Breakfast at the De Luca mansion was unusually peaceful.
For once, there were no arguments.
No one was teasing Vincenzo.
No one was discussing business.
And, most importantly, no one was talking about snakes.
Purvi sat beside Lucia, her injured hand carefully wrapped and resting on her lap as she ate with her other hand.
Isabella was telling some ridiculous story about a professor at her university, while Alessandro kept interrupting her just to make the story sound worse.
Lucia laughed so hard that she nearly spilled her tea.
Even Serafina smiled.
Purvi found herself smiling too.
She loved mornings like this.
They made the enormous De Luca mansion feel less like a palace and more like a home.
Eventually, Vincenzo stood from his chair.
He adjusted the cuff of his black shirt and reached for his jacket.
“I’ll be at the office all day.”
Purvi looked up immediately.
“All day?”
His eyes shifted toward her.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“Okay.”
He stared at her for a second.
Something about the way she had asked bothered him.
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
“You asked.”
“I was just asking.”
His brow furrowed.
“You ask too many questions.”
Purvi smiled.
“And you complain too much.”
Alessandro nearly choked on his coffee.
Isabella covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Vincenzo gave Purvi one of his famous cold looks.
“Goodbye, Purvi.”
“Goodbye, Vincenzo.”
He turned and walked away.
Purvi watched him leave.
She didn’t even realize she was still looking toward the doors until Lucia cleared her throat.
Purvi blinked.
“What?”
Lucia’s lips curved into a knowing smile.
“Nothing.”
Purvi narrowed her eyes.
“Grandma…”
“I said nothing.”
But Lucia’s smile only grew.
Purvi shook her head and continued eating.
She didn’t understand why she had watched him leave like that.
He was going to work.
He did that every day.
There was absolutely nothing unusual about it.
Yet, for some reason, the moment Vincenzo disappeared through the doors, the mansion seemed quieter.
Almost too quiet.
The day passed smoothly.
Purvi spent some time with Lucia in the garden, helped Isabella choose between two dresses for an upcoming event, and listened to Alessandro complain about his business partner.
She laughed.
She talked.
She even helped the cook prepare dessert, despite everyone’s protests about her injured hand.
But every once in a while, her eyes drifted toward the entrance.
She didn’t know why.
Maybe because Vincenzo usually returned before dinner.
Maybe because she had gotten used to seeing him walk through those doors.
Or maybe…
She stopped herself.
No.
She wasn’t going there.
This was Vincenzo.
The rude, arrogant, irritating man who reminded her every chance he got that their marriage was nothing but a contract.
She shouldn’t be thinking about him.
Yet she kept thinking about him.
While drinking tea.
While sitting in the garden.
While helping Isabella.
Even while laughing at something Alessandro said.
She caught herself smiling for no reason.
Lucia noticed.
Again.
“My dear.”
Purvi looked over.
“Yes?”
Lucia leaned closer.
“Who are you thinking about?”
Purvi nearly dropped her cup.
“What?”
Lucia laughed.
“You’ve been smiling at the wall for the past five minutes.”
“I was not.”
“You were.”
“I was thinking.”
“About Vincenzo?”
Purvi’s cheeks immediately warmed.
“No!”
Lucia laughed louder.
“I didn’t even say anything!”
“You did!”
“I asked a question.”
Purvi looked away.
“I wasn’t thinking about him.”
Lucia hummed.
“Of course.”
Purvi frowned.
“Grandma.”
Lucia reached over and squeezed her good hand.
“My dear, you don’t have to explain anything to me.”
“There is nothing to explain.”
“Then why are you blushing?”
Purvi covered her cheeks.
“I’m not.”
Lucia laughed.
Purvi tried to laugh along.
But deep inside, something had changed.
She didn’t know what it was.
She only knew she wanted Vincenzo to come home.
Night arrived.
The dinner table was set.
Everyone was there.
Except Vincenzo.
Purvi kept looking at the clock.
Seven-thirty.
Eight.
Eight-thirty.
Nine.
Still nothing.
“He probably got caught up in a meeting,” Isabella said.
Purvi nodded.
“Probably.”
But her fingers tightened around the edge of her napkin.
Alessandro noticed.
“Vincenzo has had late nights before.”
“I know.”
“Then stop worrying.”
“I’m not worried.”
Everyone at the table looked at her.
Purvi sighed.
