Chapter 10 - THE AUNT WHO CHOSE HER SON OVER THE FAMILY
Caterina Fierro asked to meet me six months after the wedding.
I laughed when Giovanni told me.
“No.”
“Fair.”
“Stop saying that.”
“Sorry.”
We were dating by then.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
He had met Lily twice.
First at zoo.
Second at pizza.
Both because I invited.
Lily called him Mr. Giovanni.
He never corrected.
On second meeting, she asked:
“Are you dangerous?”
I nearly died.
Giovanni considered.
“Sometimes my job can involve dangerous people.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
My child.
He smiled.
“I have made dangerous choices.”
“Do you hurt kids?”
“No.”
“Do you hurt moms?”
His smile disappeared.
“I hurt your mom by using information about her without asking.”
Lily looked at me.
“Did he say sorry?”
“Yes.”
“Did you forgive?”
“Some.”
Giovanni nodded.
“That is accurate.”
Lily ate pizza.
Interview complete.
Caterina kept asking.
I kept saying no.
Then she sent handwritten letter.
Not expensive gift.
Not summon.
I owe you an apology involving your daughter. If you do not wish to hear it, I will understand.
I went.
Public restaurant.
My choice.
Caterina looked older.
No black diamonds.
Plain navy.
“I knew Luca accessed security files.”
My blood chilled.
“When?”
“Before photograph.”
“What exactly?”
“I saw him reviewing Jessica Hale profile.”
“You knew child info?”
“No.”
“Did you ask?”
“No.”
There.
“I assumed business.”
“You chose not to know.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He was my son.”
“That is explanation.”
“Not excuse.”
She nodded.
Good.
“I spent thirty-seven years protecting him.”
“From consequences.”
“Yes.”
“Debt?”
“Yes.”
“Gambling?”
“Yes.”
“Business mistakes?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know bribery?”
“No.”
“Did you know Bellini data?”
“Not until meeting.”
I believed maybe.
Evidence aligned.
Caterina continued:
“I pushed Giovanni toward Sofia because if families combined, Luca’s debt vanished into transaction.”
“And your son stayed safe.”
“Yes.”
“What about Sofia?”
“I told myself she would benefit.”
“Did she want?”
“I did not ask enough.”
There.
Same disease.
People calling control protection.
Caterina’s eyes filled.
“When threat to Lily appeared, I understood what I had permitted.”
I hardened.
“Do not use my daughter to make yourself feel morally reborn.”
She flinched.
Good.
“I’m not.”
“Then what do you want?”
“To say I am sorry.”
“Without asking forgiveness.”
“Yes.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes.”
I stood.
Then she added:
“And to thank you.”
“No.”
“What?”
“Do not.”
I looked at her.
“I did not save your family.”
“Giovanni did not become honest because I danced.”
“Sofia did not testify because I am special.”
“Luca did what he did.”
“You did what you did.”
“Stop turning women into moral devices for men.”
Caterina stared.
Then, unexpectedly, smiled sadly.
“Giovanni likes you for good reason.”
“That is exactly opposite lesson.”
She laughed.
I almost did.
Then left.
Later, Luca was sentenced.
Not huge mafia drama.
Five years across combined federal fraud and trade-secret charges after plea.
He testified against Adriana Bellini.
Adriana received longer sentence for bribery/conspiracy and witness harassment-related conduct.
Alessandro Bellini stepped down from family company, not charged.
Sofia refused his offered executive position.
Started logistics-compliance consultancy with two former regulators.
When she told me, I said:
“That sounds painfully boring.”
She smiled.
“That’s the point.”
We became something like friends.
Not close.
Honest.
Vanessa had her daughter, Emma.
She divorced Tyler.
Her relationship with me remained complicated.
She apologized.
I did not forget wedding smile.
But she had also given evidence that protected Lily.
Both.
She moved near her parents.
Returned to work part-time.
Built own finances.
When Tyler went to prison, she allowed him letters to Emma through therapist.
Different child.
Different choices.
My mother rebuilt relationship with Lily.
Slowly.
No guilt gifts.
I banned.
Instead library trips.
Pancakes.
Once Mom told Lily:
“I made a bad choice not inviting you.”
Lily asked:
“Why?”
Mom answered:
“Because I cared too much about what adults would think.”
Lily said:
“That’s dumb.”
Mom laughed and cried.
“Yes.”
Good.
Giovanni changed company governance.
Fierro family trust lost automatic executive appointment powers.
Independent directors.
Conflict committee.
Privacy restrictions.
No family member could access security data without logged purpose.
Caterina opposed some.
Lost.
Giovanni did not protect her vote.
That mattered.
One evening, after dinner at my apartment, he washed dishes.
Poorly.
“You missed grease.”
“I run logistics.”
“You don’t anymore?”
“I still run logistics.”
“Then plate is object needing transport to clean state.”
He stared.
I laughed.
Lily slept.
Megan was out.
Quiet.
Giovanni dried hands.
Then said:
“I want to tell you something before it becomes problem.”
My chest tightened.
Our phrase.
Tell before reaction.
“What?”
“Board asked me to take security escort again.”
“Why?”
“Adriana sentencing threats online.”
“Do you want?”
“Yes.”
I appreciated.
“How affects us?”
“If I come here, one car may remain block away.”
“No tracking building residents.”
“No.”
“No Lily school.”
“Never without consent.”
“Okay.”
He looked relieved.
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“You’re terrifying.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Then he leaned.
Stopped.
“Can I kiss you?”
We had kissed before? In Chapter 9 only held hands. Good.
I stared.
Seven months since ballroom.
Months since fake wife.
Long enough.
“Yes.”
He kissed me.
Gentle.
No audience.
No ex-husband.
No strategic benefit.
After, Lily’s bedroom door opened.
We jumped apart.
She appeared holding stuffed shark.
“I need water.”
Giovanni looked guilty.
Lily looked between us.
“Were you kissing?”
I closed eyes.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“Better pretending.”
Then walked to kitchen.
Giovanni laughed so hard he sat down.
That was first time I loved him.
I didn’t say it.
Not yet.
A month later, Giovanni was leaving Fierro headquarters when Luca’s former associate confronted him in parking structure.
Not a cinematic ambush.
A desperate man facing charges who blamed Giovanni for cooperation.
He had gun.
Security intervened.
One shot fired.
Giovanni was hit in shoulder.
Associate arrested.
I learned from Sofia.
My body stopped.
I drove to hospital.
Not because Giovanni needed rescue.
Because I loved him and he was bleeding.
At emergency department, Caterina stood.
She saw me.
Said only:
“He’s awake.”
I entered.
Giovanni looked terrible.
Pale.
Arm immobilized.
He smiled.
“You came.”
“Do not make this romantic.”
“I was shot.”
“Shoulder.”
“Still.”
I started crying.
He stopped smiling.
“I’m okay.”
“I know.”
“Then why—”
“Because I love you, idiot.”
Silence.
Well.
There.
Not planned.
Giovanni stared.
I covered face.
“Pretend I didn’t say.”
“No.”
“Giovanni.”
“No.”
His voice weak but certain.
“I waited too long for that.”
I looked.
He continued:
“I love you too.”
Then:
“I was going to say after dinner next week.”
I laughed through tears.
“Poor planning.”
“Yes.”
I sat.
Did not touch until he offered hand.
I took.
No ring.
May you like
No lie.
This time, nothing needed pretending.
