Page 363 of Niccolo

“Then we’ll be ready to go in the morning.”

Fausto grinned. “And this will all be over.”

“And I’ll get my money,” I said emphatically.

“Of course,” he reassured me. There was a fleeting look of unease on his face as he asked, “Niccolo really bought it?”

“I mean – heproposed,didn’t he?”

Fausto chuckled. “He should’ve made you swear on the 20 million euros instead.”

I smiled again. “I’m a lot more attached tothatthan a wedding ring.”

149

Niccolo

Dario and I returned to the residence and called an emergency meeting in the parlor – again, just my brothers and Lars.

If they hadn’t been happy with me before, they were outraged once they heard the plan.

Adriano roared, “You want us to put our livesin the hands of this chick just because you fuckedher a couple of times?!”

“No, not because Ifuckedher a couple of times,” I said coldly.

“Then tell mewhywe should trust her – because I really don’t fucking get it.”

I sighed inwardly.

This was the moment I’d been dreading.

I couldn’t just say,Trust me.They would never buy that.

And I couldn’t say,Because our interests line up– because ifthatwere the truth, Sofia would have already jumped ship and come over to our side.

So I just said it – damn the consequences.

“Because I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.”

If the situation weren’t so dire, the shock on their faces would have been hilarious.

Half of my brothers’ jaws were nearly on the floor.

Dario was the only one who didn’t react –

But that was because I’d already told him during the limo ride back.

Everyone else but Dario spoke all at once, but Adriano’s voice was the loudest. “THAT’S the reason we’re supposed to trust her?!”

“She swore an oath on her love for me.”

“You DO realize she works for the guy who swore up and down to the Council that he had nothing to do with Papa’s death,right?”

“I was there,” I said drily. “I heard.”

“You’re pretty quiet about this,” Roberto said to Dario. “I’m assuming that means he already told you.”

Dario nodded. “He told me his intentions on the way to the Vatican and informed me how it went on the trip back.”

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