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He did take a step back, and I moved away from the railing toward the patio door. I was in flight mode. I’d never seen my father this angry at me, and I had to admit it unnerved me.
“You will apologize to Dante and make your marriage work. You should be pregnant by now,” he continued. “The rumor is that he has taken that lawyer woman as his mistress.”
“How nice for him,” I deadpanned.
“You think this is a joke?”
“My whole life is a joke,” I muttered.
“Don’t be dramatic,” he snapped, his tone cutting. “I have given you everything. Stability, opportunity, the Giordanos?—”
“You didn’t give me anything,” I interrupted irately, the child in me demanding justice. “You used me. You didn’t arrange my marriage because you cared about my future. You did it because it benefited you. And now you’re mad because I’m finally doing something for myself? Why do you care? You have the vineyard…you have what you wanted.”
His expression darkened. “You’ve always been ungrateful. You’re throwing away the best thing that ever happened to you.”
“Throwing awaywhat?” I shot back, my hands trembling at my sides. “A husband who ignores me? A life where I’m treated like furniture?”
His nostrils flared, his hand tightening on the glass of wine he’d been holding and not drinking from. For a moment, I thought he might walk away. But instead, he took a step closer, his fury barely contained. “You think you can just walk away from this marriage without consequences? Do you know how much I’ve invested in you, Elysa? You have no idea?—”
“Invested in me?” My words wavered, thick with rage. "I'm your daughter, not a line item in your winery’s fucking balance sheet!”
My words hung in the air for a beat. His face twisted with anger, and before I could react, his hand lashed out, striking me hard across the cheek.
The sound of the slap echoed in the still night air. My head whipped to the side, and I staggered, my hand flying to my face as the sting bloomed sharp and humiliating across my skin.
I froze, disbelief flooding through me. He’d hit me before when I was younger, but this….
“Elysa!” Dante’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. I turned to see him standing in the doorway of the suite, his eyes blazing with fury.
In three long strides, he was in front of me, shoving my father back with enough force to make him stumble.
“If youevertouch her again,” Dante said with a snarl, “you’ll regret it. Do you understand me?”
Vittorio looked stunned, his usually unshakable composure slipping for the first time in my life. “I didn’t mean?—”
“Save it,” Dante yelled, his fists clenched at his sides. “You don’t get to make excuses.Get out before I beat the crap out of you.”
Vittorio straightened his jacket, his mouth tightening as he shot me one last look. “I…I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
I had nothing to say to him. I had nothing to say to anyone.
Without another word, he turned and walked through the suite, the door slamming shut behind him.
The silence that followed was deafening. I stoodfrozen, my cheek still burning from the slap, my heart racing from the adrenaline coursing through me.
“Elysa.”
Dante’s tone was softer now, but when I turned to look at him, the fire in his eyes hadn’t dimmed. He reached out, his hand hovering near my arm as if he wasn’t sure I’d let him touch me.
I flinched, and he dropped his hand.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded automatically, even though it wasn’t true.
The throbbing in my cheek was piercing, but it was nothing compared to the hollow ache in my chest. The man who was supposed to love me unconditionally had just proven, once again, that he never really did.
“I’m fine.” The words came out shaky and thin.