Page 26 of Vow of Desire

“How many times do I have to tell you?” I say to Alexandra. “It wasn’t my husband. Just because you live in this fake world doesn’t mean everything I say is a lie. I am telling the truth. You may be unhappy with your life. But I am not.”

“Now who’s the one telling lies,” Alexandra remarks.

Before I can help myself, my hand connects with her face. The room goes quiet. And then Alexandra jumps to her feet, her face red from where I just smacked her. “Get this girl out of here!” she screams at the security guard.

Sienna stares at me with an open mouth.

“I’m leaving,” I grumble before the guard can escort me out.

I return to the car and slam the door behind me.

Enzo looks at me in the rearview mirror. “Is everything all right?”

“I’m fine. Just take me back home.”

Thankfully, Matteo isn’t home so I have a moment to breathe. But of course, none of that lasts long.

A knock at the door makes me look through the peephole to reveal my father on the other side. After I open the door, he storms inside.

“Daddy?”

He takes one look at me and blanches. “So it’s true. He hit you.” He reaches out for my face but I back away.

“Who told you that?”

“Eliza. One of the wives of my men. She said she saw you at the tea function today and everyone was talking about how your husband hit you.”

Word travels fast when it comes to mafia women.

“It’s not true. Matteo didn’t do this to me.”

“Then who did?”

“Just some man. I was out getting my nails done and he was trying to steal the car and he punched me. Matteo… Matteo saved me. He got me to the hospital. Made sure I was all right. And I am. Which is why I didn’t tell you I got hurt. If I had been seriously hurt, you would have known about it.”

“You should have told me anyway. I am your father. I should know these things.”

“I am an adult,” I say harsher than I mean to. My father flinches slightly. “I don’t have to tell you everything if it’s not serious.”

“You got hit in the face, Luciana. That’s serious. I should have known. You should have told me.”

“Like you told me I was going to have to marry Matteo?” I pause. “Oh, wait. You didn’t tell me. I had to find out right in front of him like a fool.”

“I told you why I didn’t tell you. You’re my daughter. I wasn’t ready to lose you. You have to understand that.”

“And you have to understand that I’m not a little girl anymore!” I shout. My voice echoes through the large, front foyer. A crack. My spine feels close to breaking. No. I have tokeep it together or… or I don’t know what will happen. “I am an adult. A married woman now. I have the right not to tell you things.”

“But as your father, I have the right to know.”

“No. Not any longer. When I was a child, yes. But you gave me away to a man – a stranger – without telling me about it because you were too scared. Not because I’m your little girl or because you thought I couldn’t handle it. You didn’t want to tell me for you. Not for me. I chose not to tell you about this because I didn’t want to. I get the right to be selfish now. You have no more right, Daddy.” I shake my head. “I shouldn’t even be calling you that anymore. You’re my dad. My father. That’s more appropriate for an adult woman to say, isn’t it?”

He slowly shakes his head, his eyes wide. “I don’t even recognize the girl standing before me. Where is my sweet Luciana?”

“She was forced into a marriage and had all the dreams you placed on her dashed in a matter of seconds. You didn’t prepare me for any of this. You didn’t prepare me for having a husband. You filled my head with romance and fantasy and you didn’t allow me to know the real world. If I had known, then maybe I would have been better prepared to be a married woman but I’m not.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m failing, Dad. I’m failing at all of it. And there’s nothing I can do. And you’re only making me feel worse. So you should go. I am fine here because I have no other choice. You didn’t give me another choice.”