CHAPTER 24 JARED #5
"That still doesn't prove anything. Renato chose Mauro as his heir. He could've recently changed his last name to carry on the family name."
Veyron nods slowly.
"Umm. Maybe you're right. I just thought you should know because if it had been something official, like legally taking their last name, I'd expect the employees to know about it.
After all, he's supposed to be their future boss, the heir of the Santoro estate and enterprise.
But maybe I'm reading too much into it." He glances at me innocently.
"I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation," he adds with a smile that's just a little too wide, and I know he's only saying it for my sake.
I feel myself growing more and more tense. I keep shifting my weight from foot to foot, almost rocking in place. I need to end this conversation now. My nerves are a bit frayed.
"Veyron… thank you so much for coming here. If I had the money right now—"
Veyron waves both hands dismissively.
"Oh, Jared, don't mention it. I had a nice little vacation out of it.
Besides, I also have a pretty lucrative contract to advertise Renato's company, so all is good! I’m walking away from this with a good client!
" His boyish smile returns. "I'm really glad things between you and Mauro worked out so well, and I hope your relationship keeps growing stronger until, eventually, all these mysteries are finally explained," he says warmly.
I nod.
"I think they will. Magical ABOs are often very cautious, and they tend to reveal their secrets slowly.
I can't be a hypocrite. I have a small gift of my own that could probably be called magical, and to be honest, I've never told anyone about it.
I haven't told Mauro either. I also have plenty of other secrets, things from my past that I still haven't confessed to him, so I don't think it's fair to expect us to dump every detail of our lives on each other right at the beginning. "
Veyron narrows his eyes for a moment.
"You know, for that reason, people usually date for quite a while before they make a life-changing decision like this," he says with a hint of dry amusement, a crooked smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.
"You have a point," I admit with a quiet sigh. "But I'm going to do what my instincts are telling me to do. I believe Mauro is my fated mate, so I will stay here, for better or for worse."
Veyron's expression turns thoughtful.
His gaze drifts off into the distance before he quietly says, "I'm jealous. I wish I could find mine too. A lot of my cousins have their True Mates already. I don't."
"So why don't you just ask Storm for help?"
"Umm, we don't get along very well. Everyone keeps telling me I should try talking to him, though. Maybe one day I'll finally do it. Who knows."
I hold out my hand, and he shakes it.
"Thank you, Veyron. You're a really good guy. I wish you the best of luck, and don't hesitate to talk to Storm. Finding happiness is worth a little hurt pride." I smile a little wistfully. "As I know better than anyone, it's rare and incredibly hard to find. It's worth its weight in gold."
About half an hour later, Veyron packs up and drives away.
I'm standing on the front porch with Silvio and Mauro beside me.
"Such a nice young man," Silvio says, watching Veyron's car disappear down the road. "And smart! I hope life treats him well."
To be honest, I hope the same for Veyron. In those brief moments when his wide smile faded, I caught glimpses of the sadness and longing hidden beneath it, and I'm pretty sure he dreams of finding his special person every single day.
But I have things to take care of now, and I want to get everything settled as quickly as possible. I step aside and make a brief phone call to Alex, who, thankfully, unlike Veyron, isn't nearly as interested in interrogations.
He simply accepts with genuine excitement that I'm certain I've found my True Mate and promises to bring Tommy here tomorrow.
Silvio notices me walking around the patio and comes outside to join me, with Mauro following close behind.
"Jared, would you like to come into town with me today? There's a wonderful store that has beautiful furniture and decorations for children's rooms. We still need to finish Tommy's room."
I hesitate for a moment, blinking, because I was just about to have the conversation with Mauro, but I simply can't say no.
This is Tommy's room we're talking about, and I want him to be happy when he gets here. Moving to Rainbow Springs will be a huge shock after the quiet life he's used to, and I want to make the transition as easy and comforting as I can for him.
"Sure." I glance at Mauro, hoping he'll come with us too, but then I catch something in his expression that tells me he has no intention of joining us.
A small wave of disappointment washes over me, but I don't ask why. Maybe he thinks this should be my chance to bond with Silvio? Or maybe he has some other reason?
