Mirabella
My mouth parted in disbelief.
Father-in-law?
I turned sharply to Alex, but he just grinned down at me, wicked and charming and completely unfazed by the stunned silence settling over the room.
Dad, however, was less amused.
“You’re cocky, boy,”
he said, voice low and dangerous. His arms folded across his broad chest..
Alex didn’t flinch. He simply tucked me closer into his side, his fingers splaying protectively over my shoulder like a silent claim.
“I’m confident,” Alex said.
“Because I love her. And I’m not walking away again.”
I felt my face heating, not just from embarrassment but from something deeper—something dangerously close to pride. He wasn’t hiding. He wasn’t apologizing. He was choosing me, openly, without shame or hesitation.
Uncle Matteo coughed into
