Every Mafia's Favorite Girl novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81: "Say Ah"

At a subtle snap of Caio’s fingers, a group of soldiers stepped forward carrying what looked less like an emergency meal and more like a banquet prepared for royalty.

Plates of slow-braised beef short ribs rested beside bowls of steaming lobster bisque.

Creamy truffle risotto released rich clouds of aroma into the air, while a basket overflowing with warm brioche rolls sat at the center of it all.

Every dish had clearly been selected with care. Soft foods. Gentle on a bruised jaw.

Aren stared at the feast.

Then stared some more.

Her mouth fell wide open despite the protest from her swollen face.

"That’s... a lot."

Caio glanced at the spread.

"It is?"

"I was talking about a few pieces of bread. This could feed my entire squad. I don’t think I can finish all of this."

A flash of disappointment crossed Caio’s face.

"Hm."

Several yards behind Aren, another team of soldiers had just arrived carrying an enormous box filled with backup desserts: caramelized crème brûlée, molten chocolate cakes, premium macarons, and the exact strawberry panna cotta she had been obsessing over during recent dinners.

Without a word, Caio raised a hand.

The soldiers halted instantly.

Confused looks passed between them, before they silently turned around and retreated with impeccable discipline, privately relieved that they would now be enjoying the macarons themselves.

Turning back to Aren, Caio’s attention softened once more.

"Can you even chew?"

Aren nodded.

"I can."

Yet instead of reaching for the food, Aren found herself studying him in silence.

A note of concern entered her voice.

"But... are you alright?"

The question caught him completely off guard.

"Why wouldn’t I be?"

"Well..." She hesitated. "Because I told you five minutes ago that your aunt and cousin are behind the assassination attempts, but you didn’t react."

She searched his eyes carefully.

"You also didn’t get angry. You didn’t look surprised. You didn’t say anything at all. You just... kept checking my injuries."

For a long moment, Caio said nothing.

She wasn’t wrong.

The truth was, when she’d started speaking, the information had scarcely registered. All he’d been capable of seeing were the bruises scattered across her face.

Now, forced to confront it, the emotions arrived all at once.

’How am I supposed to explain this?’

’What exactly am I feeling?’

’Betrayal?’

’Disappointment?’

’Grief?’

’Or have I suspected it for so long that hearing it out loud changes nothing?’

’But how am I supposed to sit here talking about myself while she’s still bleeding because of me?’

The answers remained hopelessly tangled somewhere beneath decades of family loyalty, resentment, and wounds he’d rather not examine.

In the end, he chose not to unravel them.

Instead, he picked up a spoonful of lobster bisque, blew gently across its surface, and held it toward her lips.

"Say ah."

Aren narrowed her eyes.

"You’re distracting me."

Her lips remained stubbornly closed.

A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of Caio’s mouth.

"I’m not distracting you."

The silence lasted less than two seconds before he released a long, defeated sigh.

"Fine. I am."

His gaze dropped.

"But I think... I’m still processing everything."

Aren’s voice softened.

"...Processing?"

"It shouldn’t surprise me," he admitted quietly. "I know exactly what kind of person my aunt is. But somehow..." His jaw tightened. "It still did."

A heavy silence settled between them.

Aren immediately felt a stab of guilt. The hurt beneath his composure was subtle, carefully concealed, yet unmistakably there.

Wanting to offer some comfort, she reached over and placed her hand over his, then opened her mouth obediently.

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