Chapter 7 - The Midnight Consultation
By 1:00 a.m., the apartment was quiet.
Lily had finally fallen back asleep in her little bed, her breathing thankfully growing steadier after a dose of her nebulizer treatment and a few careful sips of water. The pristine white box of chocolate cake sat on our small kitchen counter like an artifact from another planet.
Sarah had wisely retired to the small guest room after staring at Giovanni for ten minutes straight until I practically shoved her down the hallway.
That left Giovanni and me standing in my cramped, linoleum-floored kitchen.
He looked entirely out of place here. His broad shoulders nearly brushed the cheap wooden cabinets; his tailored tuxedo jacket cast sharp shadows under the flickering fluorescent bulb above the sink; and the scent of expensive sandalwood and rain completely overwhelmed the lingering smell of mac and cheese from dinner.
“You should go home, Giovanni,” I said softly, leaning back against the counter and crossing my arms. “You’ve more than fulfilled your side of whatever crazy bargain you invented tonight. You used me to ward off your aunt’s matchmaking scheme, and I used you to keep Tyler and Sophia from turning me into a punchline.”
Giovanni leaned against the opposite wall, his hands resting casually in his trouser pockets, his amber eyes studying me with unnerving intensity.
“It wasn't a bargain, Jessica,” he said quietly. “It was an introduction.”
“An introduction to what? A world I don't belong in? A world where people marry for corporate mergers and treat human beings like chess pieces?” I let out a bitter, exhausted laugh. “I’m a pediatric nurse, Giovanni. My life is student loan debt, double shifts, budgeting for groceries, and making sure my daughter has a safe place to sleep. I don't survive in high-society games.”
“You survived tonight,” Giovanni pointed out calmly. “Better than survived. You stood in a room full of predators who wanted to tear you apart, and you didn't blink once.”
“Because I had nothing left to lose,” I snapped, the adrenaline crash finally catching up to me, making my voice shake. “Tyler took everything else when he walked out the door five years ago. My dignity was the only thing I had left to guard.”
Giovanni pushed off the wall. He closed the distance between us in three smooth strides, stopping just inches away. I could feel the heat radiating from his chest, the subtle, clean scent of his skin cutting through the stale air of the kitchen.
“He didn't take your dignity, Jessica,” Giovanni whispered, his voice dropping into a low, rumbling timbre that vibrated right through my bones. “He was just too blind to realize what he was throwing away. But others see it.”
Before I could process what he meant, his right hand reached out, his fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from my cheek. His touch was feather-light, yet it sent a sharp, electric jolt straight down my spine.
I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
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“What are you doing?” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
“Checking to see if you’re real,” Giovanni murmured, his thumb resting softly against my cheekbone. “Or if you’re just a ghost I found standing by the kitchen doors of a hotel ballroom.”
