Page 17 of The Hidden Heir

She frowns. "Valentina's mother was also my stepmother for a long time. You seem to forget. I cared about her very much. Anna died in a tragic, unforeseen accident. I had to bury another mother, mind you. It almost tore our family apart."

"Anna didn't want to have any more children. You're telling me that a man as obsessed as Mauro to continue his lineage wasn't pissed off about that? And let's not forget about his third wife, Cindy, who vanished. My guess it was because she didn't want to be a part of this life. Your father isn't making it any easier for any of the women in his family. Not even for you."

"I'm still a Mancuso, whether the line ends with me or not."

"Which brings us to Michael," I say.

Caroline scoffs and shakes the notion away with a flick of her slim wrist. The bangles dance and capture beams of sunlight before they settle again.

"Legally speaking, he does have a pretty good chance of succeeding. Of course, my father wants nothing to do with the Petruccis, so I'm afraid we're dealing with a battle of wills here. Which is why our wedding is pretty much the only solution left to keep this battle from turning into an even bloodier war."

"I agree. We've lost too many foot soldiers already," I reply. "But our marriage is no longer the optimal solution."

And there it is, the shadow stretching across her pretty face. The realization that everything she had planned up to this point is about to fall apart.

"Wait, Luca. What are you talking about? We have the event scheduled. We planned a massive wedding party for the entire Camorra to attend. A peace treaty between our families for us to sign along with that marriage certificate."

"It's not going to happen. And frankly, I think it's for the better. You deserve someone who truly adores you and wants to spend the rest of his life with you." I lean forward to press home my point. "Caroline, you deserve a good man."

She takes a deep, shuddering breath, carefully choosing her words. "What changed then? Is this about Valentina?"

"She gave birth to my brother's son, a Petrucci. He belongs to my family, not yours, regardless of what Mauro might think or wish."

"Luca, what are you saying?"

"I'm marrying Valentina this Sunday." I rip the Band-Aid off.

Caroline gasps. Her shoulders drop, and I genuinely feel sorry for her. However, I don't regret the decision. Valentina is safer with me. The fact that I can't get her out of my head is an issue I'll have to deal with eventually, but the conclusion is simple. She's safer with me, and so is her son.

"Are you sure about this?"

I offer a slight shrug. "I understand you're in a delicate position, trying to bridge our two families somehow. But the truth is, Valentina was never really a Mancuso."

"She's my sister! We practically grew up together! Our father loved us both equally, there's no doubt about it."

"You and I know that's not entirely true," I reply with a cool grin. "And the mere fact that Valentina chose to disappear after what happened with my brother speaks volumes in and of itself."

"She was scared and confused," Caroline explains. "I can't blame her. Our father's temper tends to get the better of him, especially where the Petruccis are concerned. He took what Stefano did quite personally."

"He had every reason to. My brother started this shit show, but I'm ending it. Valentina and Michael will be taken care of. They're safe in the Petrucci family. I'm sure, after some time has passed and the wounds have healed, Mauro and I can sit down and revisit the issue of Michael's heritage. I mean, if he still wants to name Michael as his heir, it would be optimal for both families."

Caroline narrows her eyes at me, a smile testing the corners of her mouth. "You're playing a dangerous game here, Luca."

"With you?"

"No, it would be a better way to end the feud between the Petruccis and the Mancusos," she says. "But my father won't see it that way. He'll see it as an insult of the highest order."

"Once Valentina and I are married this Sunday, it will be done," I say.

"Maybe. I'll do my best to talk him into a peaceful approach."

I gaze at Caroline, curious. "Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you helping? I just called off our wedding. As a Mancuso, as a woman, you should feel insulted. Furious, even. I'm reneging on a perfectly viable deal. And I know it wasn't easy for you to convince Mauro to give his blessing for it either. The old man must've been gnashing his teeth the whole time."

I certainly don't mind pissing him off. Someday, he will pay for what he did to my brother. Stefano may not have been a pillar of righteousness and decency, but he was my blood, my family. Nobody cuts into my family and gets away with it. Not even a fearsome dinosaur like Mauro Mancuso.