Every Mafia's Favorite Girl novel Chapter 179

Chapter 179: "If Tomorrow Gets Hard"

Aren’s expression shifted at once.

"Oh. That song... it’s just something my brothers taught me."

She lowered her gaze, suddenly shy.

"We used to sing it whenever we had something to celebrate. A big mission completed without any casualties, someone’s birthday... things like that."

Caio’s smile didn’t change, nor did the quiet intimacy in his gaze.

"I want to hear it."

That made her even more self-conscious. There was very little she could deny him when he looked at her like that.

"All right," she murmured at last, her cheeks warming. "But my singing is nowhere near as good as my combat skills, and I’ve been told many times that I’m tone-deaf. So please... don’t laugh."

Caio’s smile deepened.

"I’ll try."

"That doesn’t sound reassuring."

"It wasn’t meant to be."

Aren gave him a small, suspicious frown, but eventually, she drew in a slow breath.

She tried to forget that he was watching her, but it was impossible. His gaze remained fixed on her with such unwavering attention that she could almost feel it against her skin.

After a moment, she gave up pretending otherwise. So, after a silent prayer that she wouldn’t embarrass herself too badly, Aren finally began to sing.

If tomorrow gets hard,

Think of the joy we’ve shared today.

When the sun has set and the sky grows dark,

Follow me,

We’ll find a light to guide the way.

...

The melody continued softly beneath the whisper of the night wind.

At first, Aren remained painfully aware of herself. Her voice was hesitant, each note carefully tested before she allowed it to leave her lips.

But the longer she sang, the more the garden around her seemed to fade.

Memories rose instead — memories of faces she hadn’t seen since she’d opened her eyes in this impossible new world.

For some lines, her expression brightened despite herself.

For others, a quiet ache passed across her features as she remembered everything she’d lost — the life that existed somewhere beyond a distance she could never cross again.

Caio lay perfectly still, doing nothing but listening to her.

He watched every change, every smile, every shadow. Every moment when sadness briefly overcame the happiness.

And as Aren continued singing, something painfully familiar slowly tightened in his throat.

He knew this feeling.

He had felt it once before, beneath this very tree — when he’d first heard the song of a small blue bird, and found himself utterly captivated by something so beautiful that he’d been terrified of losing it.

Only this time, the feeling was heavier, far more complicated. Because now, he understood what he’d failed to understand as a teenager.

’I don’t want to own this.’

’I don’t want to be the reason you stop singing.’

His gaze remained fixed on Aren as her voice carried softly through the evening air.

’No matter how terrified I am of losing you...’

’I won’t put you in a cage.’

At last, the song came to an end.

Aren released a small breath. When she looked down at him, he was still staring at her, still wearing that faint smile.

His expression, however, was entirely too peaceful for the words that followed.

"You really are tone-deaf."

Aren blinked.

The insult was delivered so gently that, for a moment, she didn’t even understand what he’d said.

She stared at him for another second before her brows slowly drew together in offended disbelief.

"I told you that before I started!" she protested, turning her face away with a small huff. "And you still insisted on listening. Now you’re teasing me too!"

Caio’s smile finally broke into a soft laugh despite himself. She looked so much like Biscuit when she was offended.

He tried to suppress the next laugh, but failed miserably and had to cover his mouth with one hand.

Aren glanced down sharply when she heard him laughing harder.

"You promised not to laugh!"

"I said I’d try."

"Caio!"

The warning in her voice only made him laugh again. Eventually, he managed to calm himself enough to look up at her, now with something almost pleading in his expression.

"Would you sing another one for me?"

Aren stared at him.

"But you just said my singing was terrible."

"I didn’t ask for good."

The simplicity of his answer caught her completely off guard. She wanted to protest, but he’d already closed his eyes, looking thoroughly content to wait for her to sing.

Aren sighed in surrender.

"All right..."

She was about to begin again when another thought struck her.

"Actually... there’s something more important I need to tell you."

’No.’

’I’m doing it again.’

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