Silent Night with Massimo

1. Vera

Chapter 1

Vera

O utside Bellini Lodge, in the small town of Winter Haven, thick snow crunches beneath my boots and I cringe at how loud it sounds in the stillness of this quiet December evening. The icy air bites at my skin,but that’s nothing compared to the chill of walking into a place where I’m no longer welcome. I need to be as stealthy as possible. In a few days, Bellini Lodge will welcome guests as Massimo's family arrives for the Christmas holidays. For now, the guest rooms are still empty, and most of the people rushing around are staff, preparing the lodge for the festivities.

The tension in the air mirrors the knot in my stomach. I need to talk to Massimo before anyone else arrives. I need to explain everything I've uncovered during my investigation over the past few years. I'm determined to clear my name and show him that I would never betray him the way he believes I did .

I can't believe it's actually been that long since I saw him. Six years to be exact.

Six years since I was exiled from my mafia family for treason against the Lucianas—treason that I did not commit.

Someone very close to Massimo betrayed him by handing over highly sensitive information to one of his biggest rivals—and they framed me for it. They even produced fake photos of me passing an envelope to the rival. My face wasn't clear, but it was enough to condemn me. Worse, Massimo's trusted cousin, Elio, vouched for the evidence, convincing him of my guilt.

It still stings, thinking of Elio. His face flashes in my mind, twisted with lies, and it burns.

The air is still, with not a breath of wind, but it's cold enough to turn my cheeks bright pink. I pull the collar of my coat higher, trying to block out the biting chill. The back door is usually left unlocked while the caterers and housekeepers prepare everything for the guests' arrival.

That's why I'm dressed as a housekeeper. I figured it was my best chance of making it inside.

It's not my usual attire, but beneath this thick coat is a housekeeper's uniform.I wear the disguise like armor, but it feels flimsy in the face of what I’m about to do. I only need it to get me through that door. Once I'm inside, I can move quickly, find Massimo, and beg him to hear me out. I only need a moment of his time to make him understand.He won’t kill me on sight, I hope.

Breaking in isn't ideal—but it's the only way I can get close to him. He's refused to see me all these years, convinced that I am the one who betrayed him and put his family in danger.

The man who still holds my heart.Massimo Luciana. The name alone sends a stab of longing and pain through my chest. I've loved him since the day we met, and even though he exiled me and married someone else—I've never stopped loving him.

But love doesn’t matter here, not now. Survival does.

"You're late." The head housekeeper snaps at me as I walk closer to the back door. "All of the staff was supposed to arrive an hour ago." She looks furious, but I'm relieved my disguise is working.

"I'm so sorry. My ride got caught in the snow and we were delayed."

She sighs heavily and rolls her eyes. "You're the third one who got stuck in the snow, and I'm still waiting for two more. Just get inside and start working on the bedrooms. Clean sheets on every bed and I don't want to see a speck of dust."

"Yes, ma'am." I nod obediently and hurry inside with my face turned down away from the security cameras. I don't need any of the guards recognizing me and having me removed before I've had a chance to see Massimo.

I know Bellini Lodge well. I've spent many Christmas holidays here with Massimo and the Luciana family. We were allies once. There was a strong bond between my family and his. My perceived betrayal obviously weakened that alliance .

Now, I feel like an intruder in a place I once called home.

The smell of cinnamon and vanilla wafting through the hallway fills me with a bittersweet nostalgia for the beautiful moments I once shared with Massimo in this place. The Christmas holidays were always filled with so much love and laughter. Since I was exiled, I haven't been able to celebrate Christmas. It's become an unbearably lonely time of the year for me.

I long for things to be the way they were all those years ago.But the past is gone, and I’m left to pick up the shattered pieces.

Instead of turning left toward the guest rooms, which are downstairs near the back of the lodge, I hurry up the massive, curved staircase in the center of the entrance hall. Massimo's room is upstairs, and my plan is simple: get inside and wait for him.No matter how dangerous. No matter what it costs me.

Moving quickly, my heart is racing, as I hurry toward his room.The silence feels like a noose tightening around my neck.

The last thing I want is to be caught. I have put myself in extreme danger by coming here after being exiled.The Lucianas don’t forgive. They won’t just throw me out—they’ll kill me if they catch me.Those who are exiled are banished forever.

But I have to take the risk.My life is already in ruins. What more can they take ?

I really don't have a choice unless I want to be in exile for the rest of my life.

And—I need to talk to him about something else.

