Chapter 5 - The Secret Giovanni Never Told MeGiovanni did not speak until we were inside the SUV.
Chicago passed outside the windows.
I waited.
He stared forward.
Finally, I said, “Your brother.”
His jaw tightened.
“Matteo.”
“What happened?”
“He died eight years ago.”
“How?”
“Overdose.”
“But Tyler said Martin Kessler—”
“Matteo owed him money.”
My breath caught.
“Like Tyler.”
“Yes.”
Giovanni leaned back.
“My brother was twenty-six. Brilliant when he wanted to be. Reckless most of the time.”
There was no anger in his voice.
Only grief that had been held too long.
“He started gambling. Then borrowing. Then hiding.”
“Did you know?”
“Too late.”
I waited.
Giovanni looked out the window.
“Kessler pressured him. Matteo panicked. He started using pills. One night he took too many.”
“I’m sorry.”
He nodded once.
“I blamed Kessler.”
“Did you do something?”
“Yes.”
His answer was immediate.
“What?”
“I destroyed every legitimate business he had.”
I stared.
“Financially?”
“Yes.”
“And that’s why he hates you.”
“One reason.”
I looked at my hands.
“So Kessler finds Tyler. Tyler owes him money. Kessler realizes Tyler used to be married to me…”
“And you become leverage.”
“But why now?”
Giovanni’s expression hardened.
“Because Kessler heard you were connected to me.”
“That happened yesterday.”
“The photograph was three weeks old.”
“Yes.”
“So he was watching me before you.”
“Yes.”
“Then this isn’t about you.”
“Not initially.”
I felt sick.
Tyler.
His debt.
His careless mouth.
My daughter’s school.
Everything circled back to the man who once promised he would protect us.
I closed my eyes.
“What happens now?”
“We make sure Kessler cannot reach you.”
“How?”
Giovanni looked at me.
“By making everyone believe hurting you would be the worst financial decision of their life.”
“You mean the marriage.”
“Yes.”
I laughed bitterly.
“So now I actually need to pretend to be your wife.”
“For a while.”
“How long?”
“Until this is finished.”
“And when is that?”
“When Kessler has nothing left to threaten.”
His certainty should have comforted me.
Instead, it scared me.
“You’re going after him.”
“I’m handling it.”
“That means yes.”
He said nothing.
I touched his arm.
“Giovanni.”
His gaze dropped to my hand.
Then slowly lifted to my face.
“Don’t become what Tyler warned me about.”
Something dark moved in his expression.
“And what is that?”
“A man everyone is afraid to cross.”
He gave a humorless smile.
“I became that man a long time ago.”
“Maybe.”
I kept my hand on his arm.
“But you crouched on your kitchen floor this morning because Lily asked you to inspect a scratch on her stuffed rabbit.”
That surprised him.
“You listened to her explain crayons for ten minutes.”
“She was thorough.”
“You know what I mean.”
His expression softened.
I continued.
“You’re not just the man people whisper about.”
His voice dropped.
“You’ve known me less than twenty-four hours.”
“And somehow I know that.”
Silence filled the car.
Then his phone rang.
Security.
Lily and Maya were safe.
No incidents.
I exhaled.
At the mansion, Lily ran toward us with her stuffed rabbit tucked under one arm.
“Mom!”
I hugged her.
Then she held up the rabbit.
“Mr. Giovanni fixed his ear.”
I looked at him.
“You sew?”
“No.”
The seam was crooked.
Lily whispered loudly, “He tried.”
I laughed.
Giovanni looked offended.
“I was under pressure.”
“You manage billion-dollar companies.”
“None involving rabbits.”
That evening, I called my hospital supervisor.
I expected awkward questions.
Instead, she sounded worried.
“We’ve had reporters outside.”
My stomach sank.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Take a few days.”
“I can’t afford—”
“You have paid leave.”
“Not much.”
A voice behind me said, “Take it.”
I turned.
Giovanni.
I covered the phone.
“Stop eavesdropping.”
“You’re in my kitchen.”
I glared.
He looked unapologetic.
After the call, I crossed my arms.
“I’m going back to work.”
“Not tomorrow.”
“You don’t control my job.”
“No.”
“Then stop.”
He stepped closer.
“If Kessler knows where you work, that hospital becomes a vulnerability.”
“Children need me.”
“And Lily needs you alive.”
That silenced me.
He regretted the words immediately.
“Jessica—”
“No.”
I looked away.
“You’re right.”
I hated how many times he had been right.
That night, I couldn’t sleep again.
At midnight, I found him on the balcony.
Lake Michigan was black beyond the railing.
He held a glass of whiskey but wasn’t drinking.
“You always stand dramatically in moonlight?”
“Only Tuesdays.”
“It’s Wednesday.”
“Then I’m slipping.”
I smiled.
Then stood beside him.
“Tell me about Matteo.”
He was quiet for a long time.
“He loved motorcycles. Hated formal dinners. Played terrible guitar.”
“Lily would have liked him.”
“Everyone liked him.”
His voice cracked slightly.
He looked away.
I pretended not to notice.
“After he died, I decided no one would ever have enough power over my family to hurt us again.”
“And that’s why you control everything.”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
“It is.”
We stood close enough that our shoulders nearly touched.
He asked quietly, “Why did you stay single?”
I laughed softly.
“Busy.”
“That isn’t the whole answer.”
“No.”
I watched the dark water.
“After Tyler, dating felt like another job. And every man I met eventually asked some version of the same question.”
“What question?”
“Whether Lily’s father was involved.”
He frowned.
“Why?”
“Because they wanted to know whether dating me meant dealing with another man.”
“That’s absurd.”
“I know.”
“And Lily?”
“Was always treated like complicated luggage.”
Giovanni’s expression hardened.
“She’s not.”
“No.”
“She’s extraordinary.”
My throat tightened.
“You’ve known her one day.”
“That was enough.”
I turned toward him.
He was already looking at me.
The distance between us suddenly felt small.
Too small.
Neither of us moved.
Then he raised one hand.
Slowly.
Giving me time to step away.
His fingers brushed a loose strand of hair from my cheek.
My breath stopped.
“This is a bad idea,” I whispered.
“Yes.”
“You’re supposed to be my fake husband.”
“I know.”
“And I barely know you.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
His eyes dropped to my mouth.
“Because apparently knowing something is a bad idea doesn’t make me want it less.”
My heart pounded.
He leaned closer.
The balcony door opened.
“Mommy?”
We jumped apart.
Lily stood in the doorway holding the rabbit.
“I had a bad dream.”
I rushed to her.
Giovanni stepped back.
The moment was gone.
Maybe that was good.
Maybe.
I carried Lily to bed.
She fell asleep against me.
An hour later, my phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then a photograph loaded.
Tyler.
Blood on his face.
Sitting in what looked like an empty warehouse.
A message followed.
YOUR HUSBAND THINKS HE CAN PROTECT EVERYONE.
ASK HIM HOW THAT WORKED FOR HIS BROTHER.
Then another.
TOMORROW. NOON.
COME ALONE.
OR LILY LEARNS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HER MOTHER DISOBEYS.
My hands began shaking.
I looked toward the bedroom door.
May you like
Giovanni would never let me go.
Which meant, for the first time since meeting him, I would have to lie to my fake husband.
