The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 205 - Two Hundred And Five

Chapter Two Hundred And Five

Alicia’s POV

We came home three days after Lia was born.

The villa was ready. The nursery perfect. The family waiting.

Signora Moretti had filled the house with flowers. White roses everywhere. Just like she’d promised.

"For Giuliana," she said, touching Lia’s tiny hand. "For all the Giulianas."

Sophie couldn’t stop holding her. "She’s so small. So perfect. I can’t believe I’m an aunt."

"You’re going to be the best aunt," I told her.

"I’m going to be the most spoiling aunt. There’s a difference."

The first week was a blur. Sleepless nights. Learning to feed her. Learning her cries. Learning how to be parents.

Malachi was surprisingly good at it. He changed diapers without complaint. Walked her when she cried at three AM. Held her for hours just watching her sleep.

"You’re a natural," I told him one night.

"I’m terrified every second that I’m doing it wrong."

"That means you’re doing it right."

The internet was still obsessed. Malachi’s posts had gone viral. Theories everywhere about who I was. Where I’d come from. Why no one knew me.

"Someone will figure it out eventually," I said.

"Maybe. But until then, I’m enjoying the mystery."

"You like that they can’t have this. Can’t have us."

"Yes. This is ours. Private. Sacred."

I understood. After everything we’d been through, we deserved privacy. Deserved peace.

But then Travis called.

"Congratulations," he said when I answered. "I saw the photo. She’s beautiful."

"Thank you. How are you?"

"Good. Sober. Working. Living a quiet life." He paused. "I wanted to tell you something. Before you hear it from someone else."

"What?"

"I’m seeing someone. Emily."

I almost dropped the phone. "Emily? Emily Emily?"

"Yes. She came back to Dark City last month. We ran into each other at a meeting. Started talking. And..." He trailed off. "I know it’s complicated. I know she tried to destroy the family. But she’s different now. Broken, but trying. Like me."

"Travis—"

"I’m not asking for permission. I’m just telling you. Because you deserve to know. Because if it gets out, if people start talking, I wanted you to hear it from me first."

"Does Malachi know?"

"Not yet. I’m calling him next. I’m... I’m nervous about that conversation."

"He’ll be angry."

"I know. But I’m hoping he’ll understand. That we all deserve second chances. Even Emily."

After we hung up, I told Malachi.

His jaw tightened. "She tried to destroy us."

"And she failed. And she walked away. And now she’s trying to heal."

"With my brother."

"With someone who understands what she’s been through. Someone who’s also broken and trying to be better."

"This is going to be a disaster."

"Maybe. Or maybe they’ll help each other. Stranger things have happened."

He looked at Lia sleeping in my arms. "I can’t think about this right now. I can’t think about anything except her. Except keeping her safe."

"She’s safe. We’re all safe."

"Are we? Because it feels like the past keeps trying to come back. Emily. Travis. Dark City. All of it."

"The past is always there. But it doesn’t control us. We choose what we let in. What we keep out."

He was quiet for a long moment. "You’re right. I just... I want her to have better than I had. Better than you had. I want her to never know darkness."

"She won’t. Because we’ll protect her. And because we’re building something different. Something clean."

Lia woke up and started crying. Hungry.

I fed her while Malachi watched. Still amazed by all of it. By the normalcy. By the domesticity. By this life we’d built.

"I need to tell you something," he said after a while.

"What?"

"Maurice called yesterday. While you were sleeping. The family wants to meet her. Wants to come to Italy. Wants to see the baby." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Your family?"

"What’s left of it. Tom. Some cousins. People I haven’t seen in months."

"And you said?"

"I said I’d ask you. That it’s your decision."

I thought about it. About letting the Blackwoods into our sanctuary. Into the peaceful life we’d built.

"Do you want them here?"

"Part of me does. Part of me wants Lia to know her father’s family. To have that connection. But part of me wants to keep her away from all of it. From the legacy. From the darkness."

"They’re not all dark. Tom’s your father. He deserves to meet his granddaughter."

"He was never much of a father."

"Maybe he’ll be a better grandfather."

Malachi considered that. "Okay. Tell Maurice they can come. But just for a day. And just immediate family. No business. No drama. Just meeting Lia."

"I’ll tell him."

The Blackwoods arrived two weeks later. Tom. Maurice. A few cousins I’d never met.

Tom held Lia carefully. Like she was made of glass. "She looks like Layla. Like my mother. Same eyes."

"Really?" Malachi looked surprised.

"Really. She has our grandmother’s face." Tom looked at his son. "You did good, Malachi. You found something real. Something worth protecting."

"I did."

"I’m sorry I never gave you this. Never showed you what family could be. I was too busy following Pa’s example. Too busy being what he wanted instead of what you needed."

"It’s okay."

"It’s not. But I’m grateful you found it anyway. Found her. Found this." Tom gestured around. "Found peace."

They left that evening. Promised to visit again. Promised to respect our privacy.

"That was better than I expected," Malachi said.

"Your father loves you. He just didn’t know how to show it before."

"Maybe. Or maybe seeing Lia made him realize what he missed with me."

"Either way, it’s progress."

Life settled into a rhythm. Early mornings with Lia. Afternoons with family. Evenings just the three of us.

Malachi worked from home. Consulting for Maurice but not running anything. Not making decisions. Just advising when asked.

It was enough.

I spent my days with Lia. Learning her. Loving her. Marveling at every tiny change.

"She smiled at me today," I told Malachi one afternoon. "A real smile. Not gas. A smile."

"She’s brilliant."

"All babies smile at six weeks."

"Yes, but our baby is brilliant when she does it."

I laughed. "You’re ridiculous."

"I’m a father. I’m supposed to think my child is brilliant."

Sophie came home from school that day with news. "Luca wants to meet Lia properly. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Bring him for dinner."

"Really? You’re not going to make Alessandro interrogate him again?"

"Alessandro already approved him. Bring him."

Luca was sweet. Nervous. Held Lia like she might break.

"She’s so small," he said.

"All babies are small," Sophie told him.

"I know, but she’s really small."

"You should have seen her two weeks ago."

Watching Sophie with her boyfriend, watching her be an aunt, watching her build a life here—it made everything worth it.

We’d escaped. Both of us. And we’d found something better.

That night, after everyone had left, after Lia was asleep, Malachi pulled me close.

"Marry me," he said.

"I already said yes."

"I mean soon. This month. Next month. I don’t want to wait until October. I don’t want to wait at all."

"Why the rush?"

"Because I want you to be my wife. Officially. Legally. I want Lia to grow up with married parents. I want everything locked down. Official. Real."

"It’s already real."

"You know what I mean."

I did know. He wanted the security. The permanence. The proof that this was forever.

"Okay," I said. "Next month. Small ceremony. Just family. Here at the villa."

"Really?"

"Really. Let’s do it. Let’s make it official."

He kissed me. Deep. Meaningful. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"And I love her. God, I love her so much it scares me."

"I know. Me too."

Lia made a sound from her bassinet. Not quite a cry. Just a noise.

We both froze. Waited.

She settled back to sleep.

"We should sleep while she sleeps," I whispered.

"We should."

But we didn’t. We just lay there holding each other. Listening to our daughter breathe.

Marveling at the life we’d built.

At the family we’d become.

At the future we were creating.