The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife (Blair and Grayson) novel Chapter 273

Chapter 273

~LORETTA~

My father said my name the way he said it when I was seven and too close to the road I did not turn around. I’m going with Marco You cannot stop me,” I said. The coat was heavy on my shoulders. Marco’s. It smelled like him I am old enough. We are married.”

“Loretta My mother snapped. “Do not get in that car.”

Enzo came down one step. “If you leave with him, you are choosing them. What about family? What about what his family did to ours?”

“I am choosing my marriage. I’m sorry brother, please forgive me. I’m not divorcing him for something that happened decades ago.” I looked at Marco and held out my hand before I could become sensible. “Let’s go.”

His fingers closed around mine. Warm. Careful. Like he was afraid I might break.

“Loretta!” Father was at the door the second we got in. “Loretta, get out of that car.”

Marco swore under his breath, and the engine roared. Enzo shouted something I did not catch.

Chiara was on the step with both hands over her mouth.

We went through the gate quickly before any of them could stop us.

I lasted until the corner. Then I screamed.

“I cannot believe you made me do that!”

Marco’s head turned. The frown was instant.

“Made you? I didn’t tell you to say all that. I was trying to convince them I loved you. For the act. The whole fake-marriage act. You were the one who decided to leave with me.”

They are going to freak out.” I pressed both hands to my face. “They are already freaking out. My father is going to find my grandfather. My brother is going to tell him I got into a Vescari car. I cannot believe you are a Vescari. Could you not have told me something?”

“Hey. You didn’t ask.” He took the next bend too fast. He did not slow. But driving fast came naturally to him, even with an injured wrist. “What woman doesn’t find out the last name of the man she’s marrying?”

“What man doesn’t find out the name of the woman he’s buying a ring for?”

“You didn’t look like a Bellandi.”

I didn’t look like a Bellandi? What exactly does a Bellandi look like?

His mouth was tight. “My name is all over. You managed to see that I was in an accident and you didn’t care to find out my entire name? Everyone knows I’m a Vescari.”

“I saw a crash. It’s not like I used to stalk you or happened to be one of your smitten fans. I did not sit down and study your family tree”

You married me

“You married me” I repeated as I dropped my hands.

The road was empty and dark and he was still angry, which was good, because I was angry enough for both of us. “Do not drive like that. You have one hand”

“I’ve driven fast under worse conditions”

“That is not comforting.”

He eased off by a little. Not enough “This is a mess”

“A mess? You made it worse when you came to my gate and honked until the dogs and every neighbor woke up.”

“You didn’t call.”

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They took my phone I pointed that out already”

I didn’t know that He glanced over The frown had not left. I thought your father had talked you into the divorce and you didn’t want to say it to my face”

I told them I wouldn’t sign one I signed a contract with you, I do not plan on breaking it

That shut him up for another stretch

They’re going to say you forced me,” I warned him “That you’re controlling.”

They always say my family stole the vineyard. They’ve been saying it for sixty years. This is nothing new

Tim aware Nonno deeded it to your great-aunt”

Thank you”

“After which she-” I stopped. The story from our side talked about an innocent boy of nineteen who was made a fool of and a vineyard that never came home. “After which she ended it in front of everyone and kept what he had put in her name.”

Marco’s hand tightened on the wheel. “You’re forgetting a very important part. She saw him with another

woman

“That is what your side says.”

“It’s what she says. She’s still alive. She still will not sit in a room with your grandfather. He signed the deed because he wanted the marriage with her, and then he was found with someone who was not her, and he has spent the rest of his life calling her a thief for not giving the land back to the man who humiliated her. “He was nineteen. And that’s not the story he tells us.”

“So was she.” His voice had gone flat. “You think I haven’t heard this? Every Christmas. Every time a Bellandi bottle ends up on a table by mistake. Your grandfather wanted the vineyard back to give to his new wife. He lost my great-aunt because he could not keep his hands to himself. The land stayed where he put it. That is not a theft.”

“Nonno’s mother spoke of some letters Elena wrote for another man-”

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