Chapter 12—The Undeniable Attraction
1831 Words
The drive home was painfully quiet.
Theo sat in the back seat, curled against the door with his arms wrapped around himself. He hadn't said a word since they left the school.
Adriana sat beside him, watching his reflection in the window.
Dante drove with both hands firmly gripping the steering wheel.
His jaw was tight.
Neither of them spoke until the gates of Vescari Manor appeared ahead.
Then Adriana finally broke the silence.
“You're calling your lawyer.”
It wasn't a question.
Dante kept his eyes on the road.
“Yes.”
“No.”
His eyes flicked toward her through the rearview mirror.
“No?”
“You heard me.”
Dante pulled into the driveway.
“I already told Vincent to have the lawyer look into the matter.”
“And I told you not to.”
The car stopped.
For a moment, neither moved.
Dante turned off the engine.
Adriana was glaring at him intensely, as neither of them wanted to back down.
The three of them got into the manor, but Adriana and Dante were still discussing.
“I don't want your lawyer involved in my employment.”
“The principal threatened to fire you.”
“She warned me; there is a difference”
“She threatened your livelihood because of my son.”
“Exactly.”
Dante frowned.
“Which is why I'm handling it.”
“No, Dante. You're handling it because you think you can fix everything with money, lawyers, and intimidation.”
His expression hardened.
“And what's your solution?”
“To handle my own problems.”
“You were handling it,” Dante said coldly. “How did that work out for you?”
Adriana stared at him.
“That isn't fair.”
“Neither was what they did to you.”
She took a breath.
“This is my career. My reputation. I can't have your lawyer marching into Redwood and making demands on my behalf.”
“He isn't going to make demands.” Dante said, “He's going to make it clear who I am.”
“Who am I? I am what?”
Adriana exclaimed as her anger was really shown.
Dante looked at her.
“My wife.”
Adriana's heart skipped.
She quickly pushed the feeling away.
“That's exactly the problem. You and I know what this marriage is all about.”
“I know.”
“And I don't want people thinking negatively of the situation.”
Dante's expression softened for half a second.
“You think I care what people think?”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Because I do!”
Her voice cracked slightly.
Theo then shouted at them.
“Stop fighting; it is my fault. I am sorry for breaking my promise.”
Dante and Adriana stopped talking and looked at Theo, who was crying.
“I do not want the two of you fighting. I am sorry.”
Theo said, and he ran upstairs to his room.
“Theo!”
Adriana followed Theo; Dante remained downstairs for several minutes before eventually going to his study.
The tension can be felt throughout the entire manor. It was the first time they actually saw Dante and Adriana fight.
Nearly an hour passed.
Then another.
Adriana finally came downstairs and headed to Dante’s study room.
“He's asleep.”
Dante looked up from his desk.
“Did he say anything?”
“He cried.”
Dante's face tightened.
“How long?”
“Until he couldn't keep his eyes open.”
The guilt in his eyes was unmistakable.
Adriana walked toward him.
“He thinks this is his fault.”
Dante looked down.
“It is.”
“No.”
“He started the fight.”
“Because he was defending what he believes is his family.”
Dante stood.
“That doesn't excuse what he did.”
“I know.”
Adriana crossed her arms.
“But he was scared.”
Dante's voice lowered.
“So was I.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“When Theo told me what happened, I thought he was hurt.”
Dante swallowed.
“For a few seconds, I couldn't think.”
Adriana's expression softened.
“He's your son.”
“Yes.”
He looked toward the door.
“And I should have been there.”
“You can't be everywhere.”
“I should have known something was wrong.”
“Dante…”
“I brought you into his life.”
He looked at her.
“And now he's being teased at school because of it.”
Adriana stepped closer.
“Don't blame yourself.”
“How can I not?”
“Because I was the one who became his teacher. I was the one who became involved with him. I was the one he called Mommy.”
“And I was the one who asked you to become part of his life.”
They stood only a few feet apart.
Neither moved.
Adriana could see the exhaustion in his face now.
The anger was still there, but underneath it was something else.
Fear.
Dante was afraid for his son.
And somehow, that made her anger disappear.
Almost.
“You love him very much,” she whispered.
Dante looked at her.
“More than anything.”
Adriana's chest tightened.
“I know.”
Silence settled between them. Then she remembered the lawyer.
“We still disagree.”
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“About the lawyer?”
“Yes.”
“Of course we do.”
“You can't just interfere with my career.”
“And you can't just let people threaten you.”
