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Guilt threatens to choke me. Because he's right. If I'd just told him the truth from the beginning...
But I didn't. And now Tony's paying the price.
"My brother," I start, but again he cuts me off.
"Will be handled." His voice carries absolute certainty. "But first, we're going to handle this."
Something in his tone makes my skin prickle. I look around the room again, really look this time. The formal suits. The air of ceremony. The way everyone seems to be waiting for something.
Oh God.
"Stefano," I whisper, realization dawning. "What are you planning?"
His smile is predatory. "I’m protecting what's mine."
The words hang in the air between us, heavy with promise and threat. Because this—the hotel, the security, the formality—this isn't just about keeping me safe.
This is about making sure I can never run again.
* * *
"Marriage." The word comes out barely above a whisper. "You're talking about marriage."
"A simple solution, really." Stefano's voice sounds reasonable now. Like he's discussing a business transaction rather than the rest of our lives.
"You need protection. The child needs legitimacy. I need..." He pauses, something raw flickering across his face. "Insurance that you won't disappear again."
"There are other ways…"
"Are there?" His calm façade cracks slightly. "Because from where I'm standing, you've left me very few options, Ava. You infiltrated my organization. Betrayed my trust. Carried my child while working for my enemies." Each accusation lands hard. "And then you ran, taking everything that matters to me in one neat little package."
The guilt is crushing, but I force myself to meet his eyes. "I was trying to protect everyone."
"By lying? By running?" He laughs, but there's no humor in it. "By making deals with people who would kill you and our child without hesitation?"
"I never made any deals!" The words burst out before I can stop them. "I never told them anything! The club is clean, you know it's clean. I was just trying to get enough money to leave Chicago, to get Tony somewhere safe?—"
"And how did that work out?"
The question hits like a slap. Because he's right. My brilliant plan has left my brother in the Fioris' hands and me at Stefano's mercy.
My eyes dart to the door, calculating distances, angles, odds. It's stupid. I know it's stupid. But panic makes you do crazy things.
I make it three steps before hands catch me, gentle but implacable. Not Stefano's men. This time, it’s Matteo himself. Like he knew I'd try.
"Don't," he says softly. "You'll only make it worse."
"Worse than a forced marriage?" I struggle anyway, more out of principle than hope. "Worse than being trapped in this life forever?"
"Worse than being dead?" Stefano's voice cuts through my panic. "Because that's the alternative, Ava. The Fioris won't stop. Won't show mercy. Not to you, not to Tony, and certainly not to my child."
The simple truth of it steals my breath. Because he's right again. There is no running from this. No clever con or quick escape that ends with everyone safe.
"I just wanted something different," I whisper, tears finally spilling over. "For Tony. For the baby. A normal life, away from all this darkness."
Stefano's expression softens. He moves closer, reaching up to brush away a tear with his thumb. The gesture is achingly gentle, at odds with the steel in his voice.
"I know," he says quietly. "But this is the life we were born into. The only way to survive it is to face it. Together."