Page 249 of The One
She blinks and pushes up onto her elbows. “Out?”
“Out ofla famiglia.Out of this life we’ve been expected to uphold. I want a future with you, Mari. A real one.”
For a second, she stares at me. Then something sparks in her eyes. A glimmer of something I haven’t seen in so long. Hope.
“You mean it?” she whispers.
I nod. “I do.”
She exhales, like she’s been holding her breath for years. Then, without hesitation, she throws her arms around my neck, pulling me down into her warmth.
“Yes. Yes, please. Anything has to be better than this. I’m so worried about you. Being Don… this isn’t who you are,” she murmurs against my skin.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to see it,” I admit, pressing my forehead to hers. “I felt obligated to my father, to the De Marco legacy. But it’s not worth it. Not if it means losingus.And the truth is, I don’t see it ever getting better.”
She leans back enough to meet my gaze, her hands sliding to cup my face. Her eyes, warm and steady, hold no doubt.
“Let’s do it, Mateo.”
No fear. No hesitation. Just trust.
That’s all I need.
Chapter Ninety-Four
Mariella
Isa is practically glowing as she flops onto the couch beside me, a dreamy sigh escaping her lips.
“Oh my God, Mari,” she gushes, her eyes shining. “He’sperfect.We talked for hours.Hours!I swear, I haven’t laughed that much in forever.”
I smile, genuinely happy for her, even though my own heart is racing for an entirely different reason. She’s completely caught up in the magic of her first date with Andrea, and I don’t want to steal her moment.
So I listen, nodding along as she describes his smile, his charm, the way he reached for her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
But the whole time, I’m barely holding back the words pressing against my lips.
When she finally pauses to take a breath, I seize the moment.
“Isa,” I say, shifting closer, lowering my voice. “I need to tell you something.”
Sensing my unease, her smile falters. “What is it?”
I hesitate, because even now, I can hardly believe it myself. I glance around the room, checking that we’re alone, and reach for her hands, gripping them tightly.
“Teo and I are leaving.”
Confusion flickers across her face. “Leaving? What do you mean?”
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Leavingla famiglia. The mafia life. All of it. You understand because you’re attempting the same thing.”
For a moment, she just stares at me, as if waiting for the punchline to some twisted joke. But when it doesn’t come, her eyes widen in shock.
“You’re serious.” She shakes her head, her grip on my hands tightening. “But that’s impossible. You’re… he’s—”
“I begged him to let me tell you,” I blurt out, needing her to understand. “No one else can know, Isa. Notmamma, not our sisters. To the world, we’ll bedead.”
She jerks back like I slapped her. “Dead?!”
