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Chapter 3: Sofia

Author: Jennifer Sucevic
last update Last Updated: 2023-04-04 14:06:38
Two years ago

A hand settles on my shoulder. Startled, I spin around. As my gaze collides with Franco's, a big smile spreads across my face. A matching grin lights up his.

"Franco!"

"Long time, no see, Valentini!"

Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around his thin, wiry body and squeeze tight. He does the same. It's been at least a year since we've seen each other. Franco and I grew up together, and we've been close friends ever since. He moved to New York after college. We rarely get the chance to spend time together due to our busy schedules. Finding him here is a wonderful surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was heading back from California when Pops asked me to stop home." He jerks his head toward the wing of the house where my father's office is located, his jovial expression sobering. "He's meeting with Enzo."

"And he brought you along for the ride, huh?" Trying to lighten the heaviness permeating the air, I joke, "Moving up in the world, I see."

He rolls his mocha-colored eyes and snickers. "Sure, I'll be running the show in two years, max."

I smirk as pleasure floods through me again at his unexpected presence. Regardless of the reason, I'm happy to see him. "I don't doubt it."

Like me, Franco has no interest in joining the family business. We've always had that in common. It's what bonded us together in the beginning. We're just two misfits who want to blaze our own trail in the world by choosing different paths for ourselves. Franco graduated with a degree in accounting. He's a whiz with finances. Unfortunately, his chosen area of study is a useful skill set to his father.

Mine, not so much. Which is fine with me.

"I was hoping we could get together while I'm in town. Are you free?" he asks.

"How about tonight?" I suggest, wanting to nail something down before we say goodbye.

"It'll have to be after eight; there are family obligations I have to take care of first. Maybe we can grab dinner and drinks and make a night of it?"

I pull Franco into my arms again. I've missed his friendship this past year. It's not the same with him gone. There aren't many people I can be honest with. Franco is one of the few. Even though I'm surrounded by family, friends, and my father's men, life at the compound is lonely.

You're never sure who can be trusted and who can be bought with enough money thrown in their direction. I've had supposed friends sell stories to the tabloids regarding my family. Once that happens, you grow cautious as to who you allow into your inner circle. When you do happen to find someone who proves themselves to be trustworthy, you hold on to them tightly with both hands because you understand just how precious a commodity it is.

I grin. "It'll be just like old times."

Still wrapped in Franco's arms, I feel his presence seconds before he clears his throat. There's no rational explanation for why my body is so finely attuned to his, but it is.

"Your father is wondering where you've disappeared to," Roman says to Franco in a clipped tone.

Franco tenses and turns to face him. When I try to step out of Franco's embrace, he stakes his claim by tightening his hold. The two men silently glare at each other as the atmosphere in the kitchen becomes oppressive.

Not once does Roman glance my way.

He never does.

To him, I am invisible.

It's been a year since Roman began working for my father and his dislike for me hasn't diminished. It's as if he made a snap decision and has never bothered to revise it.

Franco looks down at me with questioning eyes and tightens his hold. He must feel the tension permeating the air, too.

A muscle ticks in Roman's jaw, but his mask of indifference doesn't falter. He reminds me of a predator right before it strikes at prey. I can't imagine why he would lash out at Franco. They're not even acquainted with one another. Enzo and Franco's father formed an alliance decades ago. It would be foolish to create problems where none exist.

"I stopped to say hello to Sofia," Franco replies. "I'll be there shortly."

Roman's scowl deepens as he folds his arms across his wide chest. My eyes note the way his T-shirt stretches over every contour. His biceps bulge, muscles flexing with each movement. "Your father has grown impatient with your absence. Questions have surfaced that require your particular area of expertise."

Franco stiffens. He isn't happy about using his education in this manner, but he has a difficult time denying his father. His decision to distance himself from the family business has caused strife between them. I'm lucky in that regard. I have three older brothers and a handful of cousins to pick up that mantle.

Not so for Franco. He feels trapped in a lifestyle he neither asked for nor wanted.

"Fine." Looking irritated, Franco shoots me a glance. "I'll call you later, and we'll figure out a time and place. Sound good?"

I nod in acknowledgment. The warm comfort of Franco's arms vanishes from around me. Franco's eyes shift from Roman to me as if he's trying to figure out what's going on between us. He squeezes my fingers and strides through the arched doorway to head down the hall to my father's office.

My throat goes bone dry, and air leaks from my lungs as Roman frowns at me. I can tell the interaction we're about to have won't be pleasant. It's the why of the matter that eludes me. A surge of awareness zips through my body. My muscles tighten and lock up, rooting me in place.

I'm powerless to flee.

Powerless to do anything other than stare back at him.

How is he able to do this?

How does he tie my insides up in little knots with one hard-edged glare aimed in my direction?

I've never experienced this kind of intensity before. What a huge cosmic joke that the man who makes me feel this way wants nothing to do with me.

"You need to stop being such a distraction," Roman snaps.

The blood drains from my face. Confused by his reaction, I ask, "What are you talking about?"

"He's here for a reason, and you're getting in the way of it."

"Franco and I are friends. We were just saying hello."

"You're a distraction," he growls. "I don't think you know how to be anything other than that."

