Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 48585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
“Alright,” I concede. “But first, I want to know what prompted the arranged marriage to Leonardo to begin with. Every time I’ve asked you about it, you’ve only given me vague answers before changing the subject. And if I’m going to protect you, even whilst giving you more freedom with Leonardo still out there seeking his revenge, I need to know exactly what I’m dealing with. No more secrets.”
She sighs, but then concedes and fills in the gaps of what I’d already suspected. “My father’s hotel business was failing. His pride was based on that business venture. It meant the world to him to keep up our family’s reputation and to uphold the status and legacy of his family name. But when the business struggled, he took out a loan that he couldn’t repay.”
“Let me guess,” I say. “That financial arrangement led him straight to Leonardo Conti.”
“Yes,” she nods. “He needed the help. And as much as my father has always struggled to show his affection for his family, I think he was trying to do right by us. He wasn’t looking for power or wealth; he was simply trying to survive for our family.”
“What father marries off his daughter to a wicked man like Leonardo Conti?” I ask, getting angrier by the moment as I hear her describe Giovanni’s failings as a father.
“The kind that was attempting to secure a material future for me.” Valentina’s voice is saddened. I can tell that she would have preferred a closer relationship with her father and a life of emotional happiness to a life of financial security. If only her father had taken that into account before trying to make her choices for her. But Giovanni Ricci is not a man suited for mafia life. The demands of a mafia alliance of this magnitude aren’t for the faint of heart, nor those without the constitution to overcome internal conflicts—I should know.
“Initially, I think my father viewed his alliance with Leonardo as a beneficial one. Their relationship was transactional, to help save my father’s business, secure a stable life for me, and then hope for the best. My happiness was never a factor.”
I wonder silently whether Giovanni feels any guilt over that. I wonder if he thinks it’s worth it to dress in tailored suits and luxury accessories, to play at being a successful hotelier with a family of status, if it means sacrificing his daughter’s freedom over it. That will not be the father that I am with my child. Especially not after seeing how much that sort of emotionally detached relationship has hurt Valentina. There is a small part of me that feels bad for the man and the fact that Leonardo Coni could manipulate his financial desperation, leveraging loans over the poor guy to force the arrangement of marriage to Valentina. But Giovanni should have known that Leonardo wasn’t worth getting involved with. Surely, he must have known how much Leonardo disdains men he deems to be “beneath” him.
“Have you heard from your father at all since we left Italy?” I ask.
Valentina shakes her head. Her eyes speak volumes regarding her conflicted feelings about her father and whether she’s glad or saddened that he hasn’t attempted to contact her.
“He has always respected you, Luc,” she adds. “I’m sure he knows that if I’m with you, then I’m safe.”
I say nothing, as I wouldn’t be so sure of that. A man who will sell out someone he cares about once can do it a second time, too. At the moment, I don’t trust anyone other than those within my small inner circle. Which leads me to the next thing I want to talk to Valentina about.
“I think that it’s time we stopped hiding our relationship,” I say, to her surprise. “I know I said it would be best to keep our involvement with each other a secret, but I think that openly acknowledging that our friendship has transformed into something more is more of an asset now than a weakness.”
“How so?”
“Despite Leonardo Conti’s constant attempts to degrade me, he’s well aware that my reputation might be one of calm but also one of brutality when need be. Despite the chance of dangerous societal repercussions when those around us and in the mafia find out about our relationship, I think it will serve as another layer of protection for you. Anyone who attempts to come at you will know that they will have to deal with me. Getting to you now means going through me first.”
After we talk a bit more and I’m assured that Valentina and I are on the same page about how we’re going to approach this. I agree to let her go out of the hotel suite, and I suggest taking her on an actual date in the city. That way, people around us can see that we’re indeed together, and I can keep an eye on her while also letting her have a night outside of this hotel. The delight on her face at the thought of it makes the risk we are taking almost worth it.