My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 472

Chapter 472

Gianna

I didn’t want to go downstairs.

That realization hit me the second I opened my eyes,

The room was quiet. Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains, painting soft golden lines across the floor but it did absolutely nothing to improve my mood.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. The papers, the stupid, horrible papers and I had agreed to sign them.

I understood why Vincenzo wanted it. I understood the security concerns. I understood the protection. I understood all of it.

That didn’t make it hurt less because protection was one thing and permanence was another.

Soon there would be documents, signatures, legal records, a last name and a family tree. A hundred different pieces of paper telling the world that Raphael Capone was my brother.

I squeezed my eyes shut. It was almost funny because apparently I had managed to do something spectacularly stupid.

I had fallen in love with the one man I couldn’t have.

The universe had looked at me and said, Let’s make her life as complicated as possible.

A miserable laugh escaped me, then I dragged myself out of bed.

An hour later I was standing outside the dining room trying to gather enough courage to walk inside.

The sound of conversation drifted through the open doors. Claire laughing, Jules talking, Adriano being loud. Everything sounded normal.

Meanwhile I felt like I was heading toward my execution. I took a breath and walked inside.

Mom sat beside Salvatore, Jules was talking to them with her mouth full, Maddie looked half asleep for some reason.

Claire immediately noticed me, “There she is.”

Before I could escape, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the empty chair between her and Maddie.

I dropped into the seat.

Claire immediately started loading food onto my plate.

“Claire.”

“What?” she asked.

“That’s too much.”

“You look sad.”

“I’m not sad.”

“You look like somebody cancelled Christmas.”

It lasted approximately twelve seconds then I looked anyway because apparently I had no self-control.

Raphael was still watching me, not openly, not enough for anyone else to notice but enough. Enough that my chest hurt.

God.

Why did he have to be so… him?

Why couldn’t he be selfish? Cruel? Annoying? Something. Anything other than how stupid he was.

It would have been so much easier if he were the kind of man who lied, or cheated, or treated people badly. It would have been easier if he wasn’t the man who remembered every little thing I said.

It would have been easier if he wasn’t Raphael.

If he wasn’t brilliant.

If he wasn’t patient.

If he wasn’t the safest place I had ever found.

Then maybe getting over him wouldn’t feel impossible. I looked down at my plate, suddenly very interested in my breakfast. Anything was better than looking at him.

Anything was better than remembering that none of this could ever happen.

Across the table, Raphael lowered his coffee mug slowly, his attention never quite leaving me.