Forced To Be The Mafia King's Bride (by Oma Green) novel Chapter 174

Dante POV

I found my daughter in the upstairs living room. She was sprawled across the sectional sofa, her face buried in a thick hardcover, legs kicked up over the armrest. Her hair fell in a curtain around her face.

"Hey, principessa."

She looked up, tucking a strand behind her ear. "Hi, Dad."

I walked over and tapped her shin. "Scoot over."

She rolled her eyes but pulled her legs down, making room. I sat beside her, and she immediately stretched her legs back out, her feet landing in my lap.

"What are you reading?"

She held up the book without looking away from the page. "A mystery novel. A detective in Victorian London."

I caught sight of the cover. A woman in a low-cut dress leaned against a man in a top hat, their faces inches apart in the fog. The Scarlet Letter Murders. I grabbed the book from her hands.

"Hey!" She sat up, reaching for it.

I flipped through a few pages. My eyes landed on a passage.

His mouth found the hollow of her throat as his fingers worked the laces of her corset…

"Absolutely not." I snapped the book shut.

"Dad, come on. It's not even that bad."

"Not that bad?" I held the book up. "This is soft-core disguised as mystery."

"It's a subplot. The main plot is the murder investigation."

"I don't care if it's a footnote." I set the book on the coffee table, out of her reach. "You're fifteen. Too young for this garbage."

She crossed her arms, leaning back against the cushions. "I'm almost sixteen. Not six."

"Exactly. Which means no boyfriends until you're thirty. And when you do date, I'm vetting him first. Background check, interview, the whole thing."

"Dad." She groaned, dragging out the word. "You're insane."

"I'm protective. There's a difference."

She shook her head, but I caught the smile tugging at her lips.

My expression shifted. I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Her smile faded. She sat up straighter. "Okay."

"Gianna and I are going on our honeymoon."

Her face lit up instantly. "Finally. Some good news around here." She bounced a little in her seat. "Where are you guys going?"

"Monaco. We're staying at a private villa right on the Mediterranean. It has its own beach, an infinity pool, the works."

"That sounds incredible." She grinned wider. "How long?"

"About two weeks." I paused. "And while we're away, you're staying with your grandparents."

The grin vanished. "Grandma and Grandpa Moretti?"

"Yes."

She pulled her legs up, hugging her knees. "Dad, I barely know them. Why can't I stay here with Aunty Selene?"

"Because they've been begging to spend time with you. It's been years, Arielle. They're your mother's parents. They love you. And it's what your mom would have wanted. You should get to know them."

She bit her lip, staring down at her knees. "Okay."

"You don't sound happy about it."

"It's not that." She looked up. "I just... I'll miss you."

A wave of sadness washed over me. "I'll miss you too, principessa. But it's only two weeks. I'll call you every day."

She nodded slowly, then her expression shifted. A small smile crept back. "Well... at least now you and Gianna will have all the time in the world to, you know..." She waggled her eyebrows. "Make me that baby brother or sister I asked for."

I tilted my head back. She had no filter.

"Arielle."

"What? I'm just saying. Two weeks in a romantic villa?" She shrugged innocently. "Perfect opportunity."

"We talked about this. You need to be patient."

"I know, I know." She waved her hand. "But I'm just pointing out the obvious."

I shook my head, unable to stop a small smile. "You're something else."

"I got it from you."

I took a breath. "You should also know Gianna is still quite young. I don't want her to feel pressured into anything. So we might not start trying for a baby right away."

Her face fell slightly. "Oh. Right. I understand." She looked down at her hands. "I won't push. I promise. But being hopeful is still okay, right?"

"Being hopeful is fine."

She nodded, picking at a thread on the cushion. "I just really want a sibling, you know? It gets lonely sometimes."

I reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "I know."

She was quiet for a moment, then looked up at me. "Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Selene." Anger flared immediately. This was exactly why she had to leave. "She had no right to tell you that."

"Don't be mad at her, Dad." Arielle grabbed my hand. "She was just trying to protect and prepare me."

"That wasn't her place."

"Maybe not." She squeezed my hand. "But now that I know, I need you to listen to me."

I waited.

"I don't know why you're fighting with Aunty Selene. But I know you told her she can't come with me to Grandma and Grandpa's house." Her voice grew firmer. "Please let her come, Dad. I need her there. She makes me feel safe."

"Arielle..."

"Please." Her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know exactly what she did, but she says she's sorry and she's ready to change."

She clasped her hands together, fingers interlaced as if she were praying. "Aunty Selene has been like a mother to me. I can't lose her."

The tears broke something in me. I couldn't say no to those tears.

"Fine." I sighed. "She can go with you. But when you come back here, she cannot follow you. She stays away."

Her face fell, but she nodded. "I'll take what I can get."

"Thank you, Dad." She threw her arms around my neck.

I held her close, breathing in the scent of her strawberry shampoo. She was growing up too fast.

When she pulled back, she looked at me seriously. "Dad, I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll give this marriage a real chance." She held my gaze. "I know it started as revenge. But maybe it can become something more. Maybe you can be happy again."

"Principessa..."

"I know how much you loved Mama." Her voice cracked. "And I know what a good father and husband you were. How present you were at home. You made Mama so happy. And I think you could make Gianna happy too, if you let yourself."

Warmth spread through my chest. My beautiful angel was growing so fast before my eyes, and she had her mother's kind heart.

"When did you get so smart?" I managed.

"I've always been smart." She smiled through her tears. "I got it from you and Mama."

I pulled her into another hug and held her longer this time.

"I'll try, principessa," I whispered. "I can't promise anything. But I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking."