Bound To My Mafia Stepuncles novel Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Aria’s POV

The night air was crisp against my skin as I curled up on the porch swing, knees pulled to my chest. The ranch stretched before me, bathed in silver moonlight, quiet except for the occasional rustle of the trees and the distant sounds of the horses in their stalls.

1 should have felt relief.

Cassandra was gone.

The boys had made sure of that.

It had been brutal, effortless. Matteo, Dante, and Enzo had dismantled her with a few well–placed words, stripping away her carefully curated charm until she had no choice but to leave.

I should have felt victorious.

Instead, my chest felt hollow..

My phone buzzed against my thigh, and I already knew who it was before I saw the name.

Linda.

I hesitated, fingers trembling slightly before I answered.

Her voice was sharp, cutting through the fragile calm I’d found outside.

“Aria, what have you done?”

I closed my eyes.

Here we go.

She didn’t wait for a response. “Your sister came to you, and you let those boys humiliate her? You didn’t even defend her? Do you have any idea how heartless that makes you look?”

I pressed my forehead against my knees, swallowing the lump in my throat.

It didn’t matter that Cassandra had deserved it.

It didn’t matter that, for once, someone had stood up for me.

To my mother, Cassandra would always be the victim. And I would always be the one who didn’t do enough.

When I didn’t answer, Linda let out an irritated sigh. “You need to start thinking about how your actions reflect on this family, Aria.”

Family.

The word twisted inside me, bitter and painful.

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Chapter 36

I hung up.

I wasn’t strong enough to argue. Not tonight..

I let my phone slide from my hand and exhaled slowly, trying to push away the tightness in my chest. The exhaustion, the weight of it all–it was too much.

The porch creaked behind me.

I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Matter,

His presence was warm, solid, even before he spoke. “You’ve been quiet.”

I let out a hollow laugh. “Tim just tired.”

Matteo didn’t move right away. He lingered against the railing, watching me, his gaze unreadable. The porch light cast soft shadows across his face, accentuating his sharp jawline, the scruff along

his chin, the way his dark eyes softened just a little when he looked at me.

“You always get like this after talking to her,” he murmured.

I tensed, but he wasn’t accusing me. It was just an observation. One that made my throat tighten.

Matteo took a slow step forward, then another, until he was right in front of me. He crouched down, resting his arms on his knees, leveling his gaze with mine. “Say it.”

I swallowed. “Say what?”

“Whatever it is you’re holding in.”

I turned my face away, blinking hard against the sting in my eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”

His fingers brushed against my knee, warm and gentle. “It does.”

I exhaled shakily. “She makes me feel like… no matter what I do, it’ll never be enough.”

Matteo didn’t speak right away. He just watched me, his expression darkening slightly, like he hated hearing that but

didn’t want to push me.

“You know that’s bullshit, right?”

I huffed a small laugh. “Is it?”

Matteo’s jaw clenched. “You shouldn’t let her have that power over you”

“I don’t let her.” My voice was barely

above a whisper. “It just happens.”

Silence stretched between us, thick with words unsaid.

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Chapter 36

And then the porch creaked again.

I glanced up just in time to see Dante and Enzo step outside, their gazes flicking between me and Matteo

Dante let out a long breath and sat on the porch ralling, arms erosted. “You’re thinking too much again,”

Enzo leaned against the doorway, his sharp gaze locked onto me. “Let me guess. Linda?”

I gave a weak nod.

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