Chapter 10 - Athena
The whole situation had me on the verge of a panic attack. It doesn’t help that Adrian and I were in the middle of a very heated discussion when his sister walked in.
But then they all walk in.
When they all arrived, I wanted to bolt upstairs and hide away. Not only is his family massive, but knowing they are all mafia just had me on edge. There were so many questions in my mind. Are they dangerous? Should I be associating with them? What will they think of me?
It only got worse when everyone realized he’d married me without any of them knowing.
Then I thought they would be furious and assume I was some kind of gold digger who had tricked their brother. It was all a mess, and I wanted to be anywhere but there.
Thank goodness I made a literal ton of spaghetti!
The process of setting the table and eating was the exact icebreaker or distraction that I needed. And by the end of it, the panic had at least faded a little, and I was more in control of myself.
It turns out they really aren’t that scary.
Sure, I’m still wary. Even now, standing in the kitchen helping his sisters clean up a bit, I’m nervous and not quite letting my walls down.
But the girls are sweet, funny, and very welcoming.
Nothing that any of them have said or done has actually been aimed at me in a bad way.
No one has been meaning or made any accusations.
Sofie hands me a plate after drying it so that I can pack it away. We have a production line going with Raya scraping off leftovers and stacking the dishes, Anka washing them, Sofie drying, and me packing away.
“I think we should make hot chocolate bombs!” Sofie says excitedly.
“What’s that?” I ask, curious.
“Oh, you’ll love them. Think of it like a Warm Chocolate martini but with a twist. Hot chocolate, Frangelico, ice cream…oh, and whipped cream. It’s delicious.”
“Won’t you go and ask the guys if they want?” Anka says her brows raised at me, seeing as I am currently the only one without anything in my hands.
“Oh, yes, sure,” I stammer, my cheeks already flushing with anxiety at the idea of walking into the room full of his brothers.
“They won’t bite,” Sofie giggles.
“Not unless maybe you like that sort of thing?” Raya calls after me, laughing.
I’m grinning as I walk away from them. They are full of jokes. They’re all so confident, too.
Rounding the corner to the living room, I hear someone ask, “Did you do a history check on her father?”
My heart stalls, and my breath catches in my throat. I stop walking, my feet glued to the ground.
Adrian is talking now as I press myself closer to the wall so I can listen, but still keep myself hidden.
I shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but I can’t stop myself. They are talking about my father after all. It’s my family, which means it’s about me too. And for all I know, they have me stacked on the same shelf as my dad, viewing me as someone who stole from the warehouse, too.
“We ran a facial recognition scan over our internal security footage, and every video with his face in it was reviewed. The guy has been stealing for a while. He’s been messing with the warehouse, taking things, not only products… equipment, machine parts, anything he could sell for a buck.”
Adrian speaks again. “The guy’s a fucking idiot.
He takes without consideration for anyone else.
He even stole from some of the other workers.
What kind of an asshole steals from people who work at his side?
Not rich people. Hard-working people earn the same as him.
He’s scum.” Adrian’s voice is angry, and I can’t blame him.
I had no idea my father was also stealing from the other workers.
People with families, kids, wives, homes to pay for, and food to buy. That isn’t fair at all.
My heart sinks.
I already had enough evidence to confirm that Adrian’s account of my father was true. But when he spoke to me about what he’d done, he was gentler than this. He told me in ways that helped me process things a little easier. He didn’t go into this much detail.
But now this is him talking to his brothers, and he isn’t holding back, telling them exactly what type of man my father is. No filters. No gentle delivery. Just the raw truth.
I can’t believe he stole from other workers, too. And he stole from Adrian more than once.
My heart breaks deeper for the things he’s done. I had no idea. It makes me feel blinded and naive.
It’s so weird to think back and try to work out what was really going on when he was raising me.
I lost my mother when I was too young to remember her.
She died and left us alone together. I remember mussing the idea of her, but I had no reference for understanding what it might have been like to have a mom.
He was the only family I ever knew or had.
He wasn’t a bad father. He wasn’t abusive or mean.
I guess I can tell now all the times he manipulated me because he was out of money.
Not because work hadn’t paid him or because he had some unforeseen medical bills or because he helped a friend in need, but all because he was gambling.
He always had an excuse or reason. I never questioned him.
