CHAPTER TEN
Serafina
A sudden knock on the bedroom door reminded me that I wasn’t alone and that… I was in uncharted territory. Since I arrived at the Salvatore’s residence this morning, I had found myself constantly being surrounded by people.
From the moment I set foot inside this mansion, I’ve felt eyes watching, ears listening, and voices whispering. Their curiosity followed me like a constant shadow.
Another knock startled me out of my thoughts. I crossed the room, my bare feet silent on the plush carpet, and opened it to find Giulia standing there with a plate of beautifully decorated cupcakes.
Her dark eyes gleamed with childish excitement. “I noticed you skipped dessert,” she said, holding the plate out to me. “So I thought you’d maybe want something sweet, away from everyone’s watchful eyes.”
Dinner had gone surprisingly well, all things considered. Damon was silent the whole time, his face grumpy. I knew he hated the idea of being here, playing babysitter.
Well, I needed a chaperone while I got familiar with my new family.
While Matteo had been attentive, Enzo Salvatore was cordial if not distant. Giulia was her talkative self, and Gabriel never made an appearance again after our accidental encounter this morning, in the kitchen.
But most importantly, Adrian wasn’t there.
I didn’t see him again after we parted ways at the stable. Thank God for that.
Giulia pushed past me, entering the guest bedroom without an invitation. “I know sometimes we’re expected to eat a certain way, to look a certain way, but we can indulge secretly, right?”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said, and probably the most truthful words I had spoken all day today. There was something about Giulia, a warmth I haven’t been used to, but it was genuine. “But I probably shouldn’t. I have to make sure I fit in my wedding dress in three weeks.”
She set the plate down on the coffee table. “One cupcake won’t hurt. And these are my best batch yet. Vanilla with raspberry filling.”
Giulia’s words were like the little devil on my shoulder. I eyed the treats, temptation winning over restraint. “Well...” I selected one with pale pink frosting, similar to the one I’d tried earlier. One definitely wouldn’t hurt, right?
I took a bite, savoring the burst of sweet vanilla and tart raspberry. “Wow,” I mumbled around the mouthful, propriety momentarily forgotten. “Your baking really is amazing. Have you always loved to do it?”
“Since I was little,” she said. “My mother wasn’t very fond of the idea but Father allowed me. I think because it reminds him of Sofia.”
“Sofia?”
Giulia plopped down in one of the armchairs, making herself comfortable. I liked that about her, how she didn’t stand on ceremony or pretense when we were alone.
“Adrian’s mother.” She selected a cupcake with pale blue frosting. “She passed away a little over two decades ago. Adrian was only eight.”
Oh…
I knew that they were all half-siblings, but I didn’t know how young Adrian was when his mother died.
Matteo was the oldest, and his mother, Anya, was Enzo’s first wife.
They were married young. Anya was eighteen and Enzo was twenty-five.
I knew Anya died when Matteo was just a toddler, around three years old so he barely knew his mother.
I was given all the details I needed to know about my fiancé.
But I didn’t know much about the rest of the Salvatore family. Especially Adrian.
He was a shadow and private.
But our few encounters told me everything I needed to know about him.
He was corrupted, reckless and cruel.
“How did she die?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop myself. I didn’t understand why I cared, why anything about Adrian or his life pulled at my curiosity when I wanted nothing to do with him.
Giulia sighed, looking sorrowful even though I knew she didn’t know or had never met Sofia.
“She was sick. Cancer. She was withering away for months and months… and then one morning, she was just gone. Adrian was found sleeping next to her cold body. Father had to pry him away because he wouldn’t let go.
I was told he didn’t cry or scream though. Just quietly clinging to his mother.”
My heart sank at her words as I imagined a young Adrian silently clinging to the cold body of his mother, not wanting to let go, scared of letting go, knowing that he would never feel her warmth again.
“Anyway, everyone knows Father was completely enamored by Sofia. I guess that’s why he lets me bake. I was told she used to love baking and spent all her time in the kitchen, making little treats and then giving it to everyone. Maybe that’s why Adrian doesn’t eat my cupcakes.”
