CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Rocco tried to scoop me off my feet, and I pushed his hands away. His shoulder was better, but he wasn’t fully healed enough to carry me around. “Not yet. Give it at least another month.”
He relented with two kisses on the back of my hand.
“Where are we going?”
“To our bedroom.”
Once again, I felt the thrill that this house was truly ours.
The bedroom doors stood open at the end of the hall as a quiet invitation.
I wandered inside and loved how much more intimate the room was compared to all the other places we’d been.
Luca had kept it cozy: a bed, a fireplace, and a chair with mostly small art pieces and books, and from a glance, one of the books was one of his last reads, which we shared during my last month at college.
Rocco went straight to the stone fireplace, feeding it fresh logs, and grinned as I handed him pajama bottoms from our small stash of clothes. I was still amazed by how seamlessly our lives were cared for, how it now felt natural to find little comforts waiting for us wherever we went.
“I think it’s my favorite thing. Never having to pack a bag or worry about furnishing a place.” I said, tying my robe with a contented sigh.
“I love it, too. The people we have working for us have been with us for many years and have become a part of our family.”
I twirled in place, and for a second, I flashed back to my turning around in my room at my grandparents’ that first time. It was a serendipitous life before me. And now, here I was under a Freso painting of gods and goddesses drifting through clouds. “This painting is beautiful.”
“Yes,” Rocco said and came to stand next to me. He pointed to one of the gods on the ceiling. “Take a closer look. He enshrined himself,” Rocco mused.
We flicked on the lights, and as I looked up, I spotted Luca’s striking face painted onto Zeus, complete with a mane of flowing hair and a regal beard.
I couldn’t help but grin. “That’s… I don’t even know what to say.”
“Egotistical?” Rocco said.
“Yeah, not like him, I think.”
“It is, but I believe it was something my grandmother used to say about him. That he ruled like a god or something like that.” He smiled and placed his arms around my waist. “I think it was to remind him of her.”
I leaned back. “Okay, now I think it’s romantic.”
The fire crackled as Rocco moved closer to stoke the embers.
With the room now bright, my eyes were drawn to a framed photo on the mantel.
It was of Rocco and me at the Palio in Siena that I hadn’t remembered taking.
The two of us joined the crowd in the town square following the race.
I lifted the picture and stared at it. “Who took this?”
“Florence Tourism. I received a few photos after the event and sent them to Luca. He must’ve chosen his favorite.”
I almost asked Rocco why he chose this photo, but the answer was clear. Rocco embodied everything Luca had been proud of: magnetic, brimming with confidence, impossible to ignore. I was utterly spellbound by him; I could still feel that heady mix of lust and nerves from that day.
“What are you thinking?”
“That I never felt so free as I did in that moment…and being with you was more than I ever imagined.” I ran my hands down my arms, searching his eyes. “What about you?”
“I just wanted you to relax, have fun, and know you were safe with me. That was all I hoped for.” He released me and crossed to the far wall, drawing back the heavy curtain to reveal a balcony.
“Another one?”
“Luca had this one built, but I’m hoping you’ll notice something else.”
I grinned, eager for the challenge. “Oh, a hint. Alright.” Stepping outside, the image that leapt to mind was the iconic balcony from the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet. “Is this a replica of that famous balcony from the Romeo and Juliet movie?”
“Correct. It was my grandmother’s favorite movie scene of all time.”
“And Luca’s,” I added. “He also had an unnatural obsession with iambic pentameters.”
He slipped his arms around my waist, his hands resting low on my stomach.
“You really want a baby?” I whispered.
“I wanted a choice of when, Bella. Not if I ever wanted a baby with you. Of course I do. And now…” He sighed. “I just hadn’t expected our lives to change so fast.”
“It’s all been fast.”
“Yeah, but in our first year of marriage? With all you’ve been through in college, I thought we’d travel and have fun.”
“We can still do that, I’m sure.”
“I don’t know, maybe I have more time on my hands anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Trust is moving to establish a committee to review everything, and that could take years.”
“They can’t do that—”
“They may be able to if they get enough people on the board of directors to agree.”
“And there’s no way to stop them?”
“Luca’s hubris is what has motivated them. He took my leadership, and some of the board want me to return to Marini Corporate, which will mean putting all other projects on hold.”
“But they will give you the money if we have a child.”
“That’s maybe a year from now. Business isn’t going to wait for it. Yes, we’ll have the money, but I remember what it was like when I worked for corporate. The work was all I thought about and did. And we were successful, so everyone benefited. That’s what they want.”
“But not you. What if you decide not to fight?”
“Then, I’ll have a spot on the board, a salary, and property afforded to me.
Mother’s sick, so they will never give it to her.
Salvatore could, with my Uncle Walter as his guardian, if we want to keep things in our immediate family.
But if that’s allowed, Marini Trust will solidify their power.
It will be more of having a Marini as a figurehead. ”
I furrowed my brows. “That’s not fair. No way. What are we going to do?”
“Fight with everything we have.” Rocco seemed excited, and I looked at him.
“You like this?”
“I like to earn what I have, and if it takes a fight, then we fight,” he said with a smile.
“But a fight could take years.”