“Okay.
Maybe a little.”
Lucia reached for her hand.
“He’ll be fine.”
Purvi looked toward the entrance again.
“I know.”
But she didn’t.
Something felt wrong.
She couldn’t explain it.
She simply knew.
Vincenzo wasn’t the kind of man who disappeared without reason.
And he always sent word.
At least, he usually did.
Serafina’s phone suddenly rang.
Everyone fell silent.
She looked at the screen.
“It is Vincenzo’s PA.”
Purvi’s heart dropped.
Serafina answered immediately.
“Hello?”
Her expression changed.
“What happened?”
Purvi stood.
Serafina listened.
Her face became pale.
“Is he alive?”
Purvi’s breath caught.
Alessandro stood too.
“What happened to him?”
Serafina held up a hand.
The room became painfully quiet.
After a few seconds, Serafina lowered the phone.
“He got into some messy business at the warehouse.”
Purvi’s stomach twisted.
“What does that mean?”
“They attacked him.”
Purvi felt the room tilt.
“Is he hurt?”
Serafina nodded slowly.
“His arm.”
Purvi’s face lost its color.
“But he’s alive,” Serafina quickly added.
“His PA says he’s fine.
He refused to go to the hospital.”
Purvi’s eyes filled instantly.
She didn’t even notice.
Something inside her had cracked.
The thought of Vincenzo lying somewhere hurt…
Bleeding…
Possibly dying…
It had terrified her in a way she couldn’t understand.
Her chest hurt.
Her hands trembled.
“Where is he?”
“He’s on his way home.”
Purvi exhaled shakily.
“He should have gone to the hospital.”
Alessandro sighed.
“That’s Vincenzo.”
Purvi looked toward the doors.
“I need to see him.”
Lucia’s eyes softened.
“My dear…”
“I need to know he’s okay.”
No one teased her this time.
Because they had all seen the fear in her eyes.
Several minutes later, headlights swept across the windows.
Purvi immediately stood.
The front doors opened.
And there he was.
Vincenzo walked inside.
His black shirt was torn slightly near the sleeve.
There was blood on his forearm.
His jaw was tight, his expression as cold as ever.
But his right arm was injured.
Purvi froze.
For several seconds, she simply stared at him.
Vincenzo’s eyes found hers.
Something flickered across his face.
“Why are you standing there?”
Purvi didn’t answer.
She walked toward him.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
His eyebrow lifted.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“It’s a scratch.”
Purvi looked at his arm.
The blood soaking through the fabric told a different story.
“That’s not a scratch.”
Vincenzo sighed.
“Purvi—”
“Did they hurt you?”
Her voice broke.
Vincenzo stopped.
He looked at her properly then.
Her eyes were wet.
Her lips trembled.
And suddenly, the pain in his arm felt insignificant.
“No,” he said quietly.
“They didn’t.”
Purvi swallowed.
“You scared me.”
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Silence filled the room.
Vincenzo stared at her.
Purvi realized what she had said and immediately looked away.
“I mean…”
She couldn’t finish.
Vincenzo took one step closer.
“You were worried about me?”
Purvi looked back at him.
For once, she didn’t smile.
“Of course I was.”
His expression changed almost imperceptibly.
She continued, her voice softer.
“You’re my husband.”
The contract.
She didn’t say it.
But both of them remembered it.
Vincenzo looked down at his injured arm.
Then back at her.
Something unfamiliar tightened inside his chest.
He had spent weeks reminding himself that Purvi was temporary.
A contract.
A responsibility.
Nothing more.
But seeing her standing there with tears in her eyes because he had been hurt…
For the first time, he wondered if the contract was beginning to mean something entirely different to her.
And worse…
He wondered if it was beginning to mean something different to him.
“Come here,” he muttered.
Purvi blinked.
“What?”
“You’re going to start crying.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I am not.”
A faint smile almost touched his mouth.
Almost.
“Come here, Purvi.”
She stepped closer.
Vincenzo lifted his uninjured arm and gently pulled her into him.
Purvi’s forehead rested against his chest.
And for the first time that night, her heart finally stopped racing.
Vincenzo closed his eyes.
He told himself it was only because she was frightened.
Only because she needed reassurance.
Only because she was his wife.
But his hand remained gently against her back long after she had stopped trembling.
And neither of them mentioned the contract.
Not tonight.