Chapter 88

Stella

Dominic’s eyes latch onto time as soon as I round the corner. My eyes well with salty tears, ready to fall at any given moment. His face flashes with concern before it melts into something warm and comforting.

“Come here,” he says, holding one arm open.

A small smile flashes across my face, accompanied with a breathy chuckle, before it disappears, the tears now beginning to fall. I slip into his arm and the two of us hold onto each other as we exit the courthouse where Silas sits in the blacked out car, ready to go.

“I am so proud of you, Stella,” Dominic says. He helps me into the backseat of the car before getting in himself. “You did very well today.”

“Thank you,” I sigh and buckle myself into the seat.

I turn to him and smile, the tears continuing to fall. He reaches over and wipes a few of them away before he reaches into his jacket pocket, pulling out a light blue handkerchief and passing it to be.

“It’s okay, Stella, let it all out,” he places his hand on my back and rubs it around in soothing circles.

And I do. I let out all of the tears that I have been holding in but there is a smile on my face now that the weight of Adrian and I’s contracted marriage is off of my shoulders.

I am no longer a lab rat for him to use, a bag of spare parts for him to pick and choose from. He no longer has access to my heart — both literally and symbolically — and I can finally move on from that part of my life.

It feels like I can finally breathe properly again. I feel a lightness in my body and am no longer being weighted down by Adrian or Clara or her parents and their expectations of me being someone they can use instead of someone they can respect and love.

The drive back to my family’s home is not one filled with tension but of a newfound sense of freedom. With them, I am allowed to be whoever I wish to be. I do not have to live up to any expectations or be someone that they want me to be.

The car comes to a slow halt and my tears have finally dried up. My cheeks are puffy and my eyes are red, but there is a big and wide smile on my face that I am unable to wipe off of my face.

There is a piece of my heart, though, that still cares for Adrian. That small sliver of my soul will forever be attached to him and the love that I once held…but now it is outweighed by more important things in my life such as my freedom and my real family who actually wishes for nothing but the best for me.

Dominic helps me out of the car, gathering our belongings into his hands. Silas walks around the car, his hands shoved into his pockets. Our eyes meet and there is a glint of pride in his gaze, a silence hymn of him bring proud of me and the steps that I am taking in my life.

We head towards the doors of the house, the three of us sharing a small conversation about what the other brothers have cooked up for dinner. As soon as the wooden doors are pushed open, a booming sound of voices attacks my ears.

“Stella!” Sebastian calls out.

“We are so proud of you!” my mother is the next to speak.

“Come here, darling,” my father opens up his arms.

I gasp at the sight, hands clothed over my chest. There is a sign hanging in the distance of the shared living area.

We Love You, Stella!

My eyes fill up with tears all over again and I walk into the home, a big smile on my face, and into step into my father’s arms, feeling them wrap around me. Everyone piles onto the hug, forming one big mass in the middle of the living room.

They all share their love and support and my heart has never felt so full in my life.

Is this what true support feels like? Is this what a loving family is supposed to act and treat me? If so, I have been deprived of these virtues and kindness for so long and I am so happy to be able to get the chance to live a normal life.

Well…as normal as it can be.

We sit around the dining room table, which is filled with a variety of foods and appetizers, our glasses filled with our drinks of choice. The conversation is lively and they begin to share stories back and forth.

I sit next to my father who is at the head of the table. He is on the quieter side today, simply sipping the brown whiskey that sits inside the heavy glass in his hands. Our eyes meet every now and then before he turns away, clearing his throat, looking like he is mulling over something in his mind.

I lean over as the table erupts into laughter and place my hand on top of his. He looks at me and sets his glass down, leaning in.

“Is there something on your mind?” I whisper the question.

“Yes,” he sighs, placing his hand on top of mine, “I need to speak with you.”

I pull away and nod, standing just as he does and follow him down the hall and into his office. I close the doors behind me and sit down on the couch beside him, my hands nervously attacking the hem of my dress skirt once again.

“I know we spoke about this before, but it is essential that I tell you that in the mafia, being married to someone inside our world is an ideal that we hold. It is not just for love and companionship but also to protect you,” my father begins.

I suck in a breath. The conversation that I so desperately wanted to avoid is now here. It is better that I face it now rather than pushing it off.

“I understand…” I slowly nod, “is it okay, though, if I ask until the end of the month instead of immediately jumping into something new?”

My father leans back into the couch. He pushes his lips to the side, the disapproving look I was hoping to avoid finally showing on his face. I bite the inside of my cheek and reach out, taking his hands in my own.

“I want to make you happy and to make myself at home in your world after being away for so long but…I just got my freedom back. I want to live my life as much as I can without being immediately tied down to someone else.”

I look at him and hope that he understands my words come from a place of genuine connection and hope, that I am not purposefully avoiding this aspect of his life as a high ranking mafia official.

We sit in silence for a few moments. He squeezes my hands and looks down at me. He nods and my heart swells at the sight.

“I will give you until the end of the month,” he begins, “but after that, we will find you a mafia husband.”