“I didn’t betray you?—”

“Right. You just stood by and watched while my entire world collapsed when you could have stopped it. No big deal. It’s fine.”

My words hang in the air between us, and the atmosphere becomes tense again. Past memories, betrayals, and pain flash through my memory, and I assume he’s also thinking about the same thing.

I tap my fingers against my knee, a nervous tic from childhood I haven’t fully shaken. When I grew older, that nervous energy morphed into a need for a cigarette or a glass of whiskey.

“What does she like?” I ask, breaking the silence again.

Lorenzo blinks, caught off guard. “What?”

“Ginny. What are the things she likes?”

His eyes widen just a fraction, and for the first time, I catch a flicker of surprise in them. It hits me—hard.

Maybe I care about Ginny more than I’ve ever let myself admit. When she’s upset, it gnaws at me, infecting my mood. And when she’s happy... well, I’ve never really seen her happy around me. That thought stings in a way I hadn’t expected.

A tightness forms in my chest, like a fist slowly closing around my heart. I want to see her happy. More than that—I want to be the reason she’s happy. Not out of obligation or this twisted situation we’re in, but because I actually give a damn.

Fuck.This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to care.

But now I do. More than I should.

21

GINEVRA

Islip into the bathroom, the noise and chatter of the gala fading into the background. Once I confirm it’s empty, I push the door shut behind me and hear the soft click of the lock. The moment I’m alone, I lean back against the door, letting out a shaky breath as my body sinks to the floor.

The lights overhead are harsh, bouncing off the gleaming marble tiles and making everything feel too bright, too overwhelming.

Tears well up in the corners of my eyes, and I fight to hold them back. I feel stupid. Useless. Like some expensive accessory Dario brought to flaunt in front of everyone. The weight of their judgment and scrutiny had become unbearable, suffocating, until I had no choice but to leave the room.

Ever since this whole mess started, I’ve been trying to remind myself that I’m not just a pawn in their game—Dario’s or Lorenzo’s. I am my own person, and I’ll make choices that benefit me and my career. No one else.

But sitting there with Lorenzo and Dario pretending everything was fine made me feel worthless. Like I was nothingmore than an object. A trophy for their satisfaction. A means to an end.

The thought of it makes my stomach turn.

Judging by the pleased expression Lorenzo wore during those few minutes we spent together, the company must be doing well. I’m happy for him, but the way I was expected to stay there, acting as if everything was normal, felt like a slap in the face.

---