This is the last chapter before the epilogue!

Enjoy! Sorry for the delay ☺️

I held Millie tightly in my arms as we made our way back to the penthouse, my heart pounding with a mix of relief and rage.

I never expected Kozlov to make such a rash decision like storming into Millie's office. I mean, I knew he was getting desperate and paranoid - it was all part of my plan. But to go straight into the most protected building in New York was a fatal error.

He killed most of her security team since he brought more men than I had guarding her. But I always had three teams. Team C watches B. Team B watches Team A. Team A watches Millie.

He only killed Team A in a sneak attack when Ryder went into her office. Which meant I had two security teams scrambling into formation.

Her panic button alerted every relevant person in La Famiglia that there was a threat to her life.

Rocco and I made our way there with my brother arriving a couple of minutes before I did since he came from the penthouse. I knew Tristano was handling matters from Sicily and my father would have been on the phone to our allies to make sure we had their support should this turn into something bigger.

There was a protocol that was followed whenever something like this happened.

And thanks to Millie's carelessness, we all got a practice run when she accidentally pressed the button that one time.

This long standing war with the Bratva had finally reached a tipping point, and today we won. Yet, the sight of Millie covered in blood, her face pale from the shock, reminded me just how close I had come to losing her. That was a price I would never be willing to pay.

But I had to act. I had to do something while I still had the element of surprise. The longer that conversation went on, the longer Kozlov was able to form a survival plan in his head.

After all, that's what I was doing the moment I saw Millie at knife point.

The doctor was already there when we entered the penthouse. His expression remained professional yet concerned when he saw the state of my wife.

"Let's get you checked out." The older man spoke softly, guiding me to the couch since she was still in my arms.

"No." She suddenly grabbed my arm causing the doctor to frown. "My couch is white. I'm bleeding."

"Millie-" I tried to interject but she flashed me a scolding glare.

"I won't get blood on my white couch, Costa." She snapped, that same annoying protectiveness coming out. She was obsessed with keeping that couch clean. And on any other day I would have argued about it with her. But not today.

"Fine. We'll go to the fucking cinema room." I muttered, having very little patience for her irritating quirks.

"But-"

"Millie." This time it was Rocco who gave her a warning look that had her backing down. Rocco silently led the way while I carried her into the cinema room where we had black leather couches.

I carefully laid her down, staying close by her side the entire time the doctor meticulously examined her injuries.

Her wounds needed stitching which put her through even more pain. Every flinch, every wince from Millie sent a fresh wave of anger and guilt through me. I should have been there sooner. I should have protected her better. But I didn't.

"That's it?" I frowned when he began to pack his things up like his job was fucking done.

"There's nothing left for me to do. I've checked her over, stitched her wounds and given her some painkillers to take."

"That's not enough. Look at her, she's fucking traumatised." I pointed at my wife who had one hand on her bump while she stared off into the distance.

"She's going to be fine, Costa." The doctor reassured me, his voice calm. "The cuts are deep but clean. No major arteries were hit and I've stitched them well. She's in shock, but she and the baby are safe."

With that he left the room, following Rocco out while I struggled to process what he just said. The mention of our baby had the emotions flooding back, ten times worse.

The baby.

Our baby.

I could have lost my baby in the chaos. I could have lost everything in a split second. Alina was going to kill her. If I'd even hesitated for a millisecond she would have been dead.

They would have been dead.

Relief washed over me as I knelt beside Millie, taking her hand in mine.

"Cazzo." I whispered, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, my free hand covering her bump. "You're never leaving my sight again."

Millie smiled weakly at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of exhaustion and relief. "We're okay, Costa. We're safe now."

I had about thirty seconds of peace with my wife before the door slammed open and two idiots came storming into the quiet room. Rocco trailed behind them, irritation lacing his features.

Damian immediately rushed over, barely giving me any time to move before he pulled Millie into a gentle hug, careful not to hurt her. Julius followed, his face a mask of concern and anger.

"Millie, are you alright?" Damian asked, his voice tight as he scanned her for injuries. "Is the baby okay? I'll take you to a hospital. It's better for you there to-"

"We're okay, Damian." She cut him off, leaning into his embrace. "The doctor checked me over. Me and Mini Milk are okay."

