31. Luna
THIRTY-ONE
LUNA
The last time Luna was at an engagement party, it was eventful to say the least.
Now, she was sporting the same uneasy feeling in her stomach as she prepared for her second engagement party—with Valerio this time. She ran her hands down the length of the dress, smoothing out the silky material.
She had to go with a halter top dress, so it would be able to cover the fading bruises from her neck. Her back was exposed, but she still kept her hair down and curled like always.
Her engagement ring sat on her finger, glimmering in the light. Maybe she would have been less nervous had there not been security at every corner waiting to see if the person who set up her assassination showed up. How they would even be able to identify the person was still a question Luna didn’t understand.
They waited in the library while Valerio talked on the phone, ensuring the building was secure before they walked out. Her mind told her over and over again that this was a horrible idea. She played it off as anxiety and trauma from before, but the dread came from her gut.
It was too late to back out. They were minutes away from entering the party.
The girls had spent so much time setting up, helping to order the decorations and rent out the venue. They ended up choosing another ballroom located in the city for obvious reasons. Large cream pillars stretched across the outside of the building making the whole space feel like they were in ancient Greece. White and gold decorations were scattered around the room. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it did make the space feel dreamy. Luna saw all of it earlier and was amazed at the hard work that went into setting up the space.
Then she was ushered into the library where she waited with Valerio.
He looked handsome, even with the angry snarl on his face. He ran a hand ran through his hair, the black tux molded to his body. He was undeniably beautiful, but he had always been. She wished he held the same unease he had at his birthday party or when they were at the cabin instead of the worry that laced his face now. They were supposed to be celebrating, not doing all of this.
Finally, he hung up the phone, walking over. “Are you ready?” he asked.
“Are you sure about this?”
His eyes softened. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her body into him.
She wanted to believe him. She really did.
Instead, she plastered on a smile, squeezing his hand. They walked out of the library, making their way down the long hallway to the ballroom. Three bulky guards walked in front of them, two behind. It threw off the entire romantic atmosphere Luna intended to keep.
The ballroom doors opened up for them. The couple walked down the stairs, taking in the claps, cheers, and stares that were passed their way. Luna held her head up high, holding on to Valerio’s hand with a death grip.
She looked around the room, noticing how a guard stood by every large window, completely armed. Her smile faltered.
Valerio promised not to let her out of his sight the entire night, which she appreciated. But it meant that before she could greet her friends, she was forced to say hello to the rich people his family worked with.
Her cheeks were killing her from the smile she kept on. And after what felt like a lifetime of mindless conversation, she finally found the girls waiting by the drink table. This time she dragged him over with her.
“You’re a busy woman, Mrs. Vitali,” Cecilia told her, taking a sip from her glass.
Luna snatched it out of her hand, emptying the contents. Valerio eyed her, removing the glass from her hands. “Easy on the booze,” he said.
“I need this more than you know,” Luna muttered, leaning against him for support. He held onto her waist, peppering a kiss in her hair.
“Have you found anyone yet?” Blair asked, shifting the conversation.
“Not yet,” Valerio said. “Where are Allister and Dante?”
“I saw them by the food,” Gianna said. “You should go find them.”
Valerio rolled his eyes, but Luna agreed with the less than subtle hint to leave. “I’ll be fine here for a few minutes.”
“Fine, but I’ll only be gone a second,” he said, kissing her forehead again. “Watch out for her,” he threatened the group.
She sighed once he walked away. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
“I know, but these are his people. You’ll have to get used to them,” Blair told her, handing her another drink. Luna took it, gulping down a good amount.
“It’s not the people. I know how to act cordial with these rich assholes. I’m talking about the tension in the room. The armed guards, no one being able to relax. Everything feels off. I hate it.”
Cecilia frowned. “It’s just for tonight.”
“Is it? I don’t think anyone is going to make their move in a room full of mafia personnel, so it’ll end up going into the wedding, the honeymoon, the baby shower, who fucking knows. I won’t have any normal events in my life because it’ll be mafia matters always,” she said, choking down the lump in her throat.
“Valerio isn’t normal. You knew that,” Gianna said. “That’s why you fell for him in the first place.”
Luna sighed, knowing she was right. She didn’t want normal; she wanted Valerio.
“What can I do to make this asshole act out?” Luna asked them. “That way they can take him away and I can enjoy the rest of my life.”
“Don’t do anything,” Blair said. “Enjoy the party as much as you can and let them handle this other shit. You’ve been through enough.”
She let out a long breath. “That seems impossible.”
The girls quieted down, standing up straighter. Luna turned around, facing her mother and father, walking with their arms intertwined. They didn’t smile, they didn’t offer pleasantries. They looked like they would rather have been anywhere than at the party.
She knew they would be coming but seeing them here after everything felt strange. Especially since the last time she saw them, Valerio had broken her father’s wrist and shot the man her father wanted her to marry. They hadn’t spoken since.
Luna tensed up. “When did you get here? I would have greeted you if I knew you had arrived.”
“Why did we hear about this party from your brother and not you?” Eleanora asked. She completely ignored Luna’s question. Despite her attempt to keep her tone light, there was a bite to her voice she recognized immediately.
“I was busy planning it,” Luna said. “Are you enjoying the party?”
“What are you thinking?” Reece Kingsley hissed. “Why are you parading this engagement around?”
She frowned. “Because we’re getting married.”
“I was trying to find a way out for you,” her father said in a low voice. “I have a couple of suitors better fit.”
Luna’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about? You set this all up. You signed the contract.”
He was the reason any of this was happening.
