CHAPTER SEVEN
Rocco had been buried in work at Marini Corporate and determined to keep his Versace shoot in Milan on track.
He was recovering from his injuries, and had a physical therapist meet him during his lunch hours.
Life wasn’t flawless, but we had returned to Italy, the place where our story had begun.
Florence, though a brief chapter, had etched itself into my heart, making it effortless to slip back into old rhythms.
After a few quiet days at the estate, I dove back into illustrating Brenna Strongborne and the Shadow Prince series, hoping my extra artwork would tip the scales for the Perchance to Dream Publishing job. Friday morning, I was greeted with a voicemail from Lily Crane.
“Hello, Lina. I know you’re in Italy and will get this message when you wake up, but I’m also traveling and wanted to let you know that I’ll be returning to New York for our team’s final meeting.
If you have anything you’d like to share, even if it’s just photos, please send them over.
We’ll have an answer for you this weekend.
Thank you for all the time and effort you invested in the story. Talk soon.”
Nerves tumbled in my stomach as I hurried to my greenhouse studio, eager to pore over my sketches.
I had captured Brenna as a young woman and the timeless Shadow Prince, beckoning her into Arcadia’s wild, magical beauty.
Sketching wasn’t enough; I found myself painting, too, chasing a palette as vivid as the story itself.
The characters had grown so alive in my mind that my hand moved almost on its own.
If Rocco hadn’t sent a copy of my cover for the Bumble Bee Ball book that I freelance illustrated in college to Lily Crane, this incredible opportunity would never have happened.
A sharp buzz from my timer jolted me, forcing me to set my brushes aside.
My laptop was already open, FaceTime waiting for Cass to join the call.
I smoothed my hair and wiped my clammy hands on my lap, reminding myself it was just Cass, my best friend.
Ours was the one relationship in my life that felt steady, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Cass had swapped her FaceTime avatar for a snapshot of us on the New York Film Festival’s red carpet: me in black, her in white, and both of us beaming. That night was filled with so much joy. My guard was down, and I felt so open to relish our friendship. And so in love.
My fingers brushed my own smile as the call connected. I straightened in my seat, my heart skipping when her face appeared on the screen. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, mirroring mine perfectly.
I laughed and pointed at the screen. “Twinsies.”
She pointed right back, grinning. “Yeah, great minds and all that. How are you, gorgeous?” Her eyes sparkled with empathy. Cass never pressed me to reveal more than I was ready for, and I cherished that. But today, I was done hiding.
My mouth trembled at the corners, but I got the words out. “I-I’m devastated.”
She nodded and frowned. “I know you are, and I know Eric Colby’s your father, but I want to kill him.”
“You’d have to get in line behind Rocco,” I croaked.
“Good man.” Her shoulders hunched. “I feel like the worst friend in the world that I hadn’t seen what was going on. I thought you were just too shy when I pushed you to date—”
“No.” I held up my hand. “Stop. I kept secrets because I wanted a new life, and that’s what I thought I could have in boarding school and college. I wanted…to forget.”
She nodded her head. “I get that, but I feel like I missed so much of what was going on with you. I want to know more so I can be a better friend—”
“You can’t be better. You’re the best,” I interrupted, my voice emphatic.
She looked directly at me through the screen. “I need to know the truth. Not to be nosy, but to support you. I love you, Adelina; you know that, and you can trust me.”
I bobbed my head and fidgeted with the bottom of my shirt. “It’s hard to know where to start.”
“How about when you came to boarding school? I remember you had bruises on your face and a busted lip. I thought maybe you fought, but I always suspected something more. I didn’t want to force you to tell me.” She sniffled.
“Please don’t cry,” I said, my voice cracking.
“I’ll try not to, but please…” Her voice trailed off, and she sat there quietly and waited for me. I never thought about how to share my secrets, but I trusted Cass, and I took a deep breath and let the words come.
“My earliest memories are filled with violence, my father beating my mother. He’d spank me, too, for looking at him.