An hour later, Silvio and I drive into town. Once again, I'm struck by how charming this little place is.
In daylight, it looks almost as magical as it did during the fireworks show.
It's small, but beautifully maintained, with little green spaces dotted with evergreen shrubs, low hedges, and a few neatly trimmed ornamental trees.
Christmas decorations hang from the lampposts and storefronts, with colorful wreaths, red bows, and strings of tiny lights framing the windows.
The shop windows are bright and inviting, spilling warm light onto the sidewalks and contrasting with the winter chill.
Pretty metal-and-wood benches with ornate wrought-iron details line the walkways, some decorated with little seasonal touches.
Even the trash cans have whimsical little flourishes that make them look more charming than functional.
A few wooden signs point toward the different streets and shops, each painted in a slightly different style, adding to the town's cozy character.
Colorful stone paving winds through the square, and here and there, small planters filled with conifers stand, covered with glass Christmas balls and candy canes.
The whole place has a cheerful, almost storybook quality to it. Families with strollers amble around the square, people wander from shop to shop, and everything looks almost unbelievably idyllic.
We step into one of the shops Silvio picks, and we stop in front of a section displaying beautifully furnished model children's bedrooms, each one set up so customers can browse the designs before ordering the matching furniture collections. I try to focus, but I can't.
Mauro's hesitant expression from earlier, when Silvio and I were about to leave, keeps replaying in my mind.
Silvio seems to notice my mood.
"Is something troubling you, sweetheart? Are you worried that you made the decision to move in too quickly?"
"It's not exactly that." I hesitate. "I was quietly hoping Mauro would come with me and help me pick out the furniture. I keep wondering whether he even likes children… whether he can picture himself as a stepfather."
Silvio nods with a solemn expression, then gently takes my hand in his small, wrinkled one.
"My dear, I don't want to tell you things that Mauro should tell you himself, because that's not my place. But I do want to reassure you that he has some pretty solid reasons for not showing his face in public too often."
My heart beats a little faster with unease.
"Why wouldn't he want to be seen in public? This is such a tiny town. If we're really going to become a family, how would that even work?"
A look of concern crosses Silvio's face. "Sweetheart, he has a few things to take care of first. It's safer this way."
Then I suddenly remember something Davos mentioned. Tony had complained that black cars had been spotted near the house. What could that possibly mean?
"Is Mauro in trouble? And does that mean Tommy and I could be in trouble too?" I whisper, my voice trembling.
"My dear, we'll do everything we can to keep you safe. I promise you that." Silvio's voice remains calm. "You have a powerful protector now, and that protector is the forest. The forest will answer our call."
A wave of dizziness washes over me.
"A protector? Why would I even need a protector?"
"Well," Silvio says softly, "having a protector just in case is a good thing, isn't it? And aren't you afraid of someone from your past?"
I freeze because he's right. I am afraid. But how could they possibly know that? Almost no one knows about that except… the people from my distant past.
"But we were talking about Mauro!" I press, my voice rising with stress. "About why he doesn't want to be seen around town!" My breathing starts to hitch slightly, and I can tell it's getting worse.
"It’s okay, Jared, he’ll explain…"
But I already rub my temples frantically, imagining the worst, on the verge of panic.
Suddenly, Silvio places his other hand over mine, and instantly I feel as though a wave of peace is flowing into my body.
I look into his eyes, and they remind me of a living forest, green and gently swaying, streaked with the colors of autumn.
A deep stillness fills me, and my fear melts away almost immediately.
I know Silvio has used some kind of magic on me.
"It's all right, sweetheart." His whisper sounds like the rustling of leaves. "I think you should talk to Mauro the moment we get home. I can see how much this is worrying you. He’ll clear things up."
I slowly nod. Whatever Silvio just did gives me the strength to face whatever this is. Hopefully? It can’t be that bad, right?
"Okay," I murmur. "I'll talk to him when we return."
We go back to shopping, but I feel split in two. One half of me has been soothed by Silvio and now rests calmly inside me, while the other keeps trying to stir up anxiety, trying to make me worry, trying to shatter that newfound peace.
Thankfully, it doesn't succeed.