Undressed By The Mafia God novel Chapter 522

Chapter 522: It Doesn’t Excite You

He gave Carol a polite nod and left the room. Silence followed. Luca sat utterly still in the chair beside Veronica’s bed, his hand hovering near hers. He had no idea what to feel. Joy seemed dangerous.

"You have doubts?" she asked.

Luca’s head snapped towards her. "What? No. God, no."

"Then what is it?"

"I just..." He released a heavy breath and looked back at his wife. His eyes softened, but fear remained beneath it. "I’ve been having a bit of trouble for a bit. I didn’t think it would be anytime soon before we would have a child."

Carol nodded slowly, understanding more than Luca had actually said. She was not even sure whether his difficulty was a subject he wanted to discuss with his mother.

So Carol let it go.

For now.

Still, his reaction troubled her.

"You don’t seem very excited about the prospect of a baby," she said carefully.

Luca looked up at her, genuine confusion crossing his face. Of course he was excited.

Wasn’t he?

He had wanted a child with Veronica. He had imagined a little girl with Vee’s eyes and temper, perhaps, or a boy just as arrogant as himself.

"Luca..." Carol studied him. "It doesn’t excite you."

His brows drew together. "Why wouldn’t it?"

"First, your face tells me it doesn’t."

"I’ve been awake for five days. Cut me some slack."

"Second," she continued, ignoring him, "you seem angrier at the news."

"I am not angry."

Carol gave him a pointed look. Luca shifted in the chair and turned towards Veronica instead.

"I don’t know what you are talking about," he said.

"This should be happy news."

"It is."

"But you are afraid to let it be."

Carol’s chest ached at the sight of him. He was not rejecting the baby. He was protecting himself from loving it too soon.

Nonnina first.

The woman who had raised him with a love so fierce, everyone bowed to it. Then, barely twenty-four hours later, their baby.

A life so small yet large enough to leave a grave inside him. He had never truly spoken about it. He had buried the grief under vengeance.

Carol bent and kissed the top of his head. "I am going to check on Marco...Think about what I said. And try to work on your good-news face before your wife wakes up." She squeezed his shoulder once before walking out.

Luca leaned forward and rested his head on the edge of the bed, still holding on to Vee’s fingers.

*****

Massimo had just arrived from Enzo’s place. He had gone himself because some duties could not be passed to lesser men. Delivering Graziella’s body to her husband was one of them. He didn’t know much yet but he did tell Enzo the little he knew.

It was hard to look at his friend and tell him that his own son had killed his mother. How did a father take news like that?

Enzo had simply looked at Graziella’s body. He did not even ask where David was. Perhaps he already knew it was an answer Massimo would not give him.

The man looked as done as Massimo felt. They were too old to continue this way. By the time Massimo returned to the mansion, Carol met him with news that stopped him in the corridor.

Veronica was pregnant. It was a miracle. It was news they all needed. A small, impossible light in the middle of all their ruin.

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