Page 84 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
I scoffed. “Might is a dangerous word.”
Dante shook his head. “Look, if they find out on their own, they’re gonna believe whatever they want. If you tell them yourself, at least you get to explain it. At least you get to show them the truth.”
I rubbed my jaw, heart pounding. “I want to. I do.”
Dante arched a brow. “Then, what’s stopping you?”
I clenched my fists. “Maria hating me.”
“Maria already doesn’t trust you, and she doesn’t trust Shade,” Dante said bluntly. “Luca sure as hell doesn’t. Take advantage of the fact that you are still Lorenzo to them now. What do you have to lose?”
I swallowed hard. “Everything.”
Dante leaned back, his arms crossed. “Then you better make a choice. Because this—this is a matter of sooner or later, Lorenzo. And later is going to be a hell of a lot worse.”
He stared at me one final time before he left the office, but not without saying, “Tell her before she finds out on her own. The truth never stays buried, Lorenzo.”
******
The morning air was cool, like winter, but I barely felt it. My mind was a tangled mess of thoughts, all circling back to the same thing, Maria. Yesterday, after I dropped her off, the night came with torture. I’d stared at the ceiling, replaying every touch and every word, her telling me it was a mistake, and then, the Luca situation. It was a lot. Too many things were happening at once.
Now, as I pulled up in front of her place, I forced my thoughts into a tight box and shoved them away. I had bigger problems. Luca was getting too close to the truth, and if he figured out who Shade was before I could control the narrative, everything would blow up.
Maria slid into the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt without looking at me. I noticed the way her fingers lingered at her collarbone, absentmindedly tracing something. Then I saw the necklace.
The platinum chain with the delicate pendant my mother had given her when we were supposed to get married the first time. I never expected her to keep it. Seeing it now sent a strange mix of emotions rushing through me. I started driving, still caught up in my thoughts for a while, and Maria was on her phone, scrolling. I wanted to say something, but before I could, Maria turned to face me, her brows furrowed.
“You look distracted,” she said, her voice soft but perceptive. “Something on your mind?”
I forced a smirk. “Work stress.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly as if debating whether to believe me. Then, she sighed and turned her gaze back to the road. “Well, just don’t crash the car while you’re lost in your deep, mysterious thoughts.”
I chuckled. “No promises.”
My eyes flicked back to the necklace. “So,” I drawled, keeping my tone light, “you kept it.”
Maria followed my gaze and touched the pendant. “Yeah.”
“Was it because you knew you were going to marry me again?” I teased, watching her reaction closely.
She rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile on her lips. “Absolutely not.”
“Uh-huh.”
She let out a small laugh before shaking her head. “I kept it because I knew what it meant to your mother. She gave it to me, and I didn’t want to let that go.”
Something about the way she said it made my chest tighten. Before I could respond, we arrived at my mother’s house.
My mother adored Maria. That much was obvious the moment she opened the door and pulled her in like she’d been waiting a decade to do it. There was no hesitation, just arms wide and heart first. She hugged her like she was afraid she’d vanish again, holding on a little longer than necessary.
“Ma,” I muttered, standing there like a third wheel in my own family reunion.
She finally let go and cupped Maria’s face, eyes flickering with all that soft wisdom that came from years of surviving, loving, losing, and still choosing to smile anyway.
“You look beautiful, my dear,” she told Maria, her voice warm as the fresh cinnamon tea she always made when she was expecting someone important. “Lorenzo was always a fool for letting you go.”
Maria laughed. “He tells me the same thing but somehow manages to make it sound like my fault.”
