Page 29 of Claimed At First Sight

His voice is deadly calm. Mine is too.

“Rights are for men who wait for permission, Mateo. I don’t.” I hold his gaze evenly. “She deserved to know.”

“Yes, she does.” His voice sharpens. “But it was for me to break the news. You should have brought that information to me. You know how this works. I don’t need to tell you that.”

He’s right, of course. I know the protocol… and decided against it.

“What happens with Mari’s sisters is my responsibility, not yours. I made that clear when you arrived.”

Mateo is pissed. I’d be too if our positions were reversed, but that doesn’t mean I regret it.

“I uncovered that information yesterday morning and intended to speak with you after the memorial. I’m here now.”

Mateo’s jaw flexes, anger flashing through his eyes.

“You blindsided a young woman with potentially life-altering information she’s not equipped to handle.”

He still thinks Mia needs protecting from every hard truth. I don’t. She’s tougher than he gives her credit for. She’ll need to be. My wife won’t have the luxury of being fragile. Not if she’s going to stand beside me, run my household, and raise my children.

Mateo plants both palms on the desk.

“You only told her to advance your own agenda.”

A fair point. Still, I’d do it all over again.

“I welcomed you into my home,” Mateo says quietly. “Trusted you around my family. Don’t make me regret that.”

His eyes bore into me. “I told you Mia is off-limits. Stay away from her.”

The order hangs between us. I almost smile.

I move toward the chair opposite his desk and sit down calmly, adjusting my cufflinks.

“That’s going to be difficult,” I say, my voice just as firm as my cousin’s. “Considering I intend to marry her.”

Mateo stares at me incredulously, shaking his head. “No, you won’t.”

“It’s the solution to this problem,” I say, keeping my tone factual. “If the Irish come to collect on Antonio’s agreement, marrying me nullifies the contract immediately. I’m not just offering her protection, Mateo. I’m offering them a reason to back down without losing face. No Irish family is going to challenge my family over a dead man’s arrangement.”

Mateo’s stare doesn’t waver. His jaw ticks. He knows I’m right.

“That only works if Mia agrees to marry you. Have you asked her?”

For a moment, the room goes quiet.

“She’ll say yes.”

“So her answer was no. That’s what I expected.”

His blunt assessment irritates me, though I don’t let it show.

“I’ll handle the Irish situation if it resurfaces,” Mateo continues. “With Antonio gone, it likely never will.”

Whether the Irish contract survives Antonio or not changes nothing. Mialina Accardi will agree to marry me of her own accord. I’ll ensure she realizes it is the only logical path forward.

“How did you even hear about this?” Mateo asks, some of the anger giving way to scrutiny.

“Rumors reached me a few months ago. At first, it sounded like typical speculation, and frankly, unlikely. Why would Antonio seek allies in the Irish when your family has nothing to do with them?”