My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 679

Chapter 679

Raphael

“I’ve decided to spend some time in Philadelphia. I want to go there with my father… just for a few days.”

My attention narrowed until all I could hear was the echo of her words.

Philadelphia.

Her father.

For a few days.

The pieces came together with uncomfortable precision. The package, the photographs, the apartment.

She hadn’t come to me.

She hadn’t trusted me.

When something truly mattered to her, she hadn’t walked into my room. She hadn’t asked for my help. She had gone to Giovanni Toricelli.

Which meant there had never been a moment where she believed me. She still carried that doubt. She still believed that somewhere inside me was a man capable of murdering those girls because I killed Denise.

Otherwise…

Why ask him?

Why not me?

I would’ve moved heaven and earth to protect the people she cared about.

She knew that or maybe… she didn’t anymore. I looked at her across the table. She wouldn’t come to me with her fears anymore. She wouldn’t come to me with her plans anymore. She wouldn’t even tell me the truth.

But when she was drowning, when she needed someone to hold her. She came to me.

My body.

Not my mind.

Not my trust.

Not my heart.

Just…

Me.

His eyes never left Gianna, “Your mother sat in front of me before she died. She didn’t ask me for money. She didn’t ask me to save her or anything else. She asked me to protect you and Jules. I gave Hazel my word and I don’t break my word.”

Gianna paled and then swallowed, “I just want to see my little brother. And… Perla. They’re my family too.”

“They can come here,” Vincenzo answered immediately, “I’ll arrange everything. They’ll have protection from the moment they land until the moment they leave. But you…” he slowly shook his head, “You’re not going anywhere. I’ve already buried one Capone this year, I’m not gambling with another.”

Gianna looked away from him and her eyes landed on Salvatore.

She hadn’t looked at me once, not once, since this conversation started. She looked past me as though my opinion no longer mattered. As though I wasn’t part of this conversation. As though she’d already decided where she belonged.

“Well, say something!” She snapped at Dad.

Dad simply shrugged, “I stopped making decisions in this house a long time ago,” he leaned back comfortably,” My son runs this family now. He’s the head of this house. I’ve learned something over the years. My life gets considerably easier when I agree with him. And the annoying part is that he’s usually right.”

Gianna scoffed, her shoulders slumped, “You can’t keep me here forever.”

Vincenzo tilted his head, his expression remained almost thoughtful, “Can’t I? I’ve got a large estate. A security team that doesn’t sleep. And an entire organization whose job is making impossible things possible. You think I’m above locking the gates? I already almost lost you once. I’m not interested in testing fate a second time.”

Then…

He glanced toward me.

“And after everything that’s happened between you and Raphael,” his eyes returned to Gianna, “…you’re mistaken if you think I’m simply going to step aside.”