When she did something he didn’t like, he’d punish her by not allowing her to take care of us.
For me, she’d leave me dirty and hungry, but it was worse for Jacob.
Like when he’d get sick or have a seizure, she’d have to leave him.
When I was old enough to understand what was happening to Jacob, she taught me to pray for God to heal him.
And I would pray. I’d have all the kindergarten kids go on their knees, praying for us.
My teacher sent home a note to Mama, and we moved.
We moved so many times that I lost count…
” Bile rose in my throat, and I covered my mouth.
“Do you want to take a break?” Cassidy asked, gentling her voice. But if I stopped, I’d never speak again.
“No. I need this.” She nodded.
“As I grew older, he’d hurt me as much as he hurt Mama. Mostly when I tried to stop him. But…but when I was eight, he came into my bedroom…” I glanced at her, and tears were pouring down her face.
“I’m sorry,” I rasped, my face burning.
She hiccupped. “No, please; you never have to be sorry. I’m sorry. Please forgive me for not being able to listen without effect. You’re my sister.” She spoke with a conviction that touched me deeply. I swallowed hard and continued.
“That—that first time…I-I froze and waited until…until he finished ‘checking,’ that’s what he called it.
He made me take off my clothes and looked at and touched my skin, and in my head, I screamed no, but I couldn’t speak.
I just lay there in shock, and I was scared at the time, but after, I was so angry.
I ripped off my wall posters, destroyed my textbooks.
I just… For a long time, I hated myself for freezing, like it was permission—”
“It wasn’t, Adelina.”
I bobbed my head and ran my hand down my arms. “I know…I know now. After that, every time he tried to…touch me, it always started with violence, slamming my head or twisting my arm. Kicking me…” Memories rose in my mind, and my pulse sped.
My body tensed as if bracing for the next blow.
“He…he seemed so much bigger, like a giant when I was little. But then I grew, and I hated the way he…looked at me. He was supposed to be my f-father.” I choked back tears and wiped my eyes, then held my arms.
“He’s a disgusting piece of shit, but he’s not here. He can’t hurt you ever again; we all would never allow it. I don’t want you to struggle. If you want to stop—”
“No. I need this right now, or I’ll never say it again,” I rasped and closed my eyes.
Hiding ruined my ability to make friends, build lasting relationships.
If I hadn’t been arranged to marry, I could easily see myself isolated for the rest of my life.
No. Judge Colby doesn’t get to make me keep secrets.
I swallowed down the nausea and took a few deep breaths, then continued.
“I’d fight back, sometimes hurting him. But later, he’d act like it never happened.
But I knew…I knew I couldn’t say it happened or he’d hurt me.
So, I bought a pocketknife just in case he came into my bedroom again.
But when he became a drug addict, he had other things he’d do.
We all became someone to take out his pain when he couldn’t get his next fix.
He’d steal and sell everything we had. We’d get away.
But every time, Mama would go back. We lost Jacob to social services, but he would always promise we’d get him back if we returned. Mama always went back.”
“I hate her,” she hissed. “I’m sorry. I’m just furious.”
“No. You know, I hated her, too, but I knew she was in a cycle of love bombing and cruelty.” Judge Colby had worked for years on her self-esteem, making her believe she couldn’t do things without him.”
I looked at the screen, and Cassidy had tears flowing down her cheeks, her face flushed pink. However, there was her iron will to be here for me. “I’m here, Lina, and I always will be.”
I bobbed my head. “I know.” I took a cleansing breath. “There was something that happened before I came to the boarding school that I haven’t told you.” I’d feared Cass would look down on me and my family if she knew what had happened. However, now I wouldn’t stop.
“I…I found out that he pimped my mother and was going to cross that final line… with me. We fought. Judge Colby was thin on drugs, but he was strong. He threw me around like a rag doll. My face felt like it was on fire, and my ribs burned when I breathed. He grabbed Mama. She was black and blue all over, but he was going to force her. I picked up a chair and hit him. Again and again. I-I couldn’t stop.
