Chapter 18
“Well, I should get going.” Primo adjusted his suit jacket. “I’ll see you all tonight. I’ll make sure to come prepared for dinner.”
The front door clicked shut behind him, leaving a heavy silence in the kitchen. I stood frozen, my mind racing through the implications of tonight’s dinner. But Adrian… Adrian just walked over to the table and settled into a chair like we were having a normal breakfast.
He reached for the toast rack, spreading butter with precise movements.
“How can you eat right now?” I slid into the
chair beside him.
He glanced at me, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Skipping breakfast won’t change tonight’s plans.”
“This is wonderful.” Dad bustled around the kitchen, practically glowing. “Everything’s falling into place. The Castellanos, the
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Chromos family – these connections will be invaluable.”
Adrian’s phone buzzed. He checked the screen, his expression shifting slightly. “I apologize, but I need to take this.” He stood, touching my shoulder briefly. “Business call – won’t be long.”
The moment Adrian stepped out, Dad’s cheerful demeanor vanished. He leaned across the table, his voice dropping low.
“Asteria.” His eyes bore into mine. “How much does Adrian know about our family’s… true business?”
My coffee cup froze halfway to my lips. The question I’d been dreading since Adrian
started coming around more often.
“What do you mean?” I kept my voice steady.
“Don’t play coy.” Dad’s fingers drummed
against the table. “How much does he know about our connection to the families?
About what we really do?”
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I shifted in my chair, weighing my next words. “He knows about us. Mostly.”
Dad’s eyebrows lifted, but he gave a slow nod. “There might be a reason you felt you needed to tell him.” He paused, studying my face. “Is he part of one of the families?”
“No.” I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup, feeling its warmth. “He’s not.”
Another nod from Dad, this one heavier. His weathered fingers traced the rim of his. own cup. “You’re aware how dangerous this could be? Not just for us, but for Adrian too?”
I met Dad’s gaze straight on.
“Yes, I know the risks. But I had my reasons.” I reached across the table, placing my hand over his. “I need you to trust me on this, Dad.”
He looked down at our hands, then back up at me. The worry lines around his eyes. softened. “I will. You’ve always had good judgment, even when I didn’t understand
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your choices.”
I nodded, squeezing Dad’s hand. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
The words about Primo sat heavy on my tongue. The truth about his real intentions, his obsession, the danger lurking beneath his polite smiles – it all pressed against my teeth, begging to spill out. But I swallowed it back. The timing wasn’t right. Dad had enough on his plate with the dinner tonight, and dropping this bomb would only complicate things further.
Dad patted my hand before pulling away to refill his coffee. “You know you can always come to me, right? No matter what’s going on.”
The guilt twisted deeper in my stomach. If he only knew what was really happening, how Primo’s seemingly innocent dinner invitation was anything but. Yet I forced a smile, keeping my voice steady.
“I know, Dad.”
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your choices.”
nodded, squeezing Dad’s hand. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
The words about Primo sat heavy on my tongue. The truth about his real intentions, his obsession, the danger lurking beneath his polite smiles – it all pressed against my teeth, begging to spill out. But I swallowed it back. The timing wasn’t right. Dad had enough on his plate with the dinner tonight, and dropping this bomb would only complicate things further.
Dad patted my hand before pulling away to refill his coffee. “You know you can always. come to me, right? No matter what’s going
on.”
The guilt twisted deeper in my stomach. If he only knew what was really happening, how Primo’s seemingly innocent dinner invitation was anything but. Yet I forced a smile, keeping my voice steady.
“I know, Dad.”
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The sound of Adrian’s footsteps approaching made me straighten in my chair. Not yet, I thought. The truth would have to wait for another day, when I could explain everything without putting anyone else at risk. For now, keeping quiet was the safest option for everyone involved.
Adrian slipped back into the dining room, tucking his phone into his pocket. The morning light caught his profile as he settled into his chair beside me.
Dad cleared his throat, his expression. shifting to something more serious. “Adrian, I wanted to thank you. What you’re doing with Vincent… helping arrange this meeting. It means a lot to our family.”
“It’s nothing, really.” Adrian’s hand found mine under the table, his thumb tracing small circles against my palm.
“No.” Dad’s voice carried a weight I rarely heard. “It’s not nothing. Especially given that you know who we really are.”
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Adrian’s eyes flicked to mine, then back to Dad. The morning silence stretched between us like a wire. “So she told you.”
Dad nodded, his coffee cup forgotten on the table.
A small smile played at the corner of Adrian’s mouth. “Well then, let me say it’s my pleasure to help such an… established family as yours.” His tone carried a hint of something I couldn’t quite place. “The Mitchell name commands respect in certain circles.”
“Certain circles?” Dad’s eyebrows lifted.
Adrian gave a measured nod, “From what Asteria has shared, that’s what I understand of your family’s… position.”
“And that knowledge doesn’t frighten you?” Dad leaned forward. “Getting involved with families like ours – one wrong move could cost you your life.”
A low chuckle escaped Adrian’s throat, the sound sending an unexpected shiver down
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my spine. “I’m an art dealer, Mr. Mitchell. My entire career is built on calculating losses and gains.” His grip tightened slightly on my hand. “And in this case, I have nothing to lose.”
The certainty in his voice made my chest tighten. I studied his profile, the sharp line of his jaw, the quiet confidence in his
posture. My mind wandered to what could
have been if I’d met Adrian first, if he’d
–
been the one I’d fallen for instead of Primo. The thought of walking down the aisle. toward him, of building a life together…
His words from yesterday echoed in my head: “I’ve taken quite a liking to you.” The memory of his voice, soft and sincere in his room, made my heart skip. I’d felt something then, something real and unexpected.
Now, watching him face down my father’s questions without flinching, that feeling only grew stronger.
For a moment, I let myself imagine a
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different path, one where Adrian and I had found each other before Primo cast his shadow over my life.
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