I thought he was doing his best. And I tried hard to keep us both afloat.
And then there were times when he suddenly had enough money to buy me these random gifts.
Expensive things I really didn’t need would actually frustrate me.
But I never had the heart to tell him that because I thought he was just being nice.
But it was reckless and irresponsible. I wanted him to save the money.
I guess that was when he hit a good return on investment from whatever he stole.
Those gifts were bought with stolen money or money from gambling.
And either way…it’s unpleasant to think about.
He couldn’t save it. He would have just gambled it away.
I am so lost in thought about what I’ve heard Adrian and his brothers saying that I lose track of the conversation in the living room for a bit.
Sighing, I lick my lips and lift my chin, ready to go in there as though I haven’t heard anything.
Behind me, laughter spills from the kitchen.
“What are they up to in there?” one of the guys asks.
“I hope they’re making those hot chocolate bombs they usually make after dinners,” another says.
I take my cue and walk in with a smile.
“Athena,” Adrian grins as soon as he sees me.
“Hi,” I grin back, feeling under the spotlight with so many eyes on me. “The girls wanted to know who wants chocolate…um…” I forgot the name already!
“Chocolate bombs! Speak of the devil!” Trifon laughs.
Every single one of them answers with a yes, me, definitely. Even Adrian, who nods, his eyes piercing into me across the room, and his lips curve into that gorgeous smile.
My cheeks flush red again. This time, it has nothing to do with being shy and everything to do with the way he’s looking at me.
“Ok, I’ll go and let them know,” I mutter.
“Tell them to make it nice and strong. Double chocolate. Double Frangelico!” Matvei says.
Leaving the living room, I wait until I’m out of sight before touching my cheeks. Jeepers, they are burning red. How does Adrian manage to have me heating up so much with just one glance?
In the kitchen, Anka speaks without looking up from the blender, spooning ice cream into it. “Let me guess, double chocolate, double shots?” she muses.
“Exactly that,” I confirm.
“Men are so predictable,” Sofie says.
“I find them incredibly hard to read, actually,” I argue.
“Oh, honey, we grew up with six brothers. They are very basic creatures when it comes down to it,” Anka laughs loudly.
The fire is blazing, spreading warmth and a welcoming glow throughout the living room.
I’m sitting on the sofa next to Adrian. He has his arm draped over the chair behind me, not around me, but sort of around me.
It’s nice to have his arm sort of around me, but I’m also so hyper aware of how close we’re sitting with his whole family around us. It’s a whole different kind of tension.
At least the fact that his whole family is here is no longer an issue for me. They are all really nice. They’re including me and making me feel like I’m part of the group without any hesitation.
We’ve had too many hot chocolate bombs, and I’m uncomfortably full. But everyone is having fun.
The thing I am enjoying the most is watching Adrian get ripped off by his siblings, and how well he’s taking it—and giving it right back. They tease each other nonstop and have this amazing energy between them all.
Is this what it’s like having a big family? It was just Dad and me growing up. No cousins. No siblings. We didn’t even have dinner parties with friends around.
This is cozy, loving, and special.
It actually hurts a little to realize that I missed out on this my entire life.
If my mom hadn’t passed away… maybe they would have had more children. Maybe Dad wouldn’t have started gambling. Maybe…
Too many maybes. You can’t question the past like that. It gets you nowhere.
Adrian laughs, low and deep, and I feel it vibrating through me.
His laughter brings me the most warmth. A smile immediately spreads over my face at the sound of it, and I turn to glance at him. He glances at me at the same time, and his smile widens. His eyes lock with mine, and my heart trips over itself.
He winks at me.
One simple gesture.
One, small, tiny little gesture….
And heat spills between my legs.
I bite down hard on my lip, relieved when he looks away as someone speaks to him.
What in the world is wrong with me! I can’t be that easily turned on by this guy! I don’t even know him. And I’m still mad at him for forcing me to marry him. Sure, my father was messing around and doing things he shouldn’t have been, but I didn’t have to get dragged so deeply into it.
Ugh.
Why does he have to be so damn gorgeous!?
I sit quietly, mulling over my thoughts and listening to them all talking.
It’s strange that I can sit in this room full of people and suddenly feel so alone.
Will I ever belong to a big family like this? Will I have my own kids, and will I fall in love?
What is going to happen to me?
Where is this all leading?