Chapter 6 — “THE THING I’M AFRAID TO FEEL”

Leo's POV

When Luca told me my father wanted to see me, I already knew it wasn’t a request.

The staff wheeled me into the council chamber, the heart of my father’s empire. Even as a child, I’d hated this room. It had never felt like family — only like business dressed up as legacy.

Tonight, it felt worse. Valentina was already there, sitting near the head of the long table like she belonged to it. Her posture was perfect, her expression calm, but the glint in her eyes told me she’d come here to win. Cristiano lounged beside her, the picture of lazy arrogance, fingers tapping a rhythm only he could hear — the sound of a man who enjoyed watching others bleed.

And my father sat at the head, hands folded neatly, gaze like ice behind glass. He’d been waiting.

Maya stood behind me, a quiet but steady presence. I hadn’t asked her to come, but she had followed when Luca brought the chair, refusing to let me face them alone. I was grateful, though I’d never admit it out loud. Her silence was a shield, one I hadn’t realized I needed until I felt the weight of their eyes.

My father spoke first, his voice clipped, deliberate. “Leonardo,” he said. “We need to discuss your situation.”

The word situation landed like a verdict. Valentina leaned forward. “He’s confused,” she said smoothly. “He’s letting outsiders influence him. This caregiver—” her eyes sliced toward Maya “—is already interfering.”

Cristiano chuckled. “I saw it myself,” he added. “He defended her. Strongly. Almost… passionately.” His smirk wasn’t amusement — it was calculation, the kind that turned affection into scandal. He wanted me cornered, and he wanted her exposed.

My father’s eyes shifted to me. “Is that true?” The air felt heavy. I forced the words out. “She’s doing her job. That’s all.” Valentina’s smile sharpened. “Then why did you refuse to speak to me alone? Why insist she stay?”

Maya stood quietly beside me, shoulders squared, eyes lowered. She didn’t speak. She didn’t need to.

Cristiano leaned back, amusement dripping from his voice. “Our golden heir has always had a type. Seems he’s found comfort in plain company. How unexpected.”

“Enough,” I snapped. My father’s gaze hardened. “Leonardo. This family has built its name on strength, on alliances, on appearances. You cannot afford distractions.”

“She’s not a distraction,” I said quietly. Valentina tilted her head, her voice sickly sweet. “Then what is she?”

Maya’s hand brushed lightly against the side of my chair, grounding me. I exhaled.

“She’s the only one who hasn’t abandoned me. Sometimes I think the rest of you wanted this to happen.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them. The silence that followed was absolute.

Cristiano’s grin spread, feeding on the tension, and Valentina’s smile returned, triumphant. My father’s expression turned to stone, while Maya looked at me like she didn’t know whether to be proud or afraid.

Valentina leaned back, voice syrupy and cruel. “He’s vulnerable,” she said. “And she’s exploiting it. Can’t you see, Signor D’Angelo? He clings to her because he’s lost control.”

Maya’s shoulders tightened, her silence steady but fierce. Cristiano chuckled. “It’s simple. Replace her. Bring someone from inside the circle. Someone we can trust.”

My father nodded slightly, as though it were a logical proposal. “Perhaps that is best.”

The heat in my chest flared. “Bring that person here, and you’d better bring a casket for my burial too,” I snapped.

Three pairs of eyes turned to me. “She’s the only one who sees me as a man, not some headline, not a cripple, not your liability!”

My father’s jaw clenched. Cristiano smirked. Valentina’s lips curved into a knife‑edge smile, and my father said nothing. His silence was a wall. Maya’s breath hitched, but she didn’t look away.

Valentina’s voice cut through the stillness, soft but deadly. “I’m here, Leo. At this table. In this family. Because unlike her”—her eyes cut toward Maya— “I belong.”

“You’re here, Valentina. But the man from your bed isn’t. Convenient, isn’t it?”

Maya straightened her shoulders. She didn’t speak, but her silence was pure defiance.

Cristiano leaned forward, his voice dripping mock sweetness. “So, what do we call this, cousin? A scandal? A distraction? Or maybe… a replacement?”

My father’s voice broke through, cold and final. “Leonardo,” he said. “You’ve embarrassed this family once already. Do not do it again.”

The words hit harder than any blow. I let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You don’t care about me. You never have. For you, I’ve only ever been leverage for the next alliance.”

My father’s expression didn’t change. Of course, it wouldn’t.

I looked at Maya, at her braid, her tired eyes, her rough, steady hands, and felt something shift inside me, dangerous and certain.

“She stays!” My voice rose, slicing through the silence. “Enough of this back and forth. Maya, we’re leaving.”

Valentina inhaled sharply. Cristiano laughed quietly. My father said nothing.

The silence that followed was heavier than any verdict.

That’s when I understood. This meeting had nothing to do with me; not my recovery, not my care, not even family. It was about power. About ownership. About who still claimed the leash around my neck.

And in that moment, with Maya walking beside me, I realized something terrifying.

For the first time in my life, I wanted to break it. And as the wheels of my chair rolled toward the door, I thought I saw it — a faint red flicker in the corner of the chamber. A camera. Watching. Recording. Proof that this wasn’t just family politics anymore. Someone wanted evidence, and they wanted Maya in the frame.