The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 188 - One Hundred and Eighty-Eight

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Eight

Alicia’s POV

I stayed in the garden long after Malachi left.

The fountain burbled. Birds sang. Everything was peaceful.

But my mind was chaos.

I’d just made a deal with Malachi Blackwood. Had agreed to let him back into my life, even temporarily. Had opened a door I’d spent weeks trying to keep closed.

Was I making a mistake?

Probably.

But what choice did I have? Zhao was out there. Planning. Waiting. And the Morettis, as much as I appreciated their protection, weren’t equipped to handle someone like him.

Malachi was.

My hand went to my stomach. Still flat. No visible sign of the life growing inside me.

But it was there. Real. Getting bigger every day.

A baby. Malachi’s baby.

I’d spent weeks trying not to think about what that meant. Trying to pretend I could do this alone. That I didn’t need him.

But seeing him yesterday. Seeing the fear on his face when I’d woken up. The way he’d looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.

That had shaken something loose inside me.

Made me remember why I’d fallen for him in the first place.

"Alicia?"

I looked up. Sophie stood on the path, hesitant.

"Can I sit with you?"

"Of course."

She sat down beside me. We stayed quiet for a moment.

"Is he gone?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Are you okay?"

"I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore."

Sophie took my hand. "For what it’s worth, I think you made the right choice."

"Letting him help with Zhao?"

"Yes. And maybe giving him a chance. With the baby."

I looked at my sister. At this girl who’d been through so much. Who’d lost her mother. Who’d been dragged across the world because of my mistakes.

"When did you get so wise?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"I’m not wise. I’m just tired of being angry. Tired of running. Tired of being scared all the time."

"Me too."

"So maybe we stop. Maybe we let the people who want to help actually help. Even if they’re complicated. Even if they scare us."

"It’s not that simple, Sophie."

"Why not?"

"Because Malachi isn’t just complicated. He’s dangerous. He’s done terrible things."

"Has he done terrible things to you?"

"No. But—"

"Then maybe that’s what matters. Not what he’s done to other people. What he’s done to you."

I wanted to argue. Wanted to say that it did matter. That you couldn’t separate a person’s actions from who they were.

But was that true?

Malachi had killed people. Tortured them. Laughed while they suffered.

But he’d never hurt me. Had protected me. Had walked away when I asked.

Which version was real?

"I don’t know how to trust him," I admitted.

"You don’t have to trust him completely. Just trust him enough to let him help. The rest can come later. Or not at all. You can figure it out as you go."

"And if I make the wrong choice? If I let him in and he takes over? Controls everything?"

"Then we’ll deal with it. Together. Like we always have."

I squeezed her hand. "When did you become the strong one?"

"I’ve always been strong. You just didn’t notice because you were too busy trying to protect me."

She was right. I had been protecting her. Sometimes to the point of not seeing her clearly.

"I’m sorry," I said. "For dragging you into this. For making you leave your life behind."

"Stop apologizing. I’m tired of you apologizing for things that aren’t your fault." Sophie stood up. "Now come inside. Nonna wants to feed you. Again."

"Nonna?"

"That’s what she told me to call her. Grandmother in Italian. She’s very insistent about the feeding thing. Says you’re too skinny."

I smiled despite everything. "She’s not wrong."

We walked back to the house together. Signora Moretti was waiting in the kitchen with enough food to feed an army.

"Sit," she commanded. "You need to eat. Both of you."

Sophie and I sat. Let ourselves be fed. Let ourselves be cared for.

It felt strange. Good. Like having a mother again.

Marco came in while we were eating. He looked serious.

"We need to talk," he said. "About security. About what happens next."

"Malachi’s handling Zhao," I said.

"I know. He called me. Gave me his number. Said to contact him if anything happens. If Zhao makes another move."

"And?"

"And I don’t like it. Don’t like relying on a Blackwood for protection."

"You know about the Blackwoods?"

"I know of them. Their reputation. The kind of business they run." Marco sat down across from me. "They’re not good people, Alicia."

"I know."

"Then why are you trusting him?"

"Because I don’t have a choice. And because..." I stopped. Didn’t know how to finish.

"Because he’s the father of your child," Signora Moretti said gently.

Marco’s expression shifted. "He’s what?"

"The baby. It’s Malachi’s."

"Cristo." Marco ran his hand through his hair. "This is more complicated than I thought."

"I know."

"Does he know? About the baby?"

"Yes."

"And he still agreed to leave you alone? After this is over?"

"He promised."

Marco laughed. It wasn’t a happy sound. "Men like Malachi Blackwood don’t keep promises like that. They take what they want. Consequences be damned."

"Maybe. But I have to believe he meant it. Otherwise what’s the point?"

"The point is protecting yourself. Protecting that baby."

"I am protecting us. By accepting his help with Zhao."

"And then what? You really think he’ll just walk away? Let you raise his child without him?"

I didn’t answer. Because I didn’t know. Couldn’t know.

Malachi had promised. But promises were easy to make. Harder to keep.

Alessandro walked in then. He’d been quiet since finding out we were related. Since realizing his feelings for me were inappropriate.

"There’s been a development," he said.

"What kind of development?" Marco asked.

"Zhao Wei. He’s left Italy. His people are gone. The surveillance we had on his hotel shows he checked out this morning."

Relief flooded through me. "He’s gone? Really gone?"

"For now. But he’ll be back. Men like him don’t give up that easily."

"Or Malachi scared him off," Sophie suggested.

"Maybe." Alessandro didn’t look convinced. "Or he’s regrouping. Planning something bigger."

"Either way, we have time," Signora Moretti said. "Time to strengthen security. Time to prepare."

"Time for Malachi to find him first," I said quietly.

They all looked at me.

"That’s what he’s going to do, isn’t it?" Marco asked. "Hunt down Zhao. Kill him."

"Yes."

"And you’re okay with that?"

Was I? Was I okay with Malachi killing someone? Even someone who’d threatened me? Threatened our baby?