Reece grabbed her arm, his hold tight as he pulled her off to the side. Luna held in her yelp, her arm burning. Like always, no one batted an eye. They never did. But she didn’t expect the girls to get involved either, not when he could turn on them.
“I refuse to come up with a truce with that family. You will not be marrying him.”
“Yes, I am,” Luna replied, her voice stern. “We’re not doing this again.”
“Watch your tone,” he bit back. His hold tightened. This time, a whimper escaped her lips. Suddenly, she was a child again, completely defenseless against him. “You’re not married to him. There is no heir. I can pull you out of that contract when I please.”
“Why would you do that?” she whispered. “Why go through the trouble?”
“I’ve received better offers for you. Things that will help out the family. You know how important it is to choose family,” he said. She could hear the manipulation in his voice that tried to weigh out whether Luna was still loyal to him or not. She had never been loyal to him. It was fear that kept her tied to their name, not true unwavering loyalty.
It all came down to dollars and cents with him. He wanted the highest price for his precious daughter, and if people were offering more, why would he want to refuse?
What had changed though? Why hadn’t he mentioned anything before?
“It’s for the best,” her mother said. Her voice attempted to hold the empathy that she would have expected from a mother, but it sounded inauthentic when she did it. “We’ll find someone who can take care of you, keep you safe.”
“Why? So I can end up like you?” Luna said before she could stop herself.
Her mother’s mask slipped for a second, showing disbelief or maybe even remorse before it was back up and stoic again.
“After the break-in the other night, you don’t have a choice,” Reece said. “Someone wants you dead because you are with him. It was enough of a scare to make us realize you are in danger with him.”
Luna’s head swirled, making her dizzy. She turned to her father. “How do you know about that?”
Everyone swore not to say anything, including Finn. He knew how important it was to stay silent. He wouldn’t have betrayed her like that. He couldn’t.
Then how did they know?
Pure fear rippled through her body. His face didn’t change—it was her mother who let her know that he had slipped up. When her eyes widened for a fraction before they went back to normal. It was like the facade had cracked for a moment, revealing a wrinkle in the plan.
She felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulder.
“Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley, thank you for joining us,” Valerio sneered, pulling Luna into him.
“We were just giving our congrats,” Eleanora said with a fake smile.
Even Valerio’s warm hand on her shoulder couldn’t calm down the anxiety building up inside of her. They knew something; they did something.
“We need to give our toast, so if you’ll excuse us,” he said, leading them away.
Luna gripped his arm with a death hold, trying to calm her mind. He must have noticed she was off.
“What did they say?” Valerio asked, walking them towards the stage.
“They knew about the assassination attempt,” Luna said. The words felt like acid in her mouth. “They want me out of the contract.”
He stopped walking for a moment. “They said that?”
“Valerio, they seem so against it out of nowhere,” Luna said. She looked at him with fear in her eyes, fear that he didn’t seem to match but he understood. As if he already knew something she didn’t. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea anymore.”
“I knew the assholes had some role in it,” Valerio told her. He sounded like he had been thinking that for a long time. He continued walking.
“What are you talking about?” she asked. “You think they were a part of the assassination attempt?”
He didn’t say anything; he just kept walking. She pulled on his arm to stop him completely and this time he did.
“You think they did it?” she asked, this time in a whisper. Her eyes were wide, dread filling her body.
“The assassin had your family emblem tattooed on him,” Valerio said. “It’s suspicious that they’re suddenly trying to pull you out of the contract after the attempt didn’t work.”
“You really think it was my father?” Even she couldn’t believe it. Or maybe she didn’t want to believe it.
Valerio sighed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll talk about this tonight. I promise. We need to figure out how we’ll approach him now.”
She nodded, but his promise did nothing to ease the anxiety in her. Why would her father want her dead when he’d just insisted on selling her off for a better deal? Her mind shifted to how deceitful he could be.
Was it so he could try to blame Cesare Vitali for this? Say that he sent the assassin after Luna and give him a way to get her out of the contract? None of this made any sense.
Unless her father knew Valerio wouldn’t let her out of the contract and the only way out was through death. As soon as the marriage was legalized and an heir was on the way, the two families would be tied together forever. If her father was really keen on trying to separate the two before then, they weren’t safe. Who knew what he or anyone who didn’t want the marriage happening would do to make sure the two most powerful families in the world didn’t merge?
There had to be a loophole. Something no one would dare harm; something that could truly unite the two families together until they could buy some time. Either way, she had to do something.
They walked up the stairs onto the stage, Valerio holding Luna’s waist tightly.
She looked out at the crowd.
The separation of families so glaringly obvious. On the left side stood the Kingsleys, including her parents.
On the other side stood the Vitalis, with the grand guest of honor, Cesare Vitali. She didn’t know when he had shown up, or why he did for that matter. His eyes locked on Luna’s, unwavering and unblinking, devoid of any emotion and holding a promise—Luna wouldn’t survive against him. It made her skin crawl, forcing her to break the contact and look away first.
Hatred had only brought on violence, and it had almost caused her death. She was sick of it.
Luna grabbed the microphone, holding it in her shaky hand. She plastered on a smile, ignoring the look Valerio gave her.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who showed up for us tonight,” Luna said. “It means a lot that all of you would be willing to come out and put your differences aside to support us.”
She looked at the crowd where the girls stood with Dante and Allister. Finn and Augustus stood behind them, but they all congregated in the center of the room.
She swallowed harshly. “We are excited to become a union.”
She held her left hand against her belly as if something were inside.
Gasps exploded in the room. Luna looked over at Cesare, whose eyes darkened, and then her father, who looked like he could implode.
“And welcome our baby,” she said.
Then chaos broke out.