Page 93 of Matteo
It’s not something I would’ve paid much attention to, butseeing the way he takes her in, waiting for her to give him the same attention he’s giving her, tells me this is something else entirely.
I hear the deep rumble of a dark, maniacal laugh. “You’re nothing but a child still, Matteo. You think I’m worried about some twenty-nine-year-old who’s on a power trip coming after me? I’ve been in this game far longer than you have.”
The vein on Giuseppe’s temple throbs. It’s something you can see even under the dimmed lighting of the room.
“I’m going to do you a favor and give you some time to rethink this decision of yours. I made Angelo Mancini a very rich man. You’d be wise to choose the same path he did.”
Matteo leans back in his chair, looking as confident and disinterested as can be. But I know that look in his eye. It’s calculated. Smart. He knows exactly what he’s doing. “I assure you, Giuseppe. I will not be changing my mind.”
Giuseppe cocks a brow, and we all feel the shift in the room. I glance behind him at Niccolò whose focus is brought back to his dad and Teo. I try to read his expression, but it’s empty.
Giuseppe’s jaw tics as he tenses, knowing Matteo’s not going to give him what he wants right now. “This is the last leniency I’m willing to offer you. I’ll give you a couple weeks to make the proper decision.” He finally glances around at the rest of the table before looking back at Matteo and adds, “Enjoy whatever the hell this is, Matteo. Because if you don’t make the right decision, this’ll be the last little family outing you have.” Without another word, Giuseppe turns on his heel and stalks away with Mauricio following suit.
Niccolò remains rooted in place, and I can see the curiosity in Teo’s eyes as he stares at him, waiting for him to speak.
I glance back at Izzy who’s now focused on Niccolò. Bouncing my gaze back to him, I watch as his eyes slide over toIzzy, narrowing in on her before saying, “Enjoy the rest of your birthday, Isabella.” And without another word, not even enough time for Izzy to respond, he turns on his heel, leaving us to get back to our dinner.
Izzy’s mouth drops slightly as he exits, like she wants to call out something to him but thinks twice before doing it. Teo and Enzo share a questioning look.
“How did he know it’s your birthday?” Enzo asks, glancing over at Izzy.
Teo eyes his sister, waiting for her answer, as if he suspects it might be something he doesn’t like. And if what I’ve come to think is correct, Teo will absolutely not like this.
Izzy’s gaze falls to the side of her plate. “It’s not rocket science, Enzo. The cards and gifts you guys got me are right here,” she answers, placing a hand on the small pile of gifts she has. “It was probably to reiterate that threat his dad just made. Letting us know this will be the last family celebration we’ll have if Teo doesn’t give Giuseppe access back to the port.”
Her answer seems to taper off any more suspicions from her brothers, but I continue to watch Izzy closely as Teo and Enzo envelop themselves deep in conversation. She seems to be lost in her own thoughts as she shifts her pasta around on her plate with the tip of her fork. I can tell she’s trying to keep her expression neutral, but there’s something else there. And with the threat Giuseppe left lingering in the air, I’m worried about the path we’re about to go down and what that could mean for us all—what it could mean for Izzy.
The End