He fell on the ground and I still didn’t stop.
” I was in a trance, reliving it all. When I finally came to my senses, Cassidy was sobbing into her hands.
“Oh, Adelina. I am so sorry this happened to you. It’s so, so wrong. How is there any joy left in you?”
“I don’t know. At boarding school, I had you.” I pressed my hand to my chest.
“I wish I’d known. You needed more than I gave you. I could have been a better friend—”
“No. I didn’t want you to treat me like I was fragile. I wanted to forget and start a new life, and I did. I did therapy. And I have no remorse about maiming him. His jagged scar? That was me.”
“You shouldn’t,” she gritted.
“But Judge Colby came back, and now everyone suspects or thinks I’m troubled.”
“Fuck everyone else out there,” she said with a wave of her hand.
“They don’t know you like I do. You’re so courageous, Adelina.
Resilience is your superpower. I used to think that it was kickass when you’d say that, but that’s you.
You fought every day for your family and peace.
Even though they don’t deserve it. Well, Jacob does.
I’m honored and humbled to have you as my friend. ”
“I love you, Cass.”
“I love you more.”
The creaking floorboards had my attention shifting to the archway. Rocco stood there silently. His eyes shone as ours met, and my heart sank. Even though we had talked about it, I hadn’t shared the details with him.
I lowered my head, but I could feel his energy flowing closer to me.
He came over, and I turned to face him. His hand brushed my chin and lifted it. “I love you.”
My heart swelled, and he pulled me to my feet and hugged me tightly, careful of his shoulder which was still healing. I wanted to be mad at him for listening, but I couldn’t. Honestly, I was happy I wouldn’t have to repeat it.
“Hello, brother-in-law,” Cass sang out from the call, bringing our attention back to her. It wasn’t the ideal way I had wanted them to meet, but I wouldn’t waste the chance.
“Hello, Miss Cassidy Cosgrove.” Rocco said her name in his deep voice.
I gestured to her. “Should we end our call for now?” It didn’t seem like the right time. Then again, when was?
She swiped her eyes. “Only if you want to.”
My chest constricted, and I nodded.
“Okay. I love you, Adelina,” she cried, and the screen turned off.
I pressed my face into Rocco’s chest, my body trembling as a cry surged up from the deep well where my secret had been buried.
Tears streamed down my cheeks in an unstoppable flood; there was nothing to hold onto, nowhere to hide it anymore.
That secret had weighed me down through every chapter of my life, keeping me afraid and apart from everyone.
It had splintered me, and I longed to be whole.
Rocco’s hand moved gently along my back as he whispered, “You’re so strong, Adelina. I’ll never let anything happen to you again. I love you. We all love you.” When I finally calmed, Rocco held me at arm’s length, his eyes red-rimmed with tears. “I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop—”
“I know. It’s okay, uhm, I didn’t want to have to repeat it, at least not for a while,” I mumbled. The situation was far from over, and deep down, I knew I’d have to say it all again if the courts were involved.
He hugged me tighter. “What happened to you was never okay. How could no one protect you and your brother? Why didn’t anyone step in?”
I turned my head and sighed. “We…we lost Jacob when they did. After that, Mama would have us move if anyone suspected anything. She didn’t want to lose me and be left all alone. But we survived and moved on. I’m grateful every day that our lives are better.”
“Colby still needs to suffer. But going forward, I want to know how to support you.”
“Just be you,” I rasped.
“And what am I, my wife?”
“The kind of guy that will break my enemies in half,” I half-joked.
“I will. I’d do anything for you.” His voice broke. “I love you, Bella, and I vowed to stand by you, and I will. Always. Please show me how.”
My heart swelled as I hugged him close. The old urge to fight or run was gone. There was only Rocco. His open heart and unwavering support had won me from the very beginning.
“You already do. Every day, Rocco. You do.”