Julius watched the scene in front of him before he looked at me, his eyes hard. "Costa, I swear if anything had happened to her-"

"It didn't." I cut him off, my voice firm but understanding. As much as I wanted to snap at him, I knew how scared he must have been. Fuck, I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life when I got that call. "We took care of it. Kozlov is dead, and the Bratva won't be a threat to any of us anymore."

Damian nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Millie. "This war has gone on long enough. It's time for peace now."

I knew what he was saying, but unfortunately, Julius was too stubborn to be the one to initiate peace. So, I had to do it. It's not just my wife - stubborn genes clearly run in the Darmos family.

"For the sake of our families." I extended my hand towards Julius. It was an olive branch, one that had Rocco, Millie and Damian all watching carefully.

It would put an end to our animosity - all of which started when the Greeks tried to ally with Kozlov. I used to get on Julius and Damian until the twins sabotaged the marriage alliance and I took the fall.

They hated me ever since.

Julius eventually took my hand, a silent agreement passing between us. The long-standing tensions between our families were finally put to bed.

Millie smiled, a genuine, relieved smile that made my heart swell.

"We're free." She whispered, almost to herself, her hand still resting on her stomach. "Now we can live in New York as long as we want. I can focus on my company and take maternity leave when the time comes."

"And then-" I spoke up, taking her hand again after Damian shoved me away earlier. "-we'll fly to Sicily. You can have our baby there, with absolutely no other worries, surrounded by our family."

"That sounds perfect, Costa."

<<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<<

"Go upstairs and freshen up." I rubbed Millie's back comfortingly as we headed inside the Accardi villa in Palermo, Sicily. It had been three days since the incident and Millie was finally ready to fly back.

"I think I need more than that, idiota." She shoved me away, heading towards the stairs. I couldn't help but chuckle at her short temper which earned me a glare from my wife as she ascended the stairs.

"Non lasciarle fare nulla di faticoso. Il suo braccio e la sua spalla stanno ancora guarendo. Aiutala con tutto ciò di cui ha bisogno." (Don't let her do anything strenuous. Her arm and shoulder are still healing. Help her with whatever she needs.) I instructed one of the maids who was already organising our things to be taken upstairs.

The flight back to Sicily hadn't been easy with Millie's pregnancy and mood swings. But I enjoyed listening to her rant at me as if any of her problems were remotely my fault.

I wasn't the one who finished the salty pretzels, but she snapped at me instead of Giovanni. I wasn't the one who wouldn't shut the hell up about Bianca, that was Aidan. I also wasn't the one kicking her insides, but I still got all the blame.

"Sì." She nodded, rushing up the stairs behind my pregnant wife.

"She's really turned you into a pussy." My brother came in through the door behind me, chuckling to himself.

"Let's just wait until you meet a girl and fall in love. You'll be worse than me."

"Please." Rocco scoffed as the two of us headed into the living room. "That's never going to happen."

"You don't think you'll fall in love?" I frowned, heading over to the alcohol selection. As much as Rocco deserved it, I didn't want the poor guy to be alone forever.

"No." He shook his head, stripping off his jacket. "I'm going to be a bachelor for as long as possible then I'm going to marry some rich bitch who will let me sleep around."

"That sounds like a great plan." I stated drily, handing him a glass of Campari. I poured one for myself, sitting down across from him.

After the flight, I needed to sit back and relax for a few minutes before going up to deal with my pregnant wife.

"Hey, not long ago you were doing exactly the same thing." He pointed out, sipping on his drink. "Then you met that crazy bitch and now look."

He did have a point.

I was heading exactly the same way until Millie turned me into a fucking pussy.

"You're drinking without us?" Five minutes later we both turned to see the twins in the doorway. As they came in, Tristano also appeared behind them.

"You idiots took too long." Rocco replied, sipping on his drink. We split up into two cars on the way back from the airport. Tristano was the unlucky one who got to travel back with the twins.

