Chapter 25 Liana
Mama is waiting at the door when we pull up to the estate, her silhouette backlit by the warm light spilling from the entrance.
She rushes down the marble steps before the car even comes to a complete stop, moving faster than I've seen her move in years. Pulls me into her arms the second I'm out, her grip almost crushing.
"Liana. Oh, Liana." She's crying, her whole body shaking. "I thought—we thought—"
"I'm okay, Mama." I hold her tight, breathing in her familiar perfume. "I'm okay."
She pulls back, her hands framing my face as she examines me with a mother's desperate attention to detail. Takes in my face. My bloody wrists. The cut on my cheek. The bruises forming. Her expression crumbles completely.
"Who did this to you?"
"The Benedettis," Papa says from behind us, his voice hard and cold. "But Liana handled it."
Mama looks at him sharply, then back at me with confusion. "Handled it?"
"I'll explain inside," I say, suddenly exhausted beyond measure.
The house is full of people when we enter—family, associates, men who work for Papa. They all stop whatever they're doing when I walk in, conversations dying mid-sentence. Staring. Whispering to each other.
I keep my head high despite everything. Let them stare.
Papa guides me through the crowd to his study, away from the curious eyes. Gia's already there, pacing anxiously. She launches herself at me the second I walk through the door.
"Oh my God. Oh my God." She's hugging me so tight I can barely breathe. "I was so scared. When you didn't come home and then Santino texted asking if you were here—"
"I'm fine," I manage, though we both know it's not entirely true.
"You're not fine. Look at you." She pulls back, taking in my appearance with growing horror. "What happened? Tell me everything."
"The Benedettis grabbed her at the port," Papa explains, closing the study door behind us for privacy. "Held her hostage in an abandoned warehouse. Tried to use her as leverage against the Marcellos."
"And?" Mama asks quietly, sinking into a chair.
"And our daughter disarmed one of her captors, took a hostage of her own, and negotiated her way out of the situation." Papa's voice carries an unmistakable edge of pride. "She didn't need Santino Marcello to save her. She saved herself."
Gia stares at me with wide eyes. "You did what?"
"I didn't have a choice." I sink into a chair, my legs finally giving out. "He wasn't coming. I realized that. So I had to come up with a plan."
"I can't believe he waited so long," Gia says, her voice tight with anger on my behalf. "When he finally texted me asking if you were home, I thought—" She stops, shaking her head violently. "Three hours, Liana. Three hours before he even bothered to check on you."
"He thought I was playing games." I look down at my wrists, at the raw, bleeding skin. "He didn't believe me when I said I was in danger."
"That bastard!" Gia spits with unusual venom. "I woke up Papa the second I got his message. We could have been looking for you hours earlier if he'd just—"
"But he didn't," I cut her off, not wanting to hear more. "It doesn't matter anymore."
"It does matter," Gia argues passionately.
"No." Papa's voice is firm and final. "It doesn't. Because I called it off. The engagement. The alliance. All of it."
Mama sinks deeper into her chair, her hand going to her throat. "Dominic..."
"No." His voice remains firm, brooking no argument. "Elena, don't start. I agreed to this arrangement for one reason and one reason only. To protect Liana. And Santino Marcello failed at the most basic requirement."
"But the alliance with the Marcellos—"
"Is over," Papa states flatly. He walks to his desk and pours himself a drink with hands that aren't quite steady. "I won't marry my daughter to a man who can't protect her when it matters."
"Then what?" Mama asks, worry evident in every line of her face. "What happens now? What about our position?"
Papa looks at me, studying me for a long moment with those sharp, assessing eyes. "Now," he says slowly, deliberately, "we do what we should have done from the beginning."
"Which is?" I ask, afraid to hope.
"We make you stronger. We give you the tools you need. Liana, I was wrong. About everything."
I blink, certain I misheard. "What?"
"I thought the way to protect you was to marry you to a powerful man.
Someone who could take over the family operations when I'm gone.
Someone who could keep you safe." He shakes his head, and I see genuine regret in his expression.
"But I was wrong. You don't need a man to protect you.
You need to be strong enough to protect yourself. "
"Papa—"
"You proved that tonight beyond any doubt.
" He walks over and puts his hands on my shoulders, his grip gentle despite his intensity.
"You were kidnapped. Tied up. Held at gunpoint by dangerous men.
And you got yourself out using everything I taught you.
Because you're smart. Because you're strong. Because you're a Costa."
Tears prick my eyes, threatening to fall.
"So that's what we're going to do now," he continues. "We're going to keep making you stronger. You and Gia both."
Gia straightens, surprise evident on her face. "Both?"
"Both." Papa turns to her. "I've been a fool. I have two brilliant daughters. Why would I hand everything over to a stranger when I have you two?"
"You mean—" I can barely breathe, afraid to believe what I'm hearing. "You want me to take over the family?"
"I want you to run this family." Papa's voice is firm and certain. "Not someday when you're older. Not eventually when I retire. Now. Starting tomorrow, you're my second-in-command. You'll sit in on every meeting. Handle negotiations. Run operations alongside me."
This is what I wanted. What I've been fighting for since the engagement was announced.
"And me?" Gia asks quietly, hope creeping into her voice.
"You'll learn too. Everything Liana knows, you'll learn." Papa looks between us with something like pride. "Both of you will be ready. Both of you will be capable. And when I'm gone, you'll run this family together."
