My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 24

As if she felt the weight of my stare, Gianna’s head turned.

Across the crowded hall, her eyes locked onto mine. She didn't look away. She didn't blush or act shy like a normal girl would when a man like me caught her looking. Instead, her smile died instantly. Her face went stone-cold, and her green eyes sharpened into blades.

I let my gaze turn dark, letting her see exactly how much I hated her presence in my home.

She glared back at me with a look so full of pure, unfiltered spite that it actually surprised me.

Finally, she was the one to break it. She didn't look down, she looked away, turning her back on me. She went back to talking to her mother as if I didn't even exist.

That little gold digger thought she won that little moment.

"Raphael," Vincenzo’s voice came from beside me, "Take a walk. You’re scaring the bridesmaids."

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The liquor was hitting. The expensive bourbon was starting to burn away the control, turning the annoyance in my gut into something sharper and more fun.

I scanned the room, looking for the only person in this gold-plated cage who actually mattered to me. I found her on the floor, tucked away in the arms of that stone-faced beast she called a husband, Rino fucking Lombardi. Alessia. She was my aunt, my mother figure, and the only reason I hadn't completely lost my mind yet. She was the only softness I was allowed to have, and seeing her with him always made my teeth ache.

Without a word, I caught Dante’s eye and tilted my head toward the floor. Silvio was already moving. We walked over like a hit squad, cutting through the sea of tuxedos until we reached them.

"Alright, Lombardi, hand her over," I said, cutting through the crowd. I slid into the space between Rino and Alessia, giving him a smirk that I knew made his blood pressure spike, "You've had her all night. You're hogging the goods."

Rino’s jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to reach for the piece under his arm, but before he could say a word, Dante and Silvio materialized on my other side. We flanked her, so he couldn't get to her.

He stood on the edge of the floor, arms crossed over his chest.

Just when we were starting to have fun at this godforsaken wedding, the old man clicked his glass. The room went dead silent. He didn't look at his new wife. He looked at us... the six sons he’d spent a lifetime failing.

"I know I haven’t been a man worth celebrating for a long time," Dad started, "I’ve made choices that left scars on this family. Scars on your mother. Scars on you."

I felt my jaw lock. Adriano leaned back, a mocking smirk on his lips. Dante looked like he was ready to pull his gun and end the speech right there.

"But tonight isn't just about me finding a new life," Salvatore continued, his gaze moving across each of us, "It’s about recognizing the men you’ve become despite me. You six... you are the only good thing Isabella and I ever made. You’re fierce, you’re loyal, and you’re better than I ever was at your age."

He took a jagged breath, and for a split second, I felt that same sharp coldness in my own chest. It was the hole our mother left behind. For one heartbeat, seeing him look that broken reminded me that under the expensive suits and the Capone name, we were all just haunting the same empty house.

"I don't expect you to clap. I don't even expect you to forgive me tonight. But I want to toast to my sons. To the legacy of your mother that lives in your eyes. I’m proud to be your father, even if you’re ashamed to be my sons."