Chapter 7 The unwanted Warmth

~Vincent~

I woke up to the sound of laughter.

For a moment, I lay still, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, my mind still foggy from sleep.

I had been dreaming again.

The same kind of dream that had been haunting me for years. Darkness, Hands grabbing me and voices I could never forget.

The feeling of being trapped with nowhere to run.

I swallowed hard.

“I thought changing my environment would at least ease the nightmares.”

Apparently not. I groaned and pulled the blanket over my face. The laughter came again.

Loud and Bubbling. Completely out of place in this gloomy mansion.

Curiosity finally won.

Who was making this graveyard of a mansion sound so cheerful? I got out of bed, quickly changed, and stepped out of my room.

When I reached the bottom of the staircase, I stopped. The first thing I saw was the back of a woman with long golden hair. She was pointing a finger directly in Luciano's face as though she were scolding a child.

Well, this was unexpected. The woman had a lot of gall.

“You're not torturing the poor soul, are you?”

Both of them were so caught up in their argument that they hadn't noticed me.

Torturing? Poor soul? I raised a brow.

“If you could just go upstairs, you'd see for yourself,” Luciano replied.

He pinched the bridge of his nose like he was one word away from losing his cool.

For some reason, that was funny.

“Lushy, you absolutely mustn't touch—”

That was it. I burst out laughing. Both of them turned toward me.

L-l-Lushy?

I looked between the two of them. Luciano was glaring at me, I immediately cleared my throat.

“Good morning.”

The woman stared at me for a second. Then her entire face lit up.

“Aren't you cute!”

Before I could react, she rushed toward me. I instinctively flinched when she wrapped her arms around me.

It felt... strange. Not unpleasant, just strange. I wasn't used to being hugged without expecting something in return.

She pulled back and looked me over.

“It's really nice to finally meet you. I couldn't attend the wedding and all.”

She turned to glare at Luciano as though the entire thing had been his fault. Looking at her properly now, I noticed her appearance.

Her golden hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, framing a pair of warm amber eyes that seemed to glow whenever she smiled. She wore a long, elegant dress with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt, decorated with delicate embroidery. There was something almost old-fashioned about her entire appearance.

Like she had walked straight out of another century.

“It's nice to meet you, uh...?”

“Oh, pardon my manners.”

She placed a hand dramatically against her chest. “I'm Shirley D'Angelo, paternal aunt to Lushy.”

I almost had another laughing episode. Oh, I was definitely going to tease him about that later.

“Can you stop calling me that? I'm not seven anymore,” Luciano complained.

“Oh, hush! You haven't grown a day old to me.”

“Auntie, I'm busy. You've seen him now, so you can leave. You have a bakery to manage, don't you?”

She gasped. Then she shook her head with a dramatic sigh.

“I haven't seen you in weeks, and this is how you welcome me? Silly boy.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.

Silly boy? Luciano Volkov?

The same man who had looked at me like he could have me killed without blinking? Apparently, there was a version of Luciano that only his aunt was allowed to see. And for some reason, I found that incredibly amusing.

Shirley turned her attention back to me.

“So, sweetheart, how has your stay been?"

“Fine.”

“Just fine?”

I nodded.

She narrowed her eyes.

“Has my nephew been giving you trouble?”

I glanced at Luciano.

“I wouldn't say physical trouble.”

“See?” Shirley pointed at him. “I knew it.”

“You don't even know what I did.”

“I know you.”

She turned back to me. “If he does anything you don't like, you tell me.”

“Auntie.”

“What?”

“I am standing right here.”

“And?”

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.

Shirley suddenly reached into the small handbag hanging from her arm.

“Oh! I almost forgot.”

She pulled out a small velvet box.

“This is for you.”

I blinked.

“For me?”

“Of course.”

She placed it in my hands.

I opened the box.

A delicate chain rested inside.

It was beautiful. Thin, silver, and decorated with a small pendant that caught the light. My fingers carefully lifted it from the box.

“It's beautiful.”

“I saw it and thought of you.”

I looked at her.

“You didn't have to get me anything.”

“I wanted to.”

She smiled warmly.

“Besides, I couldn't attend the wedding. Consider it a late wedding gift.”

I looked down at the chain again.

For some reason, my chest tightened.

I wasn't used to receiving gifts simply because someone wanted to make me happy.

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome, sweetheart.”

She took the chain from my fingers and turned toward Luciano.

“Must I teach you everything? You couldn't even offer to put it on for him?”

Luciano's eyes narrowed at me.

Probably wondering what sort of witchcraft this was.

We'd barely seen each other since our wedding, and I'd only been here for three days. Yet somehow, his aunt had already decided he needed lessons in being a husband.

Without a word, he took the chain from Aunt Shirley. Then he walked toward me. Just then, Aunt Shirley's phone rang.

“Oh, excuse me.”

She glanced at the screen before moving toward the parlor to take the call. I barely had time to process what was happening before Luciano stopped in front of me.

He towered over me as he lifted the chain and carefully brought it around my neck. For a brief moment, I held my breath. His fingers brushed the back of my neck as he fastened the clasp.

Then his voice came.

“Aren't you getting too giddy over a chain?”

My smile faltered. He leaned slightly closer.

“You're acting like an abandoned puppy wagging its tail over the first kind word anyone gives you.”

The words hit harder than they should have. I'd been happy.

For once, I'd simply been happy. Even with our banter and all, ruining that small moment felt unnecessarily cruel.

The clasp was already secured. His fingers lingered near my neck for another second.

I swatted his hand away. If he wanted a response, he wasn't getting one. I turned away from him and touched the pendant instead.

It was still warm from my fingers. And suddenly, the beautiful little gift didn't feel quite as beautiful anymore.

A second later, Aunt Shirley joined us.

“Oh, darling, don't you look pretty.”

She clasped my hands in hers and gave them a gentle pat. “I'll be off now. Some miscreants are causing trouble at the bakery.”

“You want me to send my men over?” Luciano asked.

“Nonsense! Nothing I can't handle.”

She beamed, and I smiled back in response.

She grabbed her bag from the couch and pulled out her phone.

“We're family now, so I'll need your number, dear. Just in case you need me.”

She pushed her phone into my hands. I typed in my number.

Luciano scoffed. I ignored him.

“Thank you, Aunt Shirley. Come visit again.”

“Aww, at least now I'll have so many reasons to come here. Bye-bye, you two!”

She waved before striding hurriedly toward the door.

I watched her leave. Then I stared at my hand, the same one she'd held and gently patted.

Her hands had been warm, Gentle.

It reminded me of the motherly warmth I'd been missing, even though I'd had my mother for ten years. I balled my fist.

I couldn't afford to get comfortable here. Shirley was kind, too kind.

If she kept treating me this way, I might eventually start seeing this place differently.

And that could become a problem. I needed to start digging. Quickly.

Then I'd leave this mansion, this family, and everything that came with it behind. At least then, if the truth demanded blood, the guilt wouldn't be quite as unbearable.