“He doesn’t?” I asked, shocked that he didn’t.
She shook her head, smiling ruefully. “No, he never ever tried them. Not even a single bite.”
“Maybe he doesn’t like sweets.”
“Maybe.”
We both knew that was a lie.
Young Adrian endured a trauma that I couldn’t begin to fathom. Sleeping beside his deceased mother, clinging to her cold body, it was the kind of horror that left a permanent, unbearable scar.
No wonder he never ate Giulia’s cupcakes.
A part of me, somewhere deep inside my naive soul, felt pain for Adrian.
But another part, the more cynical one, reminded me that I couldn’t… shouldn’t sympathize with a man like Adrian Salvatore.
Scarred past or not…
He tried to ruin my life. Knowingly. Deliberately.
He was a vindictive, calculative man.
“So,” Giulia said, changing the topic while she selected a cupcake with pale blue frosting. “You finished your tour today. How are you liking the Salvatore Estate? And don’t give me the polite answer you gave at dinner.”
I hesitated, then sat across from her on the other chair, drawing my legs up beneath me. “It’s... different than I expected.” I chose my words carefully, unsure how much I could trust her, despite her friendly demeanor. “The house is beautiful, of course.”
“But it doesn’t feel like home,” she finished for me, her expression knowing. “It never does at first. Especially when you’re being watched like a rare specimen in a museum.”
I felt my shoulders relax slightly. “Exactly. It feels like I’m constantly… performing.”
“You are.” She took a bite of her cupcake, then pointed it at me.
“We all are. It’s the world we’re a part of.
Appearances, power plays, alliances. We have an image to uphold.
To the rest of the normal world, we’re just wealthy elites.
Entrepreneurs. Businessmen. Privileged. They don’t know what’s happening behind the closed doors. ”
Ah yes, all the illegal, dirty, corrupted things we were a part of.
“I’m not sure your father would appreciate us talking so candidly about this,” I commented, raising an eyebrow.
“Probably not,” Giulia agreed cheerfully. “But he’s not here, and these divine cupcakes are.” She took another bite. “You know, I kinda always wanted another woman around here. There’s just too many men in this house. Too much testosterone.”
The simple statement caught me off guard and I wasn’t sure how to respond. In this world of calculated moves and strategic alliances, her candor felt refreshing. Dangerous, perhaps, but refreshing.
“Plus, it’s not like I’m allowed to go out and make friends.”
“Neither am I,” I murmured.
“Exactly.” She nodded, twisting her lips in a small pout. “So you get it. Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to be my sister. But I hope we get along since we’ll be living in the same house and will be seeing each other every day.”
“I think I’d like that,” I replied, surprising myself. I was warming up to Giulia. It was exhausting being so diplomatic the last couple of days and it felt good to finally have a genuine conversation with another woman who understood the life I have lived.
We were different, but also the same.
“It would be nice to have someone to talk to who isn’t constantly weighing every word for political implications,” I admitted quietly, allowing myself to let my guard down. Just for a moment.
Giulia laughed, the sound light and soft. “Oh, I still choose my words carefully. I just hide it better.” She winked, licking frosting from her thumb. “Though I should warn you, this place has eyes and ears everywhere. The staff report to Father, the security reports to Matteo, and—"
“And Adrian?” I asked before I could stop myself.
Her expression shifted subtly. “Adrian has his own network. He’s... unpredictable that way.”
Of course he was. And he seemed to materialize from the shadows at the most inconvenient moments. And I loathed him for it. I truly did.
Before I could formulate a proper response, a sharp knock interrupted us.
Giulia rolled her eyes. “Who could that possibly be at this hour?”
She rose elegantly from the chair and crossed the bedroom like a graceful breeze to the door.
When she opened the door, the first thing I saw was Matteo’s tall frame filling the doorway.
He was wearing the same tailored black suit from dinner, though the tie was now missing and he had unbuttoned his collar, giving him a more casual appearance.
