Chapter 377

Nina

We walked into the hotel room, the tension from dinner still palpable but left unspoken. Enzo set down his jacket and turned to look at me. Instantly, I knew that something was wrong.

“Why were you so vague about how we met, Nina? It seemed like you didn’t want to talk about it,” he said, his voice low.

I sighed, unsure of where to start. “It’s not that I didn’t want to talk about it,” I said.

“Then why did it seem like you were nervous to tell the truth?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I just… I didn’t want to say we had a one-night stand, Enzo. It’s...complicated. You know, given the nature of our relationship now.”

“Are you embarrassed about it?” he asked, his voice rising ever so slightly.

I felt my face flush. “No, I’m not embarrassed. It’s just—”

“You are embarrassed!” He cut me off, his tone tinged with disbelief. “Your face is all red, Nina. Don’t lie to me. I know you too well.”

“It’s not about embarrassment,” I shot back, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “It’s about privacy. Not everyone needs to know our business.:

Enzo sighed. “You don’t think I understand that? But our story is beautiful, Nina. How we met, how we connected, it’s all part of who we are.:

“It may be beautiful to us, but it’s also intimate and personal. Mila was prying, Enzo. I didn’t want to give her anything more to scrutinize.”

Enzo shook his head. “She wasn’t prying or scrutinizing. She was just curious, trying to strike up a conversation with you. And you seemed ashamed.”

“I don’t feel shame, Enzo,” I said. “But I also don’t need to divulge every intimate detail of our relationship to people we barely know.”

“Every intimate detail?” he asked, a wry chuckle escaping his lips. “Come on, Nina. It was a simple question about how we met. I fail to see how it’s so ‘intimate.’”

I felt my blood begin to boil. “It is intimate. We hooked up the first time we met! I don’t want to divulge that.”

Enzo looked away, his arms crossed. “But it’s not like you would have needed to divulge that detail. I mean, seriously, ‘we met in college’? How much more vague could you have possibly been? It just seems like you’re trying to hide something. Like you don’t want people to know about us.”

“That’s not fair and you know it. You know I’ve never been more sure about anything or anyone as I am about you,” I