"They wanted to stop for food." Tristano grumbled, sitting down on the couch next to me. He snatched the bottle of Campari up, pouring himself a glass.

"Where's the food?" I frowned, looking over at my twin cousins. But the stain on Giovanni's shirt said it all. "We ate it."

"You know, no one asked you to come back to Sicily with us." Rocco muttered, eyeing them with annoyance. It was the flight. It put him in a bad mood which he took out on the twins - the ones partially responsible for making the flight so difficult.

"You love us." Aidan smirked as the two of them joined us on the couches.

"No, we don't." I jumped in, causing Rocco and Tristano to nod in agreement. For once the three of us were on the same page.

"Yes, you do. Especially you, Costa." Giovanni added, eyeing me specifically.

"What makes you think that?" I scoffed, sipping on my drink. I hated those two idiots more than anyone. I couldn't stand being around them.

"Oh, come on." Aidan scoffed. "You let us come everywhere with you. You let us sleep in your penthouse."

"You let us take your things." Giovanni pointed out with a stupid grin.

"No I don't. I hate it when you touch my shit." My clarification went completely ignored as they continued listing all the reasons I hate them.

"You always promise we're family and you'd do anything for us. And, you married Millie to save us."

"Yeah, because of your stupidity." I scoffed, knocking back the last of my drink. "Seriously, how could you ever think I love you after what you did? Now the entire fucking world thinks I'm the moron who tried to ruin their marriage alliance."

As if I'd ever do something so dumb, reckless and stupid.

My words had the four of them chuckling as I leaned forward, filling my glass with more Campari.

"I knew it wasn't you." The short silence was broken by my father's deep voice. I froze in place while the blood drained from the twin's faces across from me. The five of us turned to the living room door where my furious father stood.

But my concern was my wife who was stood a few feet behind him, her face a mask of shock.

"Millie-" It was no use. She took off down the hallway before I could stop her.

I didn't waste a second. I got up, rushing after her, passing my father on my way out.

"Costa!" My father's voice bellowed behind me, but I was too concerned about my wife to care.

All of this was because of him - because I had to protect the twins from him. I wasn't about to let him stop me from going after Millie. I knew Rocco and Tristano would do whatever they could to protect the twins and explain the situation. Right now, my wife and my unborn child were my concern.

"Millie, wait!" I called after her as she ran down the steps to the villa and onto the driveway. I had no idea where she was going. She wasn't going to a car, but there was nowhere nearby the villa for her to go on foot.

"Millie." I managed to catch up to her, grabbing her hand. She paused, but refused to turn around. For those few seconds, only the sound of the fountain trickling in the centre of the driveway could be heard.

"You lied." She whispered, still staring at the huge gates at the bottom of the long driveway. She refused to turn and face me. "You're a liar."

"Millie, let me explain." I spoke so cautiously, trying not to push her over the edge - not that it helped.

"What?" She snapped, suddenly spinning around, allowing me to see the pure heartbreak on her face. "How are you going to get out of this one, Costa?"

"Let's just sit down and-"

"You lied to me!" She pretty much screamed the words, her voice breaking as she did. "All this time you've been lying to me."

"Yes, but-"

"No! No buts! How could you not tell me you weren't the one who broke up the marriage alliance?"

"Millie, I didn't have a choice. I had to protect the twins." I know it was pretty fucking late after being married for 15 months, but surely she could understand that.

"And you think I would have told your father?" Whenever Millie gets upset, I can always tell which emotion comes to the front. At first it was her anger driving her, then the hurt came forward. Then it was back to anger again. "I would never do that! No matter how I felt about you, I would never put those boys in harms way!"

"I know. Fuck, I know that, Millie. But it...by the time we were even speaking enough for me to tell you, it was over and done with. There was no need for me to bring it up."

"Except for the fact I hated you for months for what I thought you did." Her voice went cold, her brown eyes narrowing dangerously. For a second her tears dried up, her anger once again coming to the forefront. "You let me hate you for something you never did."

"I didn't mind." I smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but she didn't appreciate it.

"Your father said this marriage was a punishment for you. But you...you never did anything. Oh my..." She covered her mouth in shock as her voice broke and more tears sprang to her eyes. "I really was a punishment for you. But you never did anything wrong."

