Page 153 of Bene

Vanna almost laughed.

“That was not intentional,” he started to say.

“And yet, here we are.”

“Well—”

“We already know,” Cara said behind Gian, her attention drifting to Vanna, and then down to her stomach where one of her hands stayed flat against her body, “because Christopher told us.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t keep secrets,” Christopher said from the back of the room.

“Yes, we know.” Corrado’s reply came out dry, and tired. “Which is why no one tells you anything, man.”

No one turned to look at the two.

“Could have kept that secret for a bit,” Bene returned.

“No, probably not.”

“Bene,” Gian urged, “less them, more me, please.”

“I’m not a child.”

“No, apparently, you’re going to have one.”

Yep.

There it was.

Bene laughed under his breath. “Yeah, so there’s also that. And I know that probably pisses you off the most, but—”

“You’ll be married before the child is born.”

Vanna’s head snapped up.

So did Bene’s.

Gian raised his brow at the two of them. “It’s non-negotiable. It’s our way, and I won’t have more reasons for the made men in this family to instigate issues with my sons, either, and this would absolutely do that being who she is.”

The man shrugged, adding, “And I think it should be made clear that the child is the only reason why we’re sitting here right now doing this instead of something else that would be a far more appropriate answer to your actions against me and mine, young woman. It was my wife … and her reminder to me that we have all made choices in our life that hurt those we try to protect the most, who made me willing to sit down with you. In any other situation, I would not offer my forgiveness or a second chance. And you can absolutely expect that no one else in our family will want to do the same. You don’t have our trust, Vanna, and neither do you, son, because of who stands beside you. Those are things you have to earn back now. I can’t give it to you, Bene.”

“I know, Papa.”

“Good, and as for the rest …”

Her lungs ached with every breath.

Gian was owed his moment, though.

“A marriage settles it,” he continued, “and the child cements it. It’s a Guzzi child regardless, and when you give the mother the last name, too, our line becomes clear. And unless there’s a reason why the two of you would rather not be married, then—”

“No, yes,” Bene said, stumbling over his words as Vanna still tried to find hers, “yes, I want to marry her, of course, I do.”

“Good,” Gian replied.

“Vanna?” Cara spoke up, then. “Because no one thought to ask you, I guess.”