I stood up as his gaze flickered between Guilia and me. There was momentary surprise on his face before his expression shuttered with neutral politeness. “Giulia,” he said, his voice betraying mild confusion. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“Just having some girl talk,” she replied, raising an eyebrow, almost questioningly. “What are you doing here, at this hour?”
His eyes moved past her to me, and I felt myself instinctively running my hands over my dress, trying to smooth out any creases.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything important,” Matteo said, stepping into the room as Giulia moved aside. He stood in the middle of the room, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black pants. “But I’ve come with an invitation.”
“An invitation?” I immediately found my guard rising, my muscles clenching with tension.
Matteo’s lips curved into a rare, cunning smile. “My brother is fighting tonight.”
“Fighting?” I echoed, confused.
Giulia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Adrian fighting at The Pit? He hasn’t fought in over a year!”
“I thought you might want to see it, Serafina,” Matteo continued, his eyes never leaving mine. “Get a taste of... another side of our world.”
“But why would he fight now? Why would he go back?” Giulia pressed, her voice lowering despite us three being alone in the room, as if she was whispering a secret. “I thought he quit, after everything that… no, never mind.”
“I don’t pretend to understand Adrian’s motivations.
Perhaps he’s in one of his… moods,” Matteo cut her off smoothly.
He turned his attention back to me. “It’s rare for a Salvatore to participate.
We usually choose spectating over actual fighting.
I thought it might be... insightful for you to witness this side of our world. ”
My pulse quickened. The Pit I realized was an underground fighting ring.
I’d heard whispers of such things. Brutal, bloody, unregulated matches where men fought for sports and spectators bet obscene amounts of money on the outcomes.
The idea of watching Adrian or anyone participate in such violence made my stomach churn.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate for me,” I said carefully, trying to keep my voice steady. “Besides, I’m quite tired from today’s tour.”
Matteo’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. “It would be beneficial for you to understand all aspects of our family’s... enterprises. Even the less refined ones.”
Blood roared between my ears when I realized this wasn’t merely an invitation but an expectation. A test, perhaps.
“My brother wouldn’t find this acceptable.”
“Oh, your brother will actually be attending this fight. It’s convenient. You’ll have your chaperone with you so technically, you’re not breaking any rules.”
“I’ll come too,” Giulia said, biting on her lip. The confident, sassy woman from earlier? She was gone. Giulia looked a little pale… nervous and almost… scared. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to The Pit.”
The Pit.
The mere name of that place conjured bloody images of ruthless brutality. It was utterly barbaric and I wanted nothing to do with it.
But did I really have a choice?
I almost laughed at that silly thought. I never had a choice.
My stomach knotted as I gave Matteo a small nod, smiling tightly. “What should I wear?”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Whatever you’re wearing right now is fine.”
I looked down at the black midi dress I had worn to dinner, with a structured sweetheart bodice, wide straps and a full elegant flared skirt. How was this fine to wear to an underground fighting ring?
“We actually don’t have time for you to change,” Matteo finally said when he noticed me being a little apprehensive about my appearance. “The Pit is about an hour drive from here. So, we should get going if we want to make it on time for Adrian’s fight.”
“Uh… okay.” God, I sounded dumb.
My fiancé nodded, seemingly satisfied with my obedient answer. “I’ll see you two downstairs in five minutes. We have a car waiting for us, so don’t be late.”
“We’ll be there,” Giulia responded for the both of us.
And then he was gone. As quickly as he had come to ruin what I thought would have been a peaceful night.
Giulia touched my elbow, startling me out of my thoughts with her touch. “Don’t worry, it’ll be a little uncomfortable at first but I’ll be there with you. If you find it too much, we can excuse ourselves to the bathroom.”
I nodded because I couldn’t speak. The lump in my throat grew bigger, almost suffocating. Anxiety filled my chest and I had to remind myself to breathe.
Inhale. Exhale.
I got this. I could do this.
Inhale. Exhale.