"Baby, no." I immediately shook my head, stepping in closer to her. "You weren't a punishment for me."

"No, I was. I was, Costa. All you were doing was trying to protect your cousins and you ended up being forced to marry me. And I hated you. I hated you for no reason."

"Shh." I closed the distance between us, pressing my hands gently on her shoulders, trying to ground her as she trembled. "You weren't a punishment, Millie. You were my saving grace."

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "Don't lie to me again. Not now."

"I'm not lying." My voice softened, catching her gaze. "Yes, it started out like that. But not for long. Millie, if you knew what my life was like before...you'd understand. You gave me something I never thought I'd have."

She looked away, her eyes filling with fresh tears, but I wasn't done. "Before you, I didn't care about anyone apart from my family. My world was full of violence and obligation - I had nothing of my own. I took the blame, yes, to protect the twins. And yes when my father said I had to marry you, Millie, I didn't want to."

I gently turned her face to look at me, trying to convey the raw honesty. I needed her to know how wrong she was to think this was a punishment for me.

"But that's just how our story began. Because now there is finally something worth fighting for that is just mine." As I spoke I gently placed my hand on her baby bump, giving it a soft rub. "Ours."

Her eyes met mine again, softening with the hint of understanding, but her brow remained furrowed. "But Costa you had so many opportunities to tell me. Even before we were together romantically, when we were getting along better, you-"

"I know. Fuck, Millie, I know. Every time the chance came, I panicked. Then the longer I left it, there was more chance of ruining what we had. We were already so fragile, I just couldn't risk it."

"But it is ruined now." She frowned, her anger seeming to melt away as the time passed.

"How, Principessa?" I smiled, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Because I'm mad at you." She said it so softly, but I could tell she was trying to be serious. To me, it was just cute as fuck.

"I'm sure a few expensive gifts will solve that problem."

Cue a sharp gasp from my wife. She took a short step away, her mouth dropping open in shock. "Are you trying to call me a gold digger?"

"Well..." I smirked, pulling her back into me by her waist. "You are, aren't you?"

"No!" She scoffed. "So maybe I like it when you buy me expensive things, but that does not make me a gold digger."

"Are you sure?" I cocked an eyebrow, flashing her a teasing grin.

"You need to be careful. You're already on thin ice, Costa." Her usual glare was back - the kind she reserved when she really wanted me to know she was pissed.

Which meant my work was done. She was getting back to herself again.

"Okay, baby." I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be careful."

She looked up at me, the rest of her walls finally starting to crumble. "I still don't understand how you could take on that guilt. And for so long. You let the twins' actions ruin your life - well, almost ruin your life."

"It's what family does." I shrugged simply. "I had to protect them. Even if it means marrying someone who thinks you're their worst enemy." I smiled, and for the first time, she mirrored it, even if it was just a faint lift at the corner of her lips.

"But...you promise you're not hiding anything else? This is it?" The vulnerability in her eyes had my heart aching.

Even though I stood by my decision to keep the secret, it didn't mean I didn't regret hurting her. It was just one of those shitty situations. By the time we were in a place where I could tell her, it was too late - unless I wanted to ruin it all.

"Sì, baby. This is it. There's nothing else."

"Okay." She breathed, resting her head against my chest. "Because I'm too pregnant to fight with you."

"But you're only just reaching six months." I pointed out, frowning quizzically at her. Surely we had more time before she started using that line with me?

If not, these next three months are going to be a long three months of Millie getting her way every single time.

"Exactly." She snapped, her eyes narrowing dangerously - again. "I'm six months pregnant. Did you know my Mini Milk is the size of a large mango? Do you have a mango inside you right now, Costa? I can't be dealing with this kind of stress."

"Uh...I don't know how to answer that."

"Of course you don't." She scoffed, shoving me aside so she could head back inside the house.

"Where are you going?" I called after her, watching her storm away from me.

"To get a milkshake for my Mini Milk. Why do you think we came downstairs in the first place?"

Is she mad at me? I can't tell if she's mad.

