Dive In

Chapter 25

•Nolani•

Slate Hall is a beautiful glass and steel building designed specifically for events in mind. The foyer of the building holds a huge chandelier that reflects its light off the surrounding windows and glistens on the marble floor below. We follow Viola and Alessia down a hall where multiple men in suits stand guard, one of them gives Viola a nod before opening the door and we enter the room. It's a large room, decorated in multiple sparkling chandeliers that match the one in the foyer, gold detailing on the backs of the chairs and shiny marble floors. The black white and gray baby shower decor matches flawlessly.

The room is filled with people, the mixture of English and Italian filtering throughout the space. Giovanni guides me around, introducing each person until I've learned so many new names my head feels over full. After a while my feet start aching so I take a seat at one of the tables. Jade sits next to me and Giovanni leaves us to grab me a glass of water.

"You always wanted a big family." Jade says, her eyes flicking around the many faces in the room.

My eyes widen. "You can't fall down the rabbit hole with me, I'm the only one of us that should be experiencing any kind of Stockholm syndrome. Don't forget they aren't my family, they won't ever be my family."

She rolls her eyes. "I'm not falling down the rabbit hole, I was just pointing that fact out. They may not actually be your family but they'll be the twins family."

"Yeah, they will." I mutter.

Her eyes stop scanning the crowd and meet mine. "He seemed genuinely worried about you when you passed out."

My brow furrows. "Giovanni?"

She nods. "He kept screaming at Angelo, Leo and Matteo. He unbuckled your seat belt and laid you down in his lap. He checked your pulse, put his wrist against your forehead to see if you had a fever and then he kept muttering in Italian."

"He was probably worried about the twins."

"Maybe." She shrugs. "But... I don't know he did seem genuinely worried about you."

"So you're rethinking that he's just placating me?" I ask for clarification.

"I don't know, I've barely been around him but maybe. If he was so worried about the twins he would've felt for them first, I think, but he didn't." She explains.

Giovanni sits a glass of water on the table in front of me and I take a long drink of the cold liquid. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I need to talk to someone real quick but Angelo is by the door, it's the only entrance and exit other than the emergency exit which has an alarm attached to it. Riots going to come sit with you while I'm gone." He says.

I place the glass back on the table and frown at him. "Why are you talking about exits, you act like I'm gonna be kidnapped."

"You can never be too careful, micetta." He presses a kiss against my forehead and struts off.

My eyes meet Jade's and her mouth opens but before she can say anything Riot takes a seat at the table.

He flashes me a sardonic smile. "Hello, cognata."

(cognata: sister-in-law)

I narrow my eyes at him unsure as to what he said but knowing I probably wouldn't like it judging by his expression.

"Hello, Lorenzo." I smirk.

"Don't call me that."

I roll my eyes at him. "Why? That's your name, it's ten times better than Riot. Why wouldn't you choose to go by Lorenzo or at least shorten it to Enzo?"