Page 12 of Isabella

Our family does extremely well for itself. Even without having port access, we can still make a fucking fantastic living off what we have. The ports make things easier, but it’s not the only way to do it. We just have to get a little more creative with our tactics.

“We’ll figure it out, Dad. We can expand our distribution in other ways, like?—”

“Niccolò,” he snaps, cutting me off like he does anytime I’m about to say something he doesn’t want to hear. “The only solution is the ports. If I wanted to expand our distribution channels, I would’ve asked. Now get your damn head in the game and think of a solution to getting back our port.”

The easy way out. That’s the only mindset my old man has. Never thinking outside the box. It’s why he’ll end up running this family into the ground. The only reason he made it this far is because of Angelo Mancini, and now that he doesn’t have him, he has no idea how to lead the family the way he needs to.

Not wanting to get into an argument with him, I say, “Yes, sir” because while the ports are on my mind, they’re not the only thing.

I have much more important things on the forefront of my brain.

Isabella DiMaggio.

The woman I fell in love with my senior year at CU.

The woman who just a few years ago I would do anything for and could drop me to my knees with a single look.

The woman who barely spared a second to look my way tonight.

And I can’t say I blame her.

11

ISABELLA

The rest of the car ride home was quiet. The threat from Giuseppe Silvestri was clearly on my brothers’ minds while only the reemergence of Niccolò Silvestri was on mine.

I make my way into our family home located on sixteen acres of land outside the city. It’s where my parents raised me, Teo, and Enzo and where we all still reside; me because I haven’t been married off yet, and Enzo… well, Enzo could easily move out, but since he and Teo did everything together before Teo and Lux got married, living here made more sense. Now that Teo’s busy with Lux, Enzo’s been staying at Teo’s penthouse in the city a lot. He’ll stay at the house every so often, but I think it’s because he gets lonely.

As I make my way through the grand foyer, I feel Lux right on my heels, surely wanting to get me alone so she can ask me the prying questions I’m not sure I’m ready to answer.

“You heading off to bed already, Isabella?” Teo’s voice comes from behind me as I walk down the hall into the kitchen, hoping I can continue avoiding the inevitable conversation with Lux.

It’s barely 9:00 p.m., and I’m really not tired, but my happy-birthday mood has been severely diminished.

“Uh, yes!” Lux chirps, which causes me to halt and spin around to come face-to-face with her widened eyes. “We’re both going to bed,” she rushes out before turning around to meet Teo’s questioning gaze. “Well, at least to her room. I’m going with her. We’re having a sleepover. Can’t have Izzy hanging out by herself on her birthday.”

Lux’s sporadic response is unorthodox for her usual calm and collected demeanor. We’ll need to have a little chit chat about her lying skills if she’s going to survive being in a family of human lie detectors.

“I’m sorry, what?” Teo asks, his brows furrowed, clearly confused by his wife’s word vomit.

Lux walks to him and wraps her arms around his neck. “You don’t mind, right?” she asks, her tone changing from one of franticness to one of innocence.

“Fine,” he mutters, and I can tell he’s hypnotized by her from here. His gaze is locked on hers, and a small smile hints at his lips as he wraps his arms around her waist. My brother has never stood a chance when it comes to Lux. She has him wrapped around her little finger.

“But I want you in my bed at some point,” he says. “You and I don’t sleep separately, Little Lux.”

“Gross,” I mumble.

“Aww, c’mon, Teo,” Enzo says as he strolls up from behind him and slaps a hand on his shoulder. “Let the girls have their sleepover. We can stay up all night and braid each other’s hair and shit too,” Enzo says so dryly that if you didn’t know him, you’d think he was being serious.

I chuckle softly. “You’re so ridiculous, Enzo.”

Teo ignores him while Lux nods and gives him a kiss before grabbing my hand and pulling me toward my room in a hurried fashion.

I turn on my lights, then make my way across the master suite over to my walk-in closet to take off my boots. “Mind if I take a shower real quick?” I ask Lux as she kicks off her boots and hops on my bed. She sets her back against the mountain of light-pink, beige, and rose gold throw pillows that sit up against the tufted ivory headboard.

“Oh no, no, no. Not until we have this conversation first. I kept my mouth shut for the rest of dinner and the entire ride home. Now you’re talking, Izzy,” she demands.

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