The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 202 - Two Hundred And Two

Chapter Two Hundred And Two

Malachi’s POV

Christmas came to the Moretti estate like a storm of tradition and love.

I’d never experienced anything like it.

Growing up, Christmas at the Blackwood house meant formal dinners. Expensive gifts. Pa at the head of the table making business deals between courses.

This was different.

Signora Moretti had been preparing for weeks. The house was transformed. Lights everywhere. A massive tree in the main hall. Nativity scenes in every room. The smell of baking constant.

"This is insane," I told Alessandro as we carried in yet another box of decorations.

"This is Christmas. Wait until you see New Year’s."

"There’s more?"

"So much more."

Sophie and Camila were stringing lights in the garden. Alicia supervised from a chair, her hand resting on her stomach. She was twenty-two weeks now. Showing. Glowing.

Beautiful.

I’d never seen her this happy.

"Malachi!" Signora Moretti called. "Come help me with the presepe."

"The what?"

"The nativity scene. It’s tradition. The youngest man in the house helps set it up."

"I’m not the youngest—"

"Alessandro did it last year. This year it’s you. Come."

I went. Because you didn’t argue with Signora Moretti.

The nativity scene was elaborate. Hand-carved figures. Multiple scenes. A whole village leading to the stable.

"This has been in our family for generations," she explained. "Each piece added by someone. Your daughter will add a piece someday."

"She will?"

"Of course. She’s family. This is her heritage too."

The thought settled in my chest. Warm. Unexpected.

Our daughter would grow up with this. With tradition. With family. With roots that went deeper than violence and power.

"Where does this one go?" I asked, holding up a shepherd.

"On the hill. Watching over the flock. Protecting them." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Like I’d protect Lia. Like I’d protect Alicia. Like I’d protect this family that had welcomed me despite everything I was.

We worked in comfortable silence. When we finished, Signora Moretti stepped back to admire it.

"Perfect. Your daughter will love this."

"She’s not even born yet."

"No. But she will be. And she’ll grow up knowing she’s loved. Knowing she belongs. That’s what matters."

That evening, Maurice called.

"How’s Italy?" he asked.

"Good. Peaceful. How’s Dark City?"

"Chaos. But managed chaos. The transition is going well. Most of the family has accepted my leadership. A few holdouts, but nothing I can’t handle."

"And Pa?"

"Deteriorating quickly. Maybe a month left. He’s refusing treatment. Says he’s made peace with his choices."

I felt that familiar emptiness. The man who’d raised me was dying. And I felt nothing.

"Does he want to see me?"

"He hasn’t asked. I think he knows you’ve moved on. That you’re building something different."

"Good. Because I’m not coming back. Not for him."

"I didn’t think you would. What about the funeral? When it happens?"

I thought about it. About flying back to Dark City. About seeing the family. About exposing Alicia to that world again.

"I’ll decide when the time comes. But probably not. That Chapter is closed."

"Fair enough. How’s Alicia?"

"She’s perfect. We found out we’re having a girl."

"Congratulations. A daughter. That’ll change everything."

"It already has."

After we hung up, I found Alicia in the library. She was looking at baby books. Making notes.

"What are you doing?"

"Planning the nursery. Nonna gave me a list of things we need. It’s seventeen pages long."

"Of course it is."

She laughed. "I love her. I love all of this. The family. The traditions. The way they just... absorbed us. Like we’d always been here."

"They love you. It’s hard not to."

"They love you too. You know that, right? Alessandro told me yesterday that you’re the best thing that’s happened to me. That you make me happy in a way I never was before."

"He said that?"

"He did. I think you’ve won them over."

"Good. Because I’m not going anywhere."

She set down the book and patted the seat beside her. I sat. She leaned into me.

"Maurice called earlier," I said. "Pa’s dying. Maybe a month left."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I don’t know. Nothing, mostly. Should I feel something?"

"Not if you don’t. He wasn’t a good grandfather. You don’t owe him grief."

"He made me what I am."

"No. He made you into a weapon. But you chose to become more. That was you. Not him."

She was right. As always.

"Maurice asked if I’d come back for the funeral."

"And?"

"I don’t think I will. That life is over. Going back feels like reopening a wound that’s finally healing."

"Then don’t go. Honor him in whatever way feels right to you. Or don’t honor him at all. Your choice."

I kissed the top of her head. "How did I get so lucky?"

"You didn’t. You worked for this. You chose this. There’s a difference."

We sat in comfortable silence. Then Alicia shifted.

"She’s moving. Want to feel?"

I put my hand on her stomach. Felt the flutter of movement.

Our daughter. Lia. Real and growing and almost here.

"Five more months," Alicia said.

"Five months until everything changes."

"Are you ready?"

"No. But I will be."

