로그인That’s the end of Matteo and Ciara’s story, at least for now. They’ll be back in Salvatore and Sara’s book, causing chaos and being the loud, loving family they are. I’m taking a break from this series for a bit so I can focus on school and The Enchanted Five and Hallow's Edge. Thank you for sticking with me through every twist, every chapter, and every late‑night update. Your support means everything. I’ll be back soon. — SammiJo
MatteoFamily days like this are supposed to feel easy. Sunlight. Laughter. Kids running wild in the garden. Mama and Nonna arguing over who gets to hold Luca next. Ciara leaning into me like she was made for my arms. And it is easy. Mostly. Except for the part of me that keeps glancing toward the driveway.Salvatore should’ve been here by now. He didn’t fly in with Kat and Wolf. He didn’t send a text saying he landed. He didn’t even answer when I called this morning. The last time I saw him in person was months ago, before Luca was born, before Christmas, before Juan started stirring up trouble again.We talk on the phone, sure. But that’s not the same. And lately… he’s been different. Shorter calls. Longer silences.A tone in his voice I haven’t heard since we were teenagers and he was hiding something he didn’t know how to explain.Juan is part of it, I know that much. The bastard has been pushing into Kansas City again, trying to take advantage of the chaos Hector and Isolde left b
A year changes everything. The villa is alive in a way it hasn’t been since last year when I first arrived, doors open, sunlight pouring in, voices echoing through the halls. The smell of rosemary, lemon, and fresh bread drifts from the kitchen, mixing with the sound of laughter from the garden.I stand on the balcony with Luca Cillian Ricci tucked against my chest, his tiny fist curled in my dress. He’s three months old now, all dark curls and Matteo’s serious eyes. He’s quiet, observant, always watching the world like he’s already trying to figure out where he fits in it. Below us, the chaos of family unfolds. Matteo and Wolf are “playing” soccer with Jace and Koda, though really, they’re letting Koda win. Jace, now sixteen and all legs and attitude, pretends he’s too cool to care, but he still laughs every time Koda steals the ball from him.Koda shrieks, “I scored! I scored!”Matteo clutches his chest dramatically. “He’s unstoppable!”Wolf falls to his knees. “We’ve been defeated
I never thought getting ready for my wedding would feel like this. Not rushed. Not chaotic. Not like I was being shoved into a suit by half the family. Just… steady. Like the world had finally stopped spinning long enough for me to breathe.Wolf was fixing his tie in the mirror, muttering under his breath about how Kat was going to cry the second she saw Koda walk down the aisle. Salvatore was sitting on the edge of the bed, rolling his cuffs, pretending he wasn’t watching me out of the corner of his eye. I caught his reflection. He smiled. But it didn’t reach his eyes.Wolf clapped me on the shoulder. “You ready, Ricci?”“More than ready,” I said. And I meant it. “I’m marrying Ciara. And we’ve got a baby on the way.”Wolf grinned. “You deserve this, brother.”Salvatore’s smile tightened.That was the moment I knew something was off.I sat beside him. “Alright. What’s going on?”He blinked, surprised. “Nothing. I’m happy for you.”“Sal,” I said quietly. “Talk to me.”He looked down at
I never thought getting ready for my wedding would feel like this. Not rushed. Not chaotic. Not full of nerves. Just… full. Full of everything that’s happened. Everything I’ve survived. Everything I’m about to step into.Kat’s room is warm, sunlight spilling across the bed where my dress hangs. The air smells like hairspray and perfume and the faintest hint of Mama Red’s cooking drifting in from the kitchen. Laughter echoes down the hall, Koda’s, probably and for the first time in days, it doesn’t make my chest tighten. I’m safe. I’m loved. I’m here. And I’m getting married in the backyard of the LOV clubhouse.If someone had told me that a year ago, I would’ve laughed in their face.GreenLee is pinning my hair back, her fingers gentle, steady, practiced. She hasn’t said much, not about the shed, not about Isolde, not about anything that happened yesterday. But she doesn’t have to. Her presence is enough. Her calm is enough.Nonna Ricci sits on the edge of the bed, humming softly whil
The walk back to the clubhouse felt longer than it should have. Maybe because the cold air was finally wearing off. Maybe because the weight of everything, Ciara’s pregnancy, Hector’s end, Mama’s toll was settling into my bones.Or maybe because all I wanted was to see her. The moment I stepped inside, the warmth hit me first. Then the sound.Laughter. Soft. Small. Familiar.I followed it down the hall and into the common room. And there they were. Ciara curled up on the couch, Kat sat on her other side, legs crossed, eyes on the screen. Declan was in the recliner, arms folded, pretending to watch the movie but really watching Sean.And Sean… he sat on the floor beside Koda, stiff at first, but Koda had already leaned against him like he’d known him forever.A cartoon played on the TV, bright colors, silly voices something about a talking dog and a spaceship. The kind of movie that didn’t belong anywhere near the world we’d just walked out of.But maybe that was the point.Ciara looke
Cold air. Concrete. Silence.That’s all I feel at first. Then the door closes behind Matteo and the others, and something inside me breaks loose, panic, sharp and choking, clawing up my throat. I’m alone. No...worse. I’m alone with them.GreenLee steps forward, calm as a still lake, wiping her hands on a towel like she’s about to start baking instead of… whatever this is. The other two women flank her, quiet, steady, their faces unreadable. Luca stays too, arms crossed, eyes hard. I don’t understand why he’s here. I don’t understand any of this.“W‑what are you doing?” My voice cracks. “Where’s Sean? Where’s...”GreenLee tilts her head, studying me like I’m something under glass.“Matteo has other things to focus on,” she says softly. “His woman. His child. My grandchild.”The word hits me like a punch. Child. Ciara is pregnant. My stomach drops, my breath stutters. My heart slams against my ribs so hard it hurts.“No,” I whisper. “No, she’s not...she can’t be...”“She is,” GreenLee sa
The shed felt heavier after Ciara walked out. Not because of the bodies. Not because of the ropes. Because of one word. Pregnant. It kept echoing in my head, over and over, like a heartbeat I could suddenly hear.My woman. My child. My family.And the man tied to the chair in front of me had tried
Matteo wouldn’t let go of me. Not my hand. Not my waist. Not even for a second as we walked toward the shed. Only he and Kat knew. They knew why my heart was pounding harder than usual, why Matteo’s arm was wrapped around me like steel, why Kat kept glancing back to make sure I was still steady on
By the time I finished showering and got dressed, Ciara was already gone. She’d said she needed to talk to Kat, and I didn’t think much of it at first. She’d been emotional, overwhelmed, and honestly, after the water‑throwing incident, I figured she just needed a minute to breathe. Still… something
I woke up warm. Matteo’s arm was wrapped around my waist, his chest pressed against my back, his breath slow and steady against my shoulder. For a moment, I just lay there, letting myself sink into the safety of him. The room was dim, the early morning light barely slipping through the curtains. Th