Millie made her way straight to the kitchen while I followed the sound of my father's irate voice. He was stood on one side of the living room while my brothers and the twins were on the other.

"You're wrong." He spat the words in their direction, although he seemed to be aiming them at Rocco. "They earned their punishment. You can't stop it from happening."

"Yes, I can." My youngest brother glared at our father. "They're just kids. They made a mistake. Costa covered for them and you punished him enough. Let it go."

"You deceived me!" My father bellowed causing a short silence to settle around the room. I could tell the twins were terrified, they stood protected behind my brothers, but seeing my father's anger up close was still too much.

"That's enough." I cut in, turning all the attention towards me.

As I stepped into the living room, the weight of my father's glare fell on me. He was pacing, his jaw tight and his hands clenched at his sides. My brothers were tense, Tristano's gaze flicked between me and our father while Rocco stood protectively in front of the twins.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" My father's voice was low like he was trying to control the anger simmering beneath the surface.

I squared my shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on. "I know exactly what I did. I protected my family, just as you taught me."

"Protected?" He spat the word out, a harsh laugh escaping his lips. "You think that was protection? You've humiliated the entire Accardi Family in front of every single criminal organisation! They all think it was you!"

The accusation stung, but I kept my expression impassive. "It was better I took the blame than them. You would have broken them. They're too young for that."

"And you thought it would look better to the world if the future heir of the Sicilian Mafia is known to be a fool?" His voice grew louder, filling the room. "Sending offensive gifts, hiring an actress to cause a scene...You've made yourself look like an idiot!"

A flicker of anger flared up in me, but I forced it down. "I did what I had to do. People know my reputation - they know I'm to be feared. They'll move on from this. But the twins would have been harmed and I would never have let that happen."

My father took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. "You always think you know best, don't you, Costa? This arrogance of yours...if you're not careful, it could be your downfall."

"My downfall?" I scoffed. "Really? It was one incident."

"One incident that made you look weak. You're going to have to go above and beyond to repair your reputation."

"It's been way over a year. My reputation has been fine. I killed Viktor fucking Kozlov." If anything, that would show the entire fucking world they could never mess with me. "You know, maybe if you hadn't slacked so much after your brother's death, the twins wouldn't have been left to their own devices. They wouldn't have needed my help." I shot back, my frustration boiling over. "If anyone's been reckless, it's you."

The room went silent. My father's face darkened, his jaw tightening further. For a moment, I thought he might actually hit me, but he kept his hands at his sides, his voice icy. "Watch your tone, Costantino."

"I'll watch my tone when you start acting like a father instead of just the Don." I replied, my voice steady. "I had to step in and take the blame because we could never tell you the truth. You're a brilliant Don, but sometimes you're a shitty father."

Rocco caught my eye sending me a shake of the head - a silent warning in his gaze. But I didn't back down. I was too far in now, and maybe, on some level, I needed him to see my side of things.

My father's eyes burned into mine, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You think you're untouchable, don't you? You think that just because you're my son, you can speak out of turn and make these stupid decisions without consequence?"

"This wasn't about defiance." I retorted, barely keeping my tone in check. "It was about protecting them from you! If you can't see that-"

"Enough!" He cut me off, his voice reverberating through the room. "You all made a mockery of this family. We deal in power, in respect - not in childish tricks and theatrics! You let them continue and then you took the fucking blame!"

"It's the only thing that worked!" I exploded, unable to hold back any longer. "The Greeks were ready to hand Millie over to Kozlov, and we both know what he would have done with that alliance. We'd have been next on his list. Or did you think he was going to stop at the Greeks?"

My father's face was a mask of fury, his fists clenching as he held himself back from lashing out. "And you thought risking our entire reputation was worth it?"

Before I could respond, he took another step forward, his voice low and menacing. "Because of you, I've had to answer for our family's honor to people I've spent decades controlling. Do you know what that feels like, Costa? To have to bow your head and explain your son's idiocy?"

I felt my fists clench involuntarily, but I forced myself to hold my ground. "If we hadn't intervened, you'd be bowing even lower when Kozlov had the Greeks wrapped around his finger."