Something very personal between us.

Our son, who was stillborn. Losing him—just before I was exiled—was agony.Massimo didn’t even stay with me long enough to grieve together. He left me alone in that hospital bed, drowning in my own sorrow. I believe that pain influenced Massimo's decision to turn against me. He was drowning in grief, numb to everything, and not thinking clearly. It made it so much easier for the real betrayer to frame me. Maybe that was the plan all along—to shatter Massimo's heart and use his heartbreak to intensify the betrayal.

I need to see Massimo.

"Hey, you aren't supposed to be up here." A deep familiar voice causes me to freeze. My breath catches in my throat.Every muscle in my body goes stiff. Adrian.

"I'm talking to you." Adrian snaps. Massimo's brother is ruthlessly loyal to him, and he is the last person I want to bump into right now. When he thought I had betrayed Massimo, he wanted to kill me, not banish me.Knowing Adrian, he still does.

With my hope sinking to the pit of my stomach, I turn to face him. "Adrian." I sigh softly.

His eyes narrow instantly. "What the fuck? What the fuck are you doing here, Vera?" he snarls, stepping forward and grabbing my arm roughly. I wince in pain .

"Please, just let me speak. I can explain. I need to see Massimo. I have evidence to prove I was framed."

"Bullshit." He spits. "You're probably here to cause some other kind of damage. I won't let you get away with it."

Adrian’s grip is like iron, and every sharp word slices into me like a blade. His dark eyes burn with hate as he drags me back down the stairs, past the other housekeepers who watch in horror as I'm pulled toward the back of the lodge.Their stares are daggers, but I’m too desperate to care.

"Adrian, please, just stop," I shout, begging for a moment to just be heard.

"What's going on, Adrian?" Massimo's voice hits me like a tidal wave, crashing through my mind with memories. It sends shivers through me, a mix of fire and ice—heartache and desperation warring within me, pulling me closer to the man I long for, even now.

I forget the pain of Adrian’s grip. I forget everything.

"You won't believe it—but I caught her sneaking around upstairs." Adrian spins me around to face Massimo.

His expression is one of pure shock.For a moment, I think I see the man I loved—the man who loved me—beneath that mask.

For a moment we just stare at each other. I plead with my eyes.I feel a tug between us, the bond we once had, struggling to survive beneath all the anger and hatred. I silently wish and beg and hope that he will give me a chance .

His eyes are wide, but they begin to narrow and darken.

Then shock morphs into cold rage.

"Vera Santoro." He says my name slowly, as though it were a curse he was reluctant to utter.

"Massimo, please, I need to speak to you," I say, my eyes stinging with tears of fear.I hate that my voice trembles. I hate that I’m so weak in front of him, when I swore I’d be strong. I am afraid he will kick me out and not give me a chance—or worse—he will want to have me killed for trespassing.

"How dare you come back here after what you did." He snarls, heated and dark.

"Please." I try again. My voice breaking at the edges.

"What do you want me to do with her?" Adrian asks, his fingers digging into my arm, leaving bruises.

Massimo's jaw clenches, the muscles feathering with tension. The years haven't changed him—he's as devastatingly gorgeous as the day I left. His thick dark hair is swept back, and his piercing blue eyes lock onto me, sharp and unrelenting, as though I'm his prey.

"Put her in the cellar jail. Lock her up. She will pay for her stupid choices. She should've never come back here."

"Massimo." I call out his name, but Adrian is already dragging me away and Massimo has turned his back on me. I glance over my shoulder, seeing him clench his fists and roll his shoulders in agitation.

My heart is breaking. He didn't even consider giving me a chance to speak. He didn't even blink when he ordered his brother to lock me away .

What are they going to do with me?

I think I've made a huge mistake coming back to Bellini Lodge. But what choice did I have?

In the cold cellar, Adrian pushes open a heavy wooden door, revealing a barren stone room with a single bed and an open, unwelcoming bathroom. The emptiness is as cold as the walls themselves. He shoves me inside without a word.

"You were stupid to come back here, Vera. Massimo is right about that. You'll never see the light of day again, traitor."

"Adrian, I beg you to ask Massimo to see me. I can prove I didn't do it."

He huffs in disbelief. "Your words mean nothing."

He turns his back on me, pulling the massive door closed and I hear the clank of a lock falling into place.

His footsteps echo across the cellar floor as he walks away, leaving me behind in the cold. I'm already shivering, the winter chill biting through my skin.