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His fingers stilled on his shirt buttons “I don’t want to tell you because it’s not important”

“And yet, it made you curse like that? I’ve seen very little that causes you to lose your arrogant confidence I know you’re used to keeping matters close to your chest, that you probably never had a chance to confide in any—”

“It does not concern you, Pia Bene?”

A sudden prickling heat behind her eyes, Pia simply nodded

Raphael exhaled harshly, the tight line of his shoulders relenting His hair, already messed up by Milan’s huh it “I did not h that made that broad chest rise and fall “Mi dispiace, Pia”

Whatever hurt she had felt, his genuine apology instantly placated it The ht as his future wife, it was her deepest wish that he share everything with her But Pia had enough patience to wait In every way, Raphael had proved that he orth waiting for “It’s okay, Raphael”

“You mean it, don’t you?”

“Si”

His dark eyes, liquid with desire, swept over her “I knew there was more than one reason I wanted to marry you”

Sing away her own anxiety about as coe mood he was in, it was hard to hold on to her newly discovered confidence

“Would you like so to drink? I have some nice Chianti”

Despite the thick tension in the air, Pia smiled She loved that he always remembered those small details From theout for her Part of it, she kneas his nature That sense of responsibility that had fallen on his shoulders at a young age had never quite left him

He was one of those alpha e of it Protected the innocents and chased away the threats And remained aloof even amidst a crowd

Part of his protective instincts toward her were also because she was Gio’s granddaughter And he was big on loyalty