Page 34 of Of Oaths and Secrets

My father’s lips press into a thin line, and I can see the annoyance in his eyes. He’s spent his life commanding respect, and now the power dynamics are shifting in a way he isn’t comfortable with. I’m the heir, but he’s not ready to hand over the reins, not even to his own son.

“He doesn’t like me much, and it seems you weren’t answering his calls.”

I nod. “Fine. I’ll call him—we could benefit from a stronger alliance with the bratva.” I set my glass down on his desk, already thinking about getting back to Nora and staying by her side for the rest of the night.

“One more thing.”

Here we go…

I sit back down. “Yes?”

“What do you want?”

“With?”

“A wedding present. It’s tradition. Do you want the villa in Tuscany?”

I want to stop feeling whatever it is that Nora stirs in me, but I can’t ask for that. I sigh, shaking my head. “Do you really want to know what I want?”

“What?”

“Give the club to Leo.”

My father recoils, his expression hardening. “What?”

“You said it yourself—it's not that important to our portfolio, and you’ll still have your men there. Give him something he wants for once, and get him off my back.”

“He’s not my son,” my father snaps, his voice dripping with contempt.

I don’t know if it’s the sentimentality of the day or if I’m just tired of Leo’s antics, but I decide to push back. “But he is. Maybe not biologically, but that’s not his fault, is it? It’s our mother’s mistake and whoever the other guy was. You decided to claim him.”

“To avoid the shame,” my father replies through gritted teeth.

“Maybe so, but that’s still not Leo’s choice. Give him the club and be done with it.”

My father’s eyes bore into mine with anger and reluctant consideration. For a moment, I think he’ll refuse just to assert control, but then he leans back, taking a long, thoughtful sip of his drink.

“Fine,” he says, his voice low. “But don’t think this is about charity, Rafaele. I’m only doing this on a trial basis. If it becomes a liability, your brother is done.”

I nod, standing up. “That’s fair.”

Without waiting for his response, I leave his office, ready to find Nora and rejoin the reception. I don’t know what the futureholds for us, but for tonight, I’m determined to be by her side—and maybe, just maybe, figure out this strange pull she has over me.

As I walk back into the room, I scan the crowd until my eyes land on Nora, who’s deep in conversation with someone I’d rather avoid: Sofia.

I approach with a glare at Lucia, who merely shrugs. I can’t fault her; Sofia is nothing if not persistent and managed to worm her way into the event despite everything.

I stop beside Nora, and she startles slightly as I rest my hand on the small of her back.

“Sofia,” I say, my attempt at civility faltering. “Always a pleasure.”

Sofia’s glare meets mine with equal intensity. “I wish I could say the same. I was just apologizing to your poor wife about my dark outfit. I was explaining that I'm in mourning because you killed my husband and forced me to watch by taping my eyes open.”

Nora stiffens under my touch, and a surge of anger rises in me. I should have dealt with Sofia in the warehouse. I spared her because of her blood ties, but blood can be just as poisonous as any enemy.

Sofia’s eyes dart between us, her smirk widening as if she’s just won some small victory. I want to lash out, to rid myself of this thorn in my side, but I force myself to remain calm. Nora deserves at least that much from me.

“Your presence here is a reminder of why we had to take the actions we did,” I say coldly. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, my wife and I have other matters to attend to.”

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