The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 278

“My son was in pain and hiding from what he wanted most,” he says so factually, looking down at me, “I put you back in his path, so he would stop being a coward.” Giovanni grins and all words leave my brain in an open-mouthed silent gawp; realization dawning on me so suddenly that I am literally rendered speechless.

He sent me back to Carrero House? Making me believe that he was going to fire me if I didn’t … an ultimatum that led us to where we are now.

Giovanni is admitting to maneuvering me back into Jake’s building, so we would end up back in each other’s arms, crafty jerk that he is. He giggles like a schoolboy at my obviously shocked expression and pats my hand tenderly over his inner elbow. That self-confident effortless look on a man who always sees all and knows everything.

“No need to thank me, Emma.” He raises his brows in an almost smug manner and I clear my throat, finding my voice, still shocked that if he hadn’t done that one simple thing, then I wouldn’t be here today, with him, getting ready to do this.

“You sent me back to him, so he would? So, we would? How did you even know?” I am completely blown away by his confession, emotions brimming to the surface and a deep aching pain in my heart, so touched by a man who always seemed indifferent toward me. We’re still standing in the hall as the two girls mess about nearby with their dresses and hair while we wait for the rest of our party. They haven’t heard any of Giovanni’s confession, since they’re further back and neither are paying attention to my almost tearful expression.

“He’s my son, I see everything. I know him even if he doesn’t like to admit it. You were actually a very competent assistant.” That wily look and lift of a satisfied smile have me shaking my head at him again in complete disbelief. Giovanni is a sneaky man, but I absolutely love him for it, for every sneaky underhanded card he has ever played in the final happiness of his son. I squeeze his arm and throw caution to the wind by throwing my arms around him instead, giving him my best version of a Jake hug that I can muster. He tenses for a second awkwardly, Giovanni is not a man who does public displays of affection, and then hugs me back, a solid sort of fatherly hug for just a moment, but it means the world to me. He lets me go and straightens his jacket, returning the mask of effortless grace and poise I know only too well.

“Move down the hall a bit, we’ll wait for Sophie nearer the door … She better hurry up.” Leila huffs impatiently, pushing us gently, bossy pants back on and face flawless once more. She’s checking the time on her wristwatch and frowning at Sarah who is looking up and down the hall for any sign of our missing bridesmaid. I don’t expect anything else from Sophie nowadays, the girl is a fifteen-year-old ball of fun, but we all adore her mercilessly.

Giovanni begins to lead me out of the hallway toward the larger area outside the main hall doors, a brighter and airier half circle room with ceiling windows letting the sun stream in. I lift my chin a little with each step, my heart expanding more with the realization that this really is it and it’s really happening. The Carreros are making me one of their own and I am getting my Jake for an eternity, never to be parted again.

This crazy man is taking me as a daughter with his terrifying family and secrets I’d never like to guess at or even know.

Like what exactly he did with Ray Vanquis after he handed me to Mathews.

Not that I want to know and it’s something I’ve never pressed Jake about either. Giovanni took care of things because I am family and the less I know the more I can pretend it never happened at all. Jake never speaks of Vanquis either, and as much as I know that Jake would’ve never been involved in anything like that, I also know he’s probably relieved that his father swooped in. I don’t want to know if Vanquis is dead or alive, all we got was a promise that Vanquis is never going to come back. Giovanni assured us of that and by now I’ve learned that his word is his bond.

Jake changed toward Giovanni after that. He no longer disapproves of his father’s less than legal ties, especially when they swoop in and deal with a problem that is over Jake’s head. Jake couldn’t exactly take a moral high ground with his father’s dealings when he told his father to do whatever it was that needed to be done to keep his family safe.

The relationship between them is far more level now because of it, changing with every passing month and I’m happy to see some sort of genuine bond building on both sides; I’m sure Sylvana feels the same way.

Here I am, arm in arm, with the man who is possibly capable of making a human disappear to the waiting arms of the man who spent a lifetime misunderstanding him. Now the two of them have some sort of mutual bond because Giovanni saved me in place of his son. He won Jake over, by saving the one person in the world who mattered to him the most … Me.

We are a family. All of us.

My heart catches in my throat as we reach the double doors that hold my life inside and pause to wait. My heart and my happiness await me; and very soon I’m about to take that step inside and finalize it all. Just a few more minutes of waiting and we will be going in there, to end one chapter of my life and start a new one with the person I adore more than anything in the universe. My heart growing with excitement and my nerves rising in anticipation; even though I know I have nothing to be frightened of.

Christina Perri ‘A Thousand Years’ plays down the aisle and I frown back at Leila, questioningly, with a half-smile on my face. It’s not a song I would’ve chosen myself.

“Sophie picked it,” Leila mutters, rolling her eyes. “She’s a Twilight fanatic and we drew straws.” Leila and the others fought over the job of head bridesmaid almost ruthlessly in the run up to this day and drawing straws became commonplace for decisions. I let them squabble over who picked my wedding march song while I focused on my studies. They took away the wedding stress from me by organizing most of it between them.

“Nice … I suppose it fits.” I giggle at Sarah’s eye roll and disapproving look at Sophie, the girl just shrugs, mischievously, with a huge smile.

The music drifting over me brings my attention back to the front, making me emotional, and for the first time I really listening to the words of this very beautiful song. I take a deep breath and gesture to my ‘father in law to be’ that I am ready, so, we move forward. Slowly and surely, held safe in his gentle embrace as we walk down the aisle together, followed by my beautiful girls.

The room is huge with high ceilings and the smell is overpowering with the array of a hundred flower arrangements placed on every wall and row of seats. There are beautiful garlands at every high arched window and colored sashes acting as a walkway to my red carpeted aisle. It’s a glorious and stunning wedding venue, made more magnificent by the people standing and watching me with beaming happy faces as I pass by.

I scan the aisles as we walk on and take in the faces as we go, the Carreros at my left in their droves. Rows and rows of beautiful Italian looking people with big smiles, most of whom I’ve only briefly met in these past few months. Then there are all Jake’s friends, now people I consider myself close to. He seriously has too many people in the world that he classes as family or friends. I feel like I’ll never get to the end of all the people he knows.

On the right are those from Carrero Tower and Carrero House that worked alongside me and knew me when I was a different person. I am not ashamed that they sit in place of my family, because really my family are all here with me, watching me walk down toward him and he’s all I need.