"And now I have to do damage control because of your arrogance." He replied, his voice thick with barely suppressed rage. "You've made us look weak, like we're desperate enough to stoop to petty schemes."

"We were desperate." I seethed through gritted teeth. "You were slacking, the three of us were away in Asia. Regardless of their methods, the twins did us a huge fucking favour by destroying that alliance. Otherwise, we would have had to go begging to the Darmos family to stop them from going ahead with the marriage."

I never really considered the possibility of the marriage alliance going ahead. But if it did, we would have had to stop it either way. It just would have been more humiliating to beg them not to do it.

"What would you have done then? Huh?" I stepped towards him, my eyes burning into his. "You would have sent me to do it so your own reputation would have been preserved. But then it would be okay to make me look pathetic and weak, right? As long as you looked strong in the background."

Before I knew it, my father's hand shot up, and he slapped me hard across the face. The impact was sharp causing a flash of pain to radiate through my cheek. I clenched my jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me react. Behind him though, Tristano stepped forward only to be stopped by Rocco.

"You don't get to question me." He said, his voice low and menacing. "Not after this mess you've made."

The twins flinched, but they didn't dare speak, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and guilt. Rocco's gaze was steady, though, silently urging me to let it go, to deescalate.

But I couldn't. Not this time.

I stepped forward, despite the threat of him lashing out again. "I did what you taught me. I protected this family. If you can't see that, then maybe it's you who's too blinded to lead."

For a moment, I thought he might strike me again. But instead, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Remember this for the day when you're teaching your own son how to lead this organisation, Costa. Respect is built on fear. Strength is proven through sacrifice. You think I enjoy being cruel? That I haven't faced my own doubts?" His gaze softened, just for a moment, his voice unexpectedly grave. "Every decision I make, every punishment I give, Costa - it's to ensure that when the time comes, you can protect this family, even if it costs you everything. Even if it means your children have to suffer through the same lessons."

There was a very strange feeling about what he was saying. Millie was six months pregnant with our first baby - a boy or a girl. My father had yet to say much about it, but I knew one day he would be giving me advice about becoming a father in La Famiglia.

I guess, today was that day.

The room grew eerily quiet. My brothers and the twins watched in the background, but I held my father's gaze as something shifted inside me.

"You believe this is the only way?" I asked, my voice low, a hint of frustration lingering. "That pain and punishment will make me fit to lead? I would never put my own child through this, Dad. Not the way you did."

He beat us black and blue. He had his men punish us just so we'd learn. He went through it too with his own father, but I was going to end the cycle here.

A shadow passed over his face, and he let out a long, tired sigh. "When you were born, I never wanted this for you. But as I watched you grow, when you were so young and carefree, I just knew. I knew if you couldn't handle it, they would tear you apart. So I made the decision that it was better for you to hate me than to be killed by the Russians or the Spanish or whoever else came for you."

"I love all of you." He glanced at the twins, a flicker of regret in his eyes. "And you'd better believe I'd give my life to spare you from the violence out there. But I'm not sorry for what I've done. I had to be hard on you, because one day I'll be gone and they'll be hard on you. And there won't be anyone left to protect you."

The realisation hit me like a wave.

He wasn't cruel because he didn't care; he was harsh because he thought it was the only way to keep us alive in a world that didn't forgive mistakes. He had been raised this way, hardened by his own father, and he was desperate to make sure we could handle the same brutal world.

But he was wrong about one thing.

I would lead this family my way, and I'd find a way to protect my children without breaking them.

I didn't need to see eye-to-eye with him to understand why he did what he did. But I wasn't going to repeat it.

I took a deep breath, giving him a small nod. "I understand, Dad. I may not agree, but I understand."

He met my gaze, and a silent acknowledgment passed between us. We would never be able to undo all the years of pain, and I would never treat my own children this way. But at least I finally understood my father's version of love - cold, fierce, and ruthless as it was.

For the first time, I could see the man behind the Don. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

"If..." Aidan suddenly broke the silence, causing all of us to look in his direction. "If you forgive Costa...we'll take our punishment."

