Chapter 7 - THE PRICE OF BREAKING A CURSE
Roman's father looked older than any photograph Mia had seen.
But alive was alive.
And dead men weren't supposed to carry canes into family confrontations.
Roman stared.
"You died."
Vittorio Vescari closed the office door.
"That was the intention."
Matteo recovered first.
"You weren't supposed to come here."
Vittorio looked at him.
"Neither were you supposed to destroy my family."
Something in Matteo's face turned almost childish.
For half a second, Mia saw the younger brother.
The overlooked son.
Then it vanished.
"You chose him."
Vittorio sighed.
"We're still doing this?"
"You chose him every time."
Roman stepped forward.
"I watched them bury you."
"A closed coffin."
"I saw medical records."
"Purchased."
"I stood at your grave."
"Empty."
Roman looked at Tomas.
Tomas shook his head.
"I didn't know."
Vittorio's gaze moved to Serafina holding Mia.
"Release the girl."
"No."
Vittorio's expression hardened.
"Serafina."
Her grip tightened.
"You promised my family justice."
"I promised your grandmother that I would remember what mine did."
"You did more than remember."
"I did."
Mia looked between them.
"Could someone explain why the dead father knows the curse lady?"
Roman almost smiled despite everything.
Vittorio gave Mia a long look.
"You must be Mia."
"Apparently everybody knows me."
"My son has terrible judgment in women."
Roman frowned.
"Father."
"She entered a mafia gala carrying a stolen handgun."
Mia blinked.
"How do you know that?"
"Terrible judgment," Vittorio repeated.
"Still standing here."
"Excellent point."
Roman stared at his father.
"Why fake your death?"
Vittorio's humor disappeared.
"Because Elias came to me three years ago."
Roman went still.
"He told me Matteo intended to kill you."
Matteo scoffed.
Vittorio ignored him.
"I didn't believe him."
Roman's jaw tightened.
"Apparently disbelief is hereditary."
"I deserved that."
"Continue."
Vittorio lowered himself into a chair.
"I began investigating. I discovered money moving through shell companies. Men being recruited outside your authority."
"Matteo's people."
"Yes."
"Then why disappear?"
"Because someone poisoned me."
Roman looked at Matteo.
Matteo remained silent.
Vittorio smiled without humor.
"I survived. Barely. Elias told everyone I died before knowing whether I would."
Tomas whispered, "Elias again."
Vittorio nodded.
"I realized if my enemies believed I was dead, I might discover who they were."
"And?"
"I discovered too much."
His eyes moved to Serafina.
"The curse wasn't intended for Roman."
Silence.
Roman frowned.
"What?"
Serafina closed her eyes.
Vittorio continued.
"It was intended for Matteo."
Matteo turned sharply.
"That's a lie."
"Your blood betrayed family for power."
Roman looked between them.
"Explain."
Vittorio pointed toward the medallion.
"The old curse was real. But misunderstood. It doesn't punish the person betrayed."
Mia's stomach tightened.
"It punishes the betrayer."
Roman touched the medallion.
"Then why am I wearing it?"
"Because they cheated it."
Everyone looked at Serafina.
Her voice was quiet.
"Matteo came to me after learning the curse."
"You transferred it," Mia said.
Serafina nodded.
"He believed if Roman wore the medallion while Matteo gave the blood and spoke the betrayal, the curse would attach itself to Roman."
"Why would you help him?"
Pain entered Serafina's face.
"Because Matteo promised to restore what the Vescari family stole from mine generations ago."
Vittorio said, "Land. Money. Documents."
"He gave us nothing."
Matteo smiled.
"You expected a criminal to honor a magical business agreement?"
Serafina's knife moved away from Mia's throat.
"Perhaps that was my mistake."
Roman's eyes narrowed.
"How do I break it?"
Serafina looked at him.
"You cannot."
Mia stepped away from her.
"What do you mean?"
"The transfer was imperfect."
Roman's hand curled.
"You said confession."
"It may free you."
"May?"
"If Matteo willingly acknowledges the betrayal, the curse returns to the bloodline where it belongs."