Mama makes a small sound of protest. "Dominic, this is—"
"The right thing," he finishes firmly. "I should have done it years ago instead of looking for a husband to take over." He walks back to his desk and pulls out a thick folder. "But," he says, and my heart sinks at the word, "after tonight, things have changed in ways we need to address."
"What do you mean?" I ask warily.
"The Benedettis tried to take you once. They'll try again—they can't let this failure stand.
" He opens the folder, revealing documents inside.
"We called off the alliance with the Marcellos.
Which means we've lost their protection and their military strength.
We're vulnerable right now in ways we haven't been in years. "
"We can handle ourselves," I argue immediately. "You know we can."
"I know you can. You proved that tonight without question." Papa's voice softens slightly. "I'm not taking any more chances with either of my daughters. Not after what almost happened."
"Papa—"
"I'm assigning you bodyguards." His tone makes it clear this isn't up for discussion. "Two of them. They'll be with you at all times, everywhere you go."
"No." I stand abruptly. "Absolutely not. I don't need babysitters—"
"Yes, you do." Papa's face is stern, his Don face. "Liana, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of how you handled yourself tonight. But you got lucky in some ways. If things had gone differently—"
"They didn't."
"But they could have." He walks over and takes my hands carefully, mindful of my injured wrists. "You're my daughter. My heir now. I can't lose you. You get bodyguards. This is non-negotiable."
I want to argue, want to tell him I can take care of myself, that I just proved that tonight. Then I see his face—the fear still lingering there, the terror of almost losing me that he's trying to hide.
"Fine," I say finally, giving in. "But I choose who they are."
"Already chosen." Papa pulls out two personnel files from the folder. "Both former military with distinguished service records. Both highly trained. Both loyal to this family for years."
He hands me the files. I open them reluctantly, scanning the information and photos.
Alessandro: mid-twenties, dark hair, sharp jaw, intense eyes that stare directly at the camera.
Federico: similar age, lighter hair, broader build, almost movie-star handsome with classic features.
"They start tomorrow," Papa says. "They'll shadow you everywhere. Anywhere you go, they go. No exceptions."
"This is ridiculous," I mutter, flipping through Alessandro's impressive credentials.
"This is necessary," Papa corrects. "And Liana? They're not just there to protect you. They're there to send a message to everyone watching."
"What message?" Though I think I already know.
"That the Costa family doesn't need the Marcellos or any other alliance." His voice hardens with determination. "That we're stronger on our own. That we can protect what's ours without outside help."
I look at the photos again, seeing them with new eyes.
Young. Attractive. Highly capable.
Papa's making a statement with these choices. And I know exactly who he's making it to.
Santino.
"When does Gia get bodyguards?" I ask, closing the files.
"She has them already assigned. Starting tonight." Papa nods toward my sister. "Two of them. Same arrangement."
Gia looks torn between excitement and annoyance. "Papa, I don't need—"
"Yes, you do." Papa's voice is final and absolute.
"Both of you. Until the Benedetti situation is resolved completely.
Until I'm confident you're both safe." He walks to the door and pauses with his hand on the frame.
"Get some rest tonight. Both of you. Tomorrow, we have work to do—real work.
" He leaves, closing the door softly behind him.
Mama stands and walks over, kissing my forehead with gentle affection.
"I'm glad you're safe," she whispers. "I don't know what I would have done if..." She doesn't finish, just follows Papa out.
It's just me and Gia now in the quiet study.
"So," Gia says after a long moment. "You're taking over the family business. And you have two hot bodyguards following you around everywhere."
"Apparently."
"And the engagement to Santino is off."
"Yes."
She studies my face carefully. "Then why do you look so miserable?"
I don't answer immediately, because I don't know how to put it into words.
I got everything I wanted. The engagement is over. Papa wants me to run the family. No more arranged marriage. No more Santino Marcello taking over everything I've worked for.
"Liana." Gia's voice is soft and careful. "Do you... do you have feelings for him?"
"No." The word comes out too fast, too defensive.
"Liana—"
"I don't." I stand abruptly, needing to move. "He left me there, Gia. For hours. I was terrified and alone and he didn't come because he thought I was lying to him."
"I know. And he's an asshole for that." She pauses meaningfully. "But that doesn't answer my question."
"It doesn't matter what I feel," I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's over. Papa ended it. And even if he hadn't, I could never trust Santino again after what he did."
"Are you sure about that?"
I turn to face her sharply. "What?"
"Are you sure you could never trust him again?" Gia asks, her expression sympathetic. "Because the way you're acting right now, you look like someone who's heartbroken. Not someone who's relieved the engagement is over."
"I'm not heartbroken."
"Okay." She doesn't sound convinced at all. "Then what are you?"
I look down at my wrists, at the raw, bloody marks from the zip ties that cut into my skin for hours.
"I'm tired," I say quietly, honestly. "I'm tired and I hurt and I just want to sleep and not think about any of this."
Gia walks over and hugs me gently, carefully avoiding my injuries. "Okay. We'll talk tomorrow when you've rested." She pulls back. "But Liana? Whatever you're feeling? It's okay to feel it. Even if it's complicated. Even if it doesn't make sense." She leaves, closing the door softly.
I'm alone in Papa's study now, surrounded by the familiar smell of leather and cigars. I walk to his desk and pour myself a drink from his crystal decanter, something I've never done before.
Take a sip, letting the burn distract me from everything else—the pain, the confusion, the hollow feeling in my chest.
Tomorrow, I start actually running the family business the way I've always dreamed.
Tomorrow is a new beginning.
I just wish it didn't feel so much like an ending.