"What?" Both Rocco and Tristano spoke in unison, while Giovanni jumped backwards. "No! No we won't!"

"Yes, we will." Aidan narrowed his eyes at his twin brother who was becoming paler by the second.

"Bro! Costa is handling it! Let him handle it!" Giovanni spoke through a harsh whisper, as if he didn't want the rest of us to hear.

"Just take it like a man." Aidan replied, squaring his shoulders like he was preparing himself for his punishment.

"I'm not a man! You take it!" Giovanni's outburst had the rest of us smiling - well, not my father as much. But I'm sure his lips did twitch and his eyes softened towards them.

"Just be quiet." I directed my words towards the twins before glancing back over at my father. "It's finished now."

I could tell he was reluctant, but eventually my father nodded in agreement. "Sì."

At least we can finally put this whole thing to bed. Millie knows and so does my father. And he's not going to kill any of us, which is always a plus.

Just then a small slurp caught my attention.

"That was good." Millie stood by the living room door in the shadow of the hallway, sipping on her milkshake. "You really told him, Costa. And I can't believe Aidan wanted the punishment. So stupid."

This time I did laugh, especially when she slurped again on her milkshake, not caring that she just revealed she watched the entire thing.

"I'm tired now. Let's go."

"Go where?" I frowned.

"Upstairs. I want a foot massage." She gave me that same look she always gives me - the one where she dares me to argue back with her.

It's crazy how the same woman who once made me want to pull my hair out now had the power to drag me away from my entire family for a fucking foot massage.

But what's crazier is that I was more than happy to follow her.

"Pussy." Rocco choked on a laugh, flashing me a smirk when I turned back to glare at him.

But it was true. She turned me into a pussy.

"Hey." I grabbed her hand just as we entered our bedroom - the same room we started sharing when we got married.

Once upon a time I avoided it like the fucking plague. Now it became our little sanctuary in Sicily - just like the penthouse was for us in New York.

"Yes?" She frowned, slurping on her milkshake.

"I love you, Principessa." I smiled, pulling her into me. "I just wanted you to know that."

"I know." She smiled, keeping the straw in her mouth. She slurped one more time before she spoke again. "And I love you too."

Thankfully she moved the straw to allow me to kiss her. But it only lasted a few seconds before her annoying bratty side came out again.

"I want my foot massage now. You got me pregnant so you need to give me a massage."

"I seem to remember you had a hand in that too. It wasn't all me." I pointed out, matter of factly.

"I wouldn't have gotten pregnant without your...equipment. Now, enough talking. I want to watch a movie and drink my milkshake. You're disturbing me."

"Of course. Whatever you want, Prinicipessa." I nodded, although my tone was laced with thick sarcasm - something that didn't go unnoticed.

"Maláka." Millie scoffed, shaking her head as she dragged me over to the bed. She got on the bed before pointing at her feet, again with that same look just daring me to argue.

With a sigh I sat down, getting ready to massage her feet like she asked.

"You're in the way of the TV."

"Where the fuck else am I supposed to sit?" I frowned, feeling my irritation spike. I needed to be next to her feet.

"Not on the bed! You're so fat, I can't see the TV."

"Did you just call me fat?" I cocked an eyebrow, glancing down at fitted T-shirt. "How could you even joke about that? It's all muscle-"

"I don't care. Just kneel on the floor or something. Then you'll be out the way."

"You want me to kneel on the fucking floor to give you a foot massage?" Is she on drugs or something?

"Well, how am I supposed to watch my movie with you in the-"

"Fuck this." I scoffed, standing to my feet. Before she could protest, I lifted her up into my arms to carry her over to the couch. Then I put her down, resting her feet on my lap so I could massage them and she could watch her movie in peace.

"That's better." She smiled, slurping on her milkshake. "Thank you."

"Mhm. Just choose your movie." I muttered, now massaging her feet.

"Let's watch Tangled. It's been a long time." She grinned, knowing exactly what kind of reaction she was going to get.

Can someone fucking kill me now?

I love how they're so cute together but still bicker like they did before 🥲

What did you guys think? I can't believe it's finished 🥹 Just the epilogue left.