“I'm not helpless.”
“I never said you were.”
“You act like I am.”
Dante stepped closer.
“I am acting like you're someone worth protecting.”
Adriana's breath caught. The words were simple.
But the way he said them wasn't. She looked into his eyes and suddenly became aware of how close they were.
Too close. Neither spoke.
Dante's gaze briefly dropped to her lips before returning to her eyes.
Adriana noticed.
Her heart began beating faster. She immediately stepped back.
“Can we please settle this internally first? I am not losing my job.”
“Fine, but if at any minute they say something I do not like. I will have my lawyer come to Redwood.”
“Fine!”
She turned toward the door.
“Good night, Dante.”
“Good night, Adriana.”
She took two steps.
Then stopped.
Without turning around, she said quietly,
“Thank you.”
Dante's expression softened.
“For what?”
“For coming today.”
She finally looked back at him.
“For Theo.”
Dante held her gaze.
“For Theo.”
Adriana got out of the room. Dante remained alone in the study.
He told himself that the strange feeling in his chest was only exhaustion.
Only concern.
Only the stress of the day.
Anything but attraction.
Because they had made rules.
And Dante Vecari had never been a man who broke his word.
The morning after their argument, Adriana expected Dante to be distant.
Instead, he was waiting for her at breakfast.
He was dressed for work, his suit perfectly pressed, a cup of coffee untouched in front of him.
Theo was already eating.
“Good morning,” Adriana said cautiously.
“Morning, Adriana!”
Theo, on the other hand, was still worried, but after seeing his daddy and mommy talking in their normal tone, he smiled.
Adriana sat down beside Theo.
For a few minutes, breakfast was strangely peaceful.
Then Dante reached into the pocket of his suit.
“I have something for you.”
Adriana looked at him.
He placed a small black box on the table.
Her eyebrows rose.
“What is that?”
“Open it.”
She hesitated.
Theo immediately leaned forward.
“Is it a present?”
Dante gave his son a look.
“Something like that.”
Adriana opened the box.
Inside was a simple diamond ring.
She stared at it.
“Dante…”
“At this point, if anybody questions you, show them this ring.”
He picked up the ring.
“People are already asking questions. Are you really my wife or not? Theo has started referring to you as family. We need to show them.”
Adriana looked at the diamond.
“So this is for appearances.”
“Yes.”
She couldn't help smiling slightly.
Dante reached for her hand. Adriana's smile disappeared.
Dante slipped the ring onto her finger. His touch was gentle.
Far gentler than she expected from a man who could intimidate an entire room without raising his voice.
The ring fit perfectly.
Adriana looked down at it.
“How did you know my hand size?”
“I pay attention.”
Their eyes met.
Something passed between them.
Neither spoke.
Then Theo interrupted.
“It looks pretty, Mommy.”
Adriana's cheeks warmed.
Dante glanced at his son.
“That's the point.”
Theo smiled.
“Now you are my wife.”
Adriana looked at Dante.
Adriana didn’t correct him; it felt so natural and not forced. Adriana also noticed that Dante was wearing a matching wedding ring.
This marriage feels too real, but it is not how Adriana’s former marriage looked or felt.
It is different; it felt like home.
Dante insisted on taking Adriana and Theo to Redwood today.
Adriana is nervous, as this is really the first time she will come to school, but not as Ms. Hartley, but as Mrs. Vescari.
Dante noticed Adriana; she was scratching her nails down. He instantly placed his hands on her.
Adriana was surprised and looked at Dante.
“Stop that; you are hurting yourself.”
“I am nervous.”
“You do not have to be; you are a Vescari. I will protect you.”
Adriana softly smiled at Dante. His reassuring words put her nervous heart at ease.
She thought to herself: this is what it felt like to be protected.
They reached Redwood, and everyone was staring at them.
Dante opened the door for Theo and Adriana. He carried Theo and held Adriana’s hands for everyone to see.
“They are staring!”
Adriana whispered. She could not escape Dante’s hands as he locked her hands to his.
“Let them; they are just jealous of us.”
"Stop making jokes at this time.”
Dante is confident in his actions; he doesn’t want anybody to question his actions.
Theo and Adriana are his family.
“Mr. & Mrs. Vescari”
Principal Vines called them. Dante and Adriana nodded and approached the principal’s office.
At the moment, everyone who saw them said a lot of things, but one thing is for sure.
Their eyes did not follow them.
Adriana Hartley is the wife of Mr. Dante Vescari.
No one can deny that.
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