Christmas Eve arrived with a houseful of people. The extended Moretti family descended. Cousins. Aunts. Uncles. People whose names I’d never remember.

But they all welcomed me. Welcomed Sophie. Treated us like we’d always been family.

Dinner was the promised seventeen courses. Each one more elaborate than the last. By course twelve, I thought I’d explode.

"How do you eat like this regularly?" I asked Alessandro.

"Practice. Lots of practice."

After dinner, there was music. Dancing. Children running everywhere. It was chaos and warmth and everything I’d never known I was missing.

I found Alicia on the terrace. She stood looking at the stars.

"You okay?" I asked.

"More than okay. I’m happy. Really, truly happy. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be."

"Me too."

"A year ago, I was married to Travis. Miserable. Trapped. Afraid." She turned to face me. "Now I’m here. With you. Having your baby. Surrounded by family. It’s like a dream."

"It’s real. I promise it’s real."

"I know. That’s what makes it perfect."

Midnight came. Christmas Day. The family gathered to exchange gifts.

Signora Moretti gave Alicia a box. Inside was a christening gown.

"This is what your mother wore," she said. "And what I wore before her. And my mother before me. Four generations. Now Lia will wear it too."

Alicia started crying. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me this. For giving her this connection to her family."

"She is my great-granddaughter. Of course she gets the gown."

Alessandro gave us a leather photo album. Empty pages waiting to be filled.

"For Lia’s first year," he said. "So she knows her story. Where she came from. Who loved her."

Marco gave us keys.

"To the villa in Tuscany. It’s yours whenever you want it. For holidays. For peace. For raising your family."

"We can’t accept—"

"You’re family. The villa is for family. Take it."

Sophie gave us a onesie. Tiny. White. Embroidered with "Lia" in delicate script.

"I made it myself," she said proudly. "Nonna taught me."

"It’s perfect," Alicia said. "She’ll wear it home from the hospital."

I’d gotten Alicia a necklace. A locket with space for a photo of Lia when she was born.

"So you can keep her close to your heart," I said. "Always."

She cried again. Happy tears this time.

"I love it. I love you. I love all of this."

Later, much later, we were finally alone in our room.

"Best Christmas ever," Alicia said, climbing into bed.

"Agreed."

"Next year, Lia will be here. Four months old. She’ll see the lights. The tree. The family."

"She’ll be spoiled. Absolutely spoiled."

"She’ll be loved. There’s a difference."

I pulled her close. Felt our daughter move between us.

"Thank you," I said.

"For what?"

"For giving me this. For choosing me. For building this life with me. I don’t deserve it. But I’m grateful for it anyway."

"You do deserve it. You chose to be better. You chose to walk away from darkness. You chose us. That matters."

"I’ll keep choosing us. Every day. For the rest of my life."

"Good. Because we’re choosing you too."

We fell asleep wrapped around each other. Lia kicking gently. The house quiet except for the distant sound of celebration still happening somewhere downstairs.

And I thought about how far I’d come.

From Dark City. From violence. From the man who’d tortured people without remorse.

To this.

To family. To love. To a daughter who would never know that version of me.

Alicia had saved me. Had pulled me out of darkness I didn’t even know I was drowning in.

And I’d spend the rest of my life being worthy of that gift.

Of her.

Of Lia.

Of this life we were building together.

Three days after Christmas, Maurice called again.

"He’s gone," he said simply. "Pa died this morning. Peacefully. In his sleep."

"Okay."

"The funeral is in three days. Family only. Do you want me to send the jet?"

I looked at Alicia sleeping beside me. At the life we’d built here.

"No. I’m not coming back. Say goodbye for me. Tell the family I’m where I need to be."

"I will. Malachi?"

"Yes?"

"He was proud of you. At the end. He said you’d done what he never could. You’d escaped. Built something clean. He said that was the real power."

Unexpected emotion hit me. Not grief. But something close.

"Thank you for telling me."

"Take care of your family. That’s all that matters now."

"I will."

I hung up. Sat in the dark thinking about Pa. About the man who’d made me into a weapon. Who’d never shown love but had shown me how to survive.

He was gone.

And I was free.

Truly, finally free.

Alicia stirred. "Who was that?"

"Maurice. Pa died."

She sat up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Surprisingly, yes. That Chapter is closed. Now there’s only this. Only us. Only the future."

"Are you sure? If you need to go back—"

"I don’t. My family is here. My future is here. Everything that matters is here."

She put her hand on my face. "I love you."

"I love you too. Both of you."

Lia kicked on cue. Like she knew we were talking about her.

"She’s going to be a handful," Alicia said.

"She’s going to be perfect."

"She’s going to be both."

"Then we’ll handle both. Together."

"Together," she agreed.