Vengeful Matrimony | ✔️

Chapter 82

NICHOLAS

Daniella pulled away from Rocco as if he'd struck her, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Excuse me?" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she choked out her words.

Evander and Frederico sat up straighter, their spines ramrod straight.

Daniella pushed her chair back and stood up. Shivers ran through her body as she took several steps back from Rocco.

"You... you did that to Serafina and other women?" She doubled over, and for the second time in less than 24 hours, I had a front-row seat to watch someone puke.

Maria dashed to Daniella's aid. "Dani..."

Daniella shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "Serafina would never lie about something like that. She would never deceive Niko. She..."

"Ma!" Matteo yelled, flying out of his seat when Daniella passed out mid-sentence.

Enzo got to her side first, cradling her to his chest. "I've got her. I'll take her upstairs." With one hate-filled look at Rocco, he made his way out of the dining hall with his mother in his arms and Maria hot on his heels.

"You fucking bastard!" Matteo yanked Rocco out of his seat, slamming his fist down on his father's jaw.

A sickening crack filled the air as Rocco hit the floor. I didn't have to throw the punch to know Matteo's fist hurt like a bitch, but in his rage, he didn't give the pain in his fist a second thought. He straddled Rocco and rained several punches on his face until I had to pull him off before he killed his father.

Matteo fought against my hold. "Let me fucking go! He has to say something. Why did he do that? Why did he have to rape all those women and pretend he loved us a few hours later?" He kicked his feet out, and this time, the toe of his boot collided with Rocco's ribs. Hard.

The latter winced from the impact, gripping his side. Matteo broke his rib.

I tightened my grip on him. If I didn't do something to contain Matteo soon, he'd kill Rocco before I had the chance to make him pay for his crimes. He didn't deserve an easy death.

"Calm down, Matteo. Don't lose your head in this yet."

"He has to talk, Niko. He has to explain why he raped and hurt all those women." He turned to face me, fisting the front of my shirt in his hands. "You should be beating the shit out of him right now. H-he raped your mother. He raped Aunt Serafina. He raped her twice, and now he wants to take your position as capo."

His head fell on my shoulder as he bawled his eyes out, his grip on my shirt tightening with every passing second. "He touched us with the same hands he used to hurt those women. Whenever we needed him, he was always there. He acted like a doting father and husband in front of us."

"It's okay, Matteo." I patted his back.

"It's not okay. You don't understand. I learned how to ride bikes under his guidance. He was there when we all took our first steps and said our first words. He came home every day acting like we were a perfect family while he actively ruined another without a shred of sympathy. He made you hate your father. You shot Uncle Jacopo, Niko. All this time, he knew and..."

Matteo choked on his words, his body violently shaking as more tears rolled down his face.

"Don't stand there and pretend you're any better, Matteo," Rocco's taunting voice said. He sounded so different from the man who'd visited my house to offer his sympathy following Giselle's kidnap. "You've been helping me with my plans all this while."