“Then it takes years. It took Luca years to get his chair. I’m not afraid, Bella.” There was a glimmer of weariness in his eyes I wouldn’t ignore.
“We can wait, Rocco, on the baby,” I murmured. “I care more about how you feel and all the stress.”
“No. We live for ourselves. We’ll have both our careers and our family. We just have to put in the work.” He traced gentle circles over my stomach, and my heart soared, and I placed my hands over his and said a prayer of hope for all of us. Then he tickled me, and I squirmed, laughing. “Mmm, sexy.”
“Sexy?” I giggled and screamed as he took me over to the bed and pulled me onto his lap, taking the robe off and making me naked again.
“Take it out, Bella.”
My hands moved down and pulled out his cock, hard and ready, and I moaned as I put it inside of me. He moved deeper and reached up to hold my face, kissing me surprisingly tender on the lips. We gazed at each other again, and I could see his eyes shine, and my heart melted.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Gunnar stood outside the boardroom on the fifth floor of Marini Corporate.
A sharp-looking team in tailored suits from Unger and Crane, LLP loomed behind him as we arrived at Marini Corporate.
To my surprise, Gunnar wore a playful grin, a stark contrast to the gravity of the meeting ahead.
On the other hand, what good would it do to show weakness?
I straightened my posture and shook his hand. “Hello. How are you?”
He took my hand, his grip firm despite a slight hesitation. “Not bad at all. Rocco.” He paused, and a flicker of unease crossed his face before continuing. “We have ten minutes. Do you still want to do a brief meeting?”
“I do,” he said, with a hand on my back, and we all went into a nearby office and took our seats. Gunnar pulled out his laptop and opened a file I instantly recognized as the same one Luca had sent in his farewell message.
“You copied it?” I said. But of course he did; only now it dawned on me, with heat burning my ears, how intrusive it was and how little my life had changed. I thought it would stop after the arranged marriage. That Rocco as head would have more control, but it was a fantasy.
Gunnar confirmed. “Yes, Adelina. The trust, board members, and their lawyers all received copies to prepare for today’s meeting.”
Rocco placed his hand on mine, comforting me, and I appreciated that he understood how difficult it was for me to have my life so exposed to their scrutiny.
“I had to show my parents first to prepare them for what Luca recorded. However, it’s the way things are done.
We have to provide complete transparency. ”
I sighed heavily. “I see.
Rocco gave my hand a gentle squeeze, then turned to Gunnar. “Tell us what you have learned.”
Gunnar folded his hands on the table. “All right, let’s start with the good.
Marini Corporate’s stock has surged by eight percent over the last quarter, thanks to your initiatives and leadership.
It’s why Marini Trust is careful not to leak any news.
They know, as we do, that shareholders care most about profit.
Removing you from power would weaken public confidence, and thereby earnings, which means displeasing you could only go so far. ”
I let out a slow breath. Relief washed over me. “That’s good, right?” I glanced between them.
“In some ways, yes,” Rocco said. “What else?”
“Luca was aware the new will wasn’t validated. He was also sick, so that brings about an argument that he wasn’t of sound mind—”
“That’s what I don’t want to use,” Rocco pointed out.
“Unless we’re losing,” Gunnar added. “Which also brings us to the bad for us. Luca, the board members, and the shareholders want you to return to Marini Corporate full-time. That means they’re willing to entertain restrictions on your ability to take hold as head of the family.
A review committee has been thrown around to delay you from getting access to the billions or from using your money toward your studio. The child provision—”
“We’ve decided not to fight the child provision,” Rocco said. “We’re trying for a child now.”
Gummar’s eyes shifted between the two of us. “Okay, if that’s what you want to do. However, that still delays your receiving the money from the trust until after birth. I can argue today that the agreed release of money has been met. But that doesn’t help with Marini Corporate.”
Rocco hesitated for a moment, a flicker of regret in his eyes. “I’ve made a decision on that, Gunnar.” He took my hand. “I’ll return to the head of corporate full-time,” he finally said, the weight of commitment grounded in his voice.
“No, Rocco,” I interrupted him.
He smiled wistfully. “It’s fine, Bella. It’s not the end of my dream.
It means more work to get there, and sacrifices need to be made to make sure Marini Enterprises stays on top.
” As he spoke, I envisioned the rolled-up blueprints he kept on a draft table in his office, which he brought to every investor meeting.
The accolades he’d already received as a producer of award-winning movies.
It was his next step, his big dream, and now he was willing to let it go.
“I’m devastated for you,” I said then gulped, my eyes stinging.
Rocco squeezed my hand. “Don’t give up, Bella.
I haven’t. There’s no one better to step in.
Luca mentored me for a reason. His death is still fresh, and our companies need a stronger transition.
My dream’s not over; it’s only paused.” His faith, confidence, and unwavering spirit would carry him.
However, I could see the stress and pain behind his mask.
His passion was his art, and nothing about this was fair, but it wasn’t the time for it. He needed me to stand by him.
“Okay, Rocco. I’m with you.”
He leaned over and kissed my cheek.
“Well, with that news, this should be a short meeting,” Gunnar quipped. “Let me catch the team up, and we’ll go in.” Gunnar’s words were encouraging, but we all knew that anything involving money and power wouldn’t go gently.