Page 75 of Dark Mafia Heir

Positive.

The office is no less claustrophobic. Shock grips me, and it’s sharp and cold. I guess, I’d known from the moment Varya made the comment about children, but hearing now is . . .surreal.

The shock gives way to something else, and I feel it rise to the brim.

It’s that stubbornness I’d never managed to get rid of. The same one Papa identified one time too many.

Fuck anxiety.

I’m not breaking or running.

I’m pregnant.Pregnant!There is a real seed, a real baby forming inside me, and it doesn’t matter what comes next; I’m going to fight for us if I have to.

Once we leave the doctor’s office and head straight to the car, under the burning rays of sunlight, Luca steps in front of me and blocks my path. His tall shadow looms over me, his dark eyes brimming with more fierceness than when I’d first ambushed and coaxed him to bring me to the hospital.

“Remember the ridge and the rocks? Well, Vivienne, now’s the time to take that step. You’re telling Antonio. End of story.”

26

Antonio

From the moment we stepped through that door, the eyes hadn’t stopped following us. I blame her for looking so fucking tempting tonight. As far as I am concerned, she’s the only jewel in the room.

Her red dress clings to her every curve. It’s silk, or something that looks like silk, ripples with every step she takes. The plunging neckline is just a shy of scandalous, and the slit along her thigh seems designed to test every man’s self-control.

My hand rests possessively on the small of her back as we go to take our seats, but it feels like a futile gesture. I take a chair out for her, watching as she gracefully sits, before I occupy the empty space beside hers.

She’s radiant. Her red hair cascades in loose waves over one shoulder, her lips painted a deep, intoxicating crimson to match her dress. I spot a man, standing not far away in the midst of company. His drink is halfway to his lips as he gawks at her. The fucker doesn’t even bother to hide it as he drags his gaze over her like he’s entitled to it.

My jaw tightens, and I hook my fingers under her chair, pulling her closer.

It’s that she doesn’t notice, or she doesn’t care.

She doesn’t turn towards my direction, which unsettles me, and, when I think about it, I realize she hasn’t looked at me once since tonight; not at home or on our way here.

I slip an arm around her waist, leaning closer to whisper against her neck. The whole room is watching; I can feel it, but I don’t pay them any heed.

“Gattina.” I feel her melt against my arm, but she catches her lower lip between her teeth. “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?”

She shakes her head.

“How about a drink? Thirsty?”

She shakes her head again, and I grow concerned.

A quiet Vivienne is not a good sign, and I’m not sure what to do to handle the situation, but I know there’s something wrong. I feel it in my core.

The music swells around us, and, feeling utterly helpless and annoyed with myself for not being able to do something, I try to focus on the conversation around the table. I have never been a big fan of these types of gatherings. Phony faces with practiced smiles, feigning delight to see you, all the while hiding the secret wish for your downfall. All the same, it is necessary to attend, socialize, and establish potential connections. And maybe uncover those secrets while at it.

I reach for the Kauffman bottle on the table to fill my glass when someone in a night blue suit approaches our table with a line of bodyguards behind him. He fucking occupies the empty seat on the other side of my wife.

The conversations around us minimize to a quiet hush and the side of my face sizzles with an awareness that this unprecedented collision has the center stage in the hall.

Tilting his head to the side, he raises the cigar between his fingers, and the corner of his eyes crinkles when he smiles.

“Antonio Mancini,” he drawls dryly, but the wide smile on his face doesn’t give away anything else. “Pleasure meeting you here.”

I take my glass to my lips, glaring at him over the rim. It had been a while since he made an appearance in this type of public gathering. I don’t trust this man, and having him near me, close to Vivienne sets me on edge and my blood boiling. But the people are watching, waiting to point fingers at the one who makes the first move.

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