𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄

Bonus Chapter 0.2

LUCIANO
MARIANO

I held Stefano, our nine-year-old, in my arms, smiling at his serious little face as he looked up at me with fierce determination. "And what am I supposed to do if you're out here saying you'll protect Mommy and Isabella?" I chuckled, helping Adeline wipe the smudges of chocolate from his face. "I'm the one who's supposed to protect, not you, kiddo."

Stefano squared his shoulders, defiance lighting up his eyes. "I'll protect Isabella, Maximo, and Lorenzo. I don't need you to protect them anymore, Papa. I'm good at protecting," he declared, nodding like he'd been rehearsing this his whole life.

Adeline laughed softly, the sound filling the room as she rinsed the cloth and folded it neatly. "Oh, Stefano, you're still my baby. You can't protect yourself, let alone your cousin and brothers." She shook her head, smiling as she reached over to ruffle his hair, but Stefano frowned, crossing his arms with a serious pout.

"Mommy, I'm not a baby," he protested, tugging his sleeve down with a huff.

Adeline's expression softened, and she bent down to press a kiss to his temple. "You are, baby. And it's okay to be young and a little weak. Not everyone needs to grow up so fast," she murmured, a gentle reminder meant just as much for him as for us.

"But Uncle Damiano said—" Stefano's lips wobbled, a little glimmer of uncertainty breaking through.

Adeline's eyes narrowed. "Don't listen to your uncle, he's a troublemaker, and you know it," she said, playfully scolding him while running her fingers through his hair.

Stefano stuck his tongue out defiantly, and I crouched down to give him a serious look. "Hey, don't do that to your mom. Respect her, and apologize," I said, my voice soft but firm.

Adeline rolled her eyes at me, as if to say, you're too much, but Stefano looked up at her, contrite. "I'm sorry, Mommy. But Damiano isn't an... an 'asshole' like Aunt Mia says," he mumbled, hugging her leg. "He's my idol."

And as if on cue, Damiano sauntered into the room with a smirk, hands casually in his pockets. "That's right, kid, I'm everyone's idol," he announced, ignoring the look I shot him as he reached down to scoop Stefano up. "Did your mean mom talk bad about me again?"

Stefano nodded enthusiastically, eyes wide. "She said you're a twoublemaker."

Damiano pressed a hand over his heart, feigning hurt as he turned to Adeline. "Adeline, you wound me," he said dramatically.

Adeline glared, placing her hands on her hips. "I'll kick your ass out of this room, Damiano," she replied, grabbing Stefano and setting him down on the bed before shoving Damiano toward the door.

With a satisfied smile, I held out my hand for a high-five. "That's my dolcezza," I grinned, squeezing her hand when she took it. "I love you even more when you bully my brothers."

"Ewww." Stefano scrunched his nose, earning a laugh from both of us.

Maximo and Lorenzo were already fast asleep on our bed, cuddled up under a blanket. Stefano, however, was determined to stay awake, claiming he'd protect his brothers from any nightmares. Adeline nudged me, watching him with soft eyes. "He's a mini you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around me. "He's like their protector, just like you are with your brothers."

I nodded, kissing her cheek, but our moment was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Frowning, I turned to find tiny Isabella crawling in, her sleepy face lighting up when she saw us. Adeline's eyes softened as she knelt down to pick her up, her voice gentle. "Hi, baby. Where are your parents?" she asked, brushing Isa's curls back.

Isabella babbled in her own little language, clearly unable to explain much of anything, but Stefano answered without missing a beat. "They're probably kissing in the kitchen, like always," he replied with a huff, climbing off the bed to take Isabella from Adeline's arms with the utmost care.

Together, we watched as he carried her over to the bed, laying her down between Maximo and Lorenzo, adjusting the blanket around them all. "Now I can protect all of you," he whispered, a smile tugging at his lips as he settled himself beside them, standing guard over his sleeping cousins and siblings with all the courage his little heart could muster.