Page 71 of The Bonventi Secret
I watch as he starts pacing. I can see the tension in every line of his body, the anger, which so far he's controlled, simmering just beneath the surface. "What exactly did you learn from this little excursion into my family's past?" he asks, his tone tight and firm.
I hesitate for a moment before speaking. "I learned about your grandfather, Marcello. About how much your grandmother loved him. And about your father, Rocco."
Enzo stops and leans over the desk, gripping the edge so firmly I think he may be getting ready to flip the desk into the air, though it's too large for that, his anger may make him try.
"And what about my father?" he asks, almost snarling at me.
I can feel my body entering fight or flight mode with his newfound tone and body language. I feel a different type of heat rising in me, the one that makes me fight.
"The diary hinted at something. About your grandfather's death. That maybe, maybe your father was involved somehow. And you?—"
Enzo whirls around, his eyes blazing with fury. "You have no idea what you're talking about," he spits out.
"I'm just telling you what I read," I interject, my own voice rising to match his intensity. "I'm not accusing anyone of anything. I just, I don't know—I thought you should know."
Enzo slams his hands down on the desk, making me jump, and an audible gasp leaves my lips. "You thought I should know? As if I don't know my own family's history? As if you, an outsider, could possibly understand the complexities of our relationships based on some scribbled words in an old diary?"
His words cut deep, reminding me of my position in his world. "I'm sorry," I say again, feeling small and foolish. "I just wanted to, to be closer to you."
Enzo laughs, a harsh, bitter sound that makes me feel mocked and alone. "Closer to me? By going behind my back? By disobeying me? Or by betraying me by invading my privacy and dredging up painful memories? Which is it? Or is that just your fucking idea of intimacy with someone you care for, Livia?"
I feel my body heat up now. Fight mode has fully kicked in and I do what I usually do, grab the bull by the damn horns and respond.
I stand up, anger surging within me despite my guilt. "Shit, what was I supposed to do, Enzo? Huh?" I say, shrugging my shoulders. "You kept so much of yourself hidden. You expected me to be your wife, to be part of this family, but you wouldn't let me in. How am I supposed to navigate this fucking world with you if I don't understand it?"
Enzo's eyes narrow in on me, his voice dropping to a dangerous low I feel is reserved only for his enemies. "You navigate it by trusting me, Livia. By respecting my boundaries. Not by being disloyal and playing some damn amateur detective with decades-old secrets."
"Well, I fucking never asked for any of this. For you, here," I say, pointing around the room, "I was happy in Los Angeles. With my friends. I even had someone I was interested in."
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I know I've made a terrible mistake. Enzo's eyes flash with a rage I've never seen before, and for the first time since I've known him, I feel genuinely afraid.
"Someone you were interested in?" he growls. "You think that matters now? You think any of that matters?"
I take a step back, my heart rate rising. "Enzo, I didn't mean?—"
But before I can finish, Enzo's arm swings out in a wide arc. I flinch, thinking for a split second that he's going to hit me, but instead, his hand connects with an antique vase on a nearby table. The crash is loud as it shatters against the wall, sending shards of porcelain flying in every direction.
I can't help but let out a startled scream, my hands flying up to cover my mouth instinctively. When I look away from the mess, I see Enzo standing there, his chest heaving, his eyes wild with fury.
"You didn't mean what, Livia?" he snarls, taking a step toward me. "You didn't mean to betray my trust? You didn't mean to go behind my back? Or you didn't mean to throw your past interests in my face?"
I back away, feeling the edge of the chair press against my calves. "I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice trembling. "I shouldn't have said that. I was just angry and?—"
"Angry?" Enzo laughs. "You think you have the right to be angry? After what you've done?"
He's so close to me now I can feel the heat radiating off his body, see the pulse throbbing in his neck. I've never seen him like this, so out of control, so... dangerous.
"I gave you everything," he hisses, his face inches from mine. "A home, protection, a future. And this is how you repay me? By disobeying me and digging into my past, into my family's secrets?"
I want to argue, to defend myself, but the words die in my throat. Because he's right, isn't he? He has given me everything, even if it wasn't what I initially wanted. And I've repaid him by betraying his trust.
"I'm sorry," I say again. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have?—"
"No," Enzo cuts me off. "You shouldn't have. But you did. And now we have to deal with the consequences."
He turns away from me abruptly, running a hand over his face. I can see the chaos in every line of his body.
"What…" I swallow hard, forcing myself to speak. "What are you going to do?"