Matteo laughed.
"Then Roman stays a dog forever."
Mia looked at Serafina.
"There's another way."
Serafina didn't answer.
"There always is."
"Mia."
Roman's tone warned her.
She ignored him.
"What is it?"
Serafina looked toward the windows.
"The curse recognizes sacrifice."
Vittorio went still.
"No."
Roman turned.
"You know."
Vittorio said nothing.
"Father."
Vittorio finally looked at him.
"Someone who loves the cursed man may take the medallion willingly."
Roman stared.
Mia's chest tightened.
"And then?"
Serafina answered.
"The curse transfers."
Roman immediately said, "No."
Mia looked at him.
"What happens to the person?"
"They take his place."
"No," Roman repeated.
Serafina continued.
"Human becomes animal. Roman becomes human."
Mia swallowed.
"For eight months?"
"No."
Serafina's expression softened.
"Forever."
Roman stepped between Mia and everyone else.
"Conversation over."
"Roman—"
"No."
"I wasn't volunteering."
"You were thinking."
"You don't know what I'm thinking."
"I spent three days watching you talk to yourself."
Mia glared.
"That was private."
"Nothing is private in a one-room apartment."
Matteo laughed.
The sound cut through them.
"Look at you."
Roman turned.
Matteo leaned against the desk.
"Still pretending you're noble."
"Shut up."
"You killed men."
Mia looked at Roman.
Matteo saw it.
"Oh, she doesn't know."
Roman's face hardened.
"Matteo."
"How many, brother?"
Tomas stepped forward.
"Enough."
"Twenty?"
Roman said nothing.
"Thirty?"
Mia's heart beat faster.
Matteo looked at her.
"Did he tell you what he used to do before he became a reformer?"
"Mia doesn't need—"
"Don't decide what I need."
Roman stopped.
She looked at him.
"Is it true?"
Roman held her gaze.
"Yes."
The answer hurt more because it came without excuse.
"I've killed people."
"Why?"
"Some would've killed me."
"And others?"
Roman was silent.
Mia understood.
"Others didn't deserve it?"
"Some did."
"That's not what I asked."
Roman's jaw flexed.
"No."
Mia looked away.
The room felt smaller.
Roman spoke quietly.
"I was twenty-three when my father put me into the organization."
Vittorio closed his eyes.
"I thought fear was leadership."
Roman continued.
"I was good at it."
Mia looked back.
He didn't hide.
Didn't soften it.
"I hurt people because I believed if I didn't, someone would eventually hurt me."
His voice dropped.
"It took me years to understand that's how men like Matteo are made."
Matteo smiled.
"Don't blame me for your conscience."
"I'm not."
Roman's gaze remained on Mia.
"I can't change what I was."
Mia said nothing.
"I can only decide what I am if I get another day."
Something shifted inside her.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
But truth mattered.
Especially ugly truth.
Matteo suddenly grabbed the fallen gun.
Tomas shouted.
Matteo fired.
Not at Roman.
At Vittorio.
Roman moved.
The bullet hit him high in the shoulder.
He stumbled.
Mia screamed.
Chaos exploded.
Tomas tackled Matteo.
Serafina kicked the gun away.
Vittorio dropped his cane and reached for Roman.
Roman's body began changing.
"No," Mia whispered.
Blood ran across the medallion.
Roman fell.
His hands became paws.
Fur spread.
Seconds later Cookie lay on the floor, bleeding heavily.
"Roman!"
Mia dropped beside him.
His eyes opened.
Weak.
Human.
Serafina stared at the bloody medallion.
"No."
"What?"
"The ninth moon."
She looked toward the ballroom windows.
Moonlight had broken through the clouds.
"Blood activated the final stage."
Mia touched Roman's face.
"How long?"
Serafina's answer was barely audible.
"Until sunrise."
Mia stared.
"For what?"
"If the betrayal is not returned before sunrise..."
Roman's eyes met hers.
Serafina finished.
"He won't simply stay a dog."
May you like
The room went silent.
"He'll forget he was ever human."