Before I can protest, he stalks out of the kitchen, leaving me to pull myself together after another disastrous conversation. But I can't. No matter how much I rack my brain, I'll never understand why Roman hates me.
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  • Claiming What's Mine   Chapter 50: Sofia

    Mama moves around me and stands toe-to-toe with Roman, who bows his head in deference even though he towers over her. Her fingers slide under his chin and turn his head from one side to the other so she can take a good look at his bruised and bloodied face. "You were let off easy. Don't make my husband regret his generosity.""I won't," Roman says gravely."I always liked you," she muses. "It's disappointing to realize you spent so many years lying to us."Regret flashes across his face. "I'm sorry about that, Mrs. V. If I could go back and change it, I would." His gaze dips to me. "But then I wouldn't have met Sofia."Mama tilts her head to the side, her fingers digging into his chin as she studies him. "If you hurt my darling girl or this grandbaby, there will be nowhere on this earth you can hide that I will not hunt you down."Roman winces as her fingernails cut into his skin. "I'm asking for the chance to make Sofia happy. I want to give her the life she deserves." Loo

  • Claiming What's Mine   Chapter 49: Sofia

    Surprisingly, my brothers release Roman right away.Roman leans against me, trying to hold himself upright so as not to appear weak in front of my family. We stagger toward a leather armchair, and he slowly lowers himself onto it. The swelling and bruises have worsened in the last few minutes. His right eye is almost fused shut and a rainbow of streaks color his chin.As I turn to face my family, my gaze lands on my mother, who I hadn't realized was standing behind me. Grace is there as well, her blue eyes wide as saucers."You don't have to do this," Roman mumbles.I slip my hand into his and rub his knuckles with my thumb. "Yes, I do." My parents, my brothers, and Grace are all on one side of the room while Roman and I occupy the other. I've never felt so isolated from them. My family has always stood together. That's what we do. The Valentinis present a united front to anyone who tries to harm us.And I'm breaking that code by defying them.Is this man worth it?Is he wor

  • Claiming What's Mine   Chapter 48: Sofia

    I shoot Grace a questioning look over my mother's shoulder, but the other woman shrugs in response. "I'm just relieved that you're okay." Mama tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and pats my shoulder.I frown in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?" Is she referring to the Russian situation? I can't imagine my father hasn't kept her up-to-date with the recent developments. "Roman never let me out of his sight, Mama. I was perfectly safe the entire time."Instead of softening with relief, her expression turns murderous. Her dark eyes fill with a mixture of contempt and disgust. She glances toward the wing my father's office is located in. "That man will no longer be working for us."My throat closes. "What are you talking about?"She shoots a nasty glare at the hallway. "He's a traitor.""Roman?" I breathe."Don't ever say that man's name in this house again!" she snaps, drawing herself up to her full height.I thought we had time to make a plan before talking to my father. But we

  • Claiming What's Mine   Chapter 47: Sofia

    "Once I earned Enzo's trust, he brought me to the compound himself and gave me access to the heart of the operation. He opened his home to me and treated me like a son." His eyes drop to his lap."He cared about you. He still does. He planned for you to take over since my brothers have no interest," I grate out, unable to hide the fury tinging my voice at how Roman duped my father.Roman shakes his head and runs a hand over his closely cut hair. "I know."His troubled gaze meets mine again, and my heart softens because I can tell he's just as conflicted over the situation as I am."This assignment was supposed to be a two-year stint. I was instructed to make connections in the lower ranks and gather intel. Just as I was about to be pulled out, Enzo took an interest in me. No one had managed to make it into the Valentini inner circle before. My lieutenant and the DA decided to let me stay. But the problem is that you can't work undercover indefinitely. The deeper you get entr

  • Claiming What's Mine   Chapter 46: Sofia

    A guard waves our car through the gate, and we pull into the wooded grounds of the Valentini compound.Roman received a text from my father informing him that the Russian threat has been eliminated. I'm no longer in danger, and my security detail has been called off.It's a relief to have one less issue to worry about. My hand rests on my stomach as Roman navigates the long driveway. Neither of us said much during the twenty-minute ride. I think we're both in shock. I know I am. I may have suspected this outcome, but was still unprepared for it. I shift on the seat as Roman glances at me and wait for him to start this much-needed conversation.He doesn't though. He just continues to drive in silence as the test results flash through my brain for the hundredth time.I'm pregnant.I'm going to give birth to a tiny human being in less than nine months.My whole world has just been rocked. There's no going back to the way it used to be. I would be lying if I didn't admit that th

  • Claiming What's Mine   Chapter 45: Sofia

    I rush toward my car in the school parking lot with one thing on my mind.And that's stopping at the pharmacy on the way home to get a pregnancy test.In my two years as a high school counselor, I've had several girls pop into my office, frightened that they could be pregnant. The first thing I tell them is to talk to their parents because this isn't an issue they should deal with on their own. The second is to take a test. For the most accurate results, I advise them to make an appointment with their family doctor or Planned Parenthood to run blood work and take a urine test. If they aren't comfortable with either of those options, I tell them to pick up a home pregnancy test.Most of the time, they stop in and tell me their results were negative. We then have a come-to-Jesus discussion regarding safe sex practices. Abstinence is the only foolproof method, but that's not a realistic option for many teenagers nowadays. And I get that. We go over the different kinds of birth con

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