Undressed By The Mafia God novel Chapter 408

Chapter 408: Men Are Such Easy Creatures

Vee smiled as she looked at Luca. He stood across the hall, surrounded by men he would someday lead fully, his face arranged into that calm, serious mask he wore. Black suit. Tired eyes. Still somehow commanding enough that older men leaned in when he spoke.

But she saw what they didn’t. He had not eaten. Since morning, he had moved through ceremony, greetings, condolences, and tense conversations with nothing in his hand. Everyone else had been fed. Everyone else had wine, juice, pastries, espresso, something. Luca had nothing.

Nonnina had always handled that. Vee’s chest tightened, but she swallowed the ache and turned toward the serving table. She quickly grabbed a small tray and placed little savoury snacks on it. Then she added a glass of juice.

She walked toward him. One of the lieutenants was speaking when she arrived.

"Excuse me," Vee said softly.

Every man turned. Luca’s eyes landed on the tray first then on her.

She held the tray out to him. "Eat."

Luca smiled exuberantly then, a true smile, bright enough to soften the hard lines grief had carved into his face. He took the tray from her and leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on her hair.

Just as he would Nonnina. The gesture made Vee’s throat close for a second. They both understood it without saying anything.

She had stepped into a role he had not asked of her. She would never be Nonnina. She wasn’t even trying to be. No one could replace that woman, not in Luca’s heart.

But Vee could be there. She could love him in the quiet ways too. She could be there for him even when he didn’t know he needed her.

"Thank you," Luca said softly.

Vee gave him a small smile. "Finish it."

"Yes, ma’am."

She rolled her eyes and walked back to the women, taking her position beside Valentina.

The women continued talking. The conversation moved from funeral arrangements to travel, from travel to dresses, from dresses to an upcoming wedding involving two members of the famiglia.

For a while, it was harmless. Veronica did not understand how the conversation subtly changed.

One minute they were discussing a wedding and the next Bianca took a shot at her.

"Weddings in the famiglia are overrated," Bianca said conversationally.

The women around her continued smiling.

Then her next words landed.

"You know, you spend all that money on a dream wedding and an inconsequential mistress from nowhere burns everything to the ground."

Silence. Veronica stood very still. Bianca lifted her glass with delicate fingers, her expression bored.

The women went quiet. All except Valentina.

Val took one slow sip of juice, then smiled sweetly. "Oh, men are such easy creatures, you know. They get turned off when women try so hard to be relevant."

A few eyes widened.

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