2. Cat
— ? —
Cat
I dress for war.
Red dress, power color, blood color. Hair pinned up, makeup sharp. If there’s a meeting about my position in this family, I will be there. My seat is written into the treaty. Article seven, section three. That was my condition.
I find Max in the hallway outside our wing, already dressed in one of his impeccable suits, phone in hand.
“Good morning.”
He turns, and his face opens for half a second. “Cat. You look-”
I close the distance between us and kiss him. Light, testing.
He pulls me closer and devours me.
For a moment, the distance he restored yesterday morning breaks again. His hands grip my waist, my back hits the wall, and his mouth claims mine like he’s been dying for it.
When we finally separate, I’m breathless. Smiling despite myself.
“So the freeze is thawing,” I murmur.
“Cat-”
“Is there a meeting today? Should I prepare something to wear, or is this dress-”
Footsteps echo down the hallway.
The change is instantaneous.
One second he’s holding me, and the next he’s three feet away, expression locked down like a vault. Two captains round the corner.
“Sir. Everyone’s assembled.”
“I’ll be there shortly.”
And then Marcella appears, gliding down the hallway in white silk. She slides her arm through Max’s without a glance in my direction.
“Massimo. We shouldn’t keep everyone waiting.”
“Of course.”
I wait for him to shake her off. To acknowledge me. To say something, anything, about what just happened.
His eyes meet mine for half a second.
“You should stay in your room,” he says flatly. “You’re not needed.”
The words land exactly where he aimed them.
“Excuse me?”
“The alliance session has been postponed. This is an internal Moretti council.”
He has used that distinction before. Matters that begin as treaty business become internal discussions just before the invitations go out. Each time I object, another date is promised. Today I intend to hear what keeps taking my place at the table.
“If it’s about the treaty-”
The captains study the carpet, the walls, anywhere but me, practiced at not seeing the wife who’s just been dismissed.
“It’s about Moretti matters. You’re not needed.”
“Max, you can’t just-”
“That wasn’t a request, Caterina.”
The use of my full name stops me cold. Marcella’s smile widens. Neither captain moves.
And my husband walks away without looking back, Marcella attached to his arm like she belongs there.
I don’t go to my room.
The service corridors are a maze, but I mapped them months ago. The meeting room has terrible soundproofing if you know where to stand.
I press my back against the wall and listen.
“A year of this arrangement, and what exactly do we have to show for it?” Sergio Greco’s voice, oily and sharp.
“We have peace,” Nico responds. “Twelve months without bloodshed-”
“Peace that benefits the Romanos more than us. What did we get? A girl who sits in her room while the rest of us actually run this family.”
“The donna has her own contributions-”
“What contributions? Name one. She doesn’t attend council meetings. Doesn’t involve herself in operations. Doesn’t produce heirs. She’s a placeholder.”
“The treaty specified her seat at alliance tables. Not internal family matters.”
“Convenient interpretation. The question is whether we need to honor a treaty that’s outlived its usefulness.”
“The treaty is binding for three years minimum.” Max’s voice cuts through. “We all agreed to those terms.”
“Terms can be renegotiated. Especially when one party isn’t holding up their end.”
“What happens in my marriage is not the council’s concern.”
“It becomes our concern when it affects succession, Massimo. You’re the don. Your heir matters to everyone in this room.”
“Don Moretti has time.” Nico again. “A year isn’t-”
“A year is long enough to see which way the wind blows. And from where I sit, this marriage looks like a political convenience with no commitment behind it.”
“You’re out of line, Sergio.”
“Am I? Then let Don Moretti correct me. Tell us you’re committed to this alliance. To building a future with the Romano woman.”
Silence.
I hold my breath.
“My relationship with my wife-” Max starts.
“Is what, exactly?” Marcella cuts in. “I’ve watched you for months, Massimo. I know what commitment looks like. Whatever’s happening between you and Caterina Romano, it isn’t commitment.”
“Marcella-”
“What? Someone has to say it. She doesn’t attend meetings. She doesn’t know your business. She contributes nothing except a name half this family resents. Be honest. Do you actually want to stay married to her? Or are you counting the days until the treaty minimum expires?”
“That’s enough.”
“Is it? My father asked a fair question.”
“The Romano woman isn’t the problem,” another voice says. “The problem is whether this alliance serves our interests.”
“Exactly.” Sergio seizes on it. “If the marriage isn’t producing results, we need alternatives.”
“What kind of alternatives?”
“Dissolution. Renegotiation. Finding a more productive arrangement for our don.”
Marcella makes a sound, half-laugh, half-sigh. “There are other options. Other alliances that might serve the family better.”
“Other alliances meaning you,” Nico says flatly.
“I’m pointing out that nothing is set in stone. Treaties can be amended. Marriages can end.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t happy.”
“You didn’t say you were, either.” Sergio’s voice is silk over steel. “Tell me honestly, Don Moretti. Do you love her? Do you want this marriage to continue? Or are you waiting out the clock?”
The silence stretches.
I press my hand against the wall to keep from shaking.
And then Max speaks, clear as a bell.
“I don’t know if I love her enough to keep her as my wife.”
The floor tilts beneath me.
“Tell me how long the treaty binds me. I can’t stand this much longer.”
Marcella’s laugh cuts through, bright, delighted, triumphant.
I don’t open the doors.
Instead, I stand frozen in the hallway, his kiss still on my mouth, his words still landing.
I don’t know if I love her enough.
I can’t stand this much longer.
The night before last he held me like I was everything.
This morning he kissed me like I was the only thing that mattered.
And now…
My hands are shaking. My whole body is shaking.
But I don’t move. I can’t move.
I just stand there, frozen, while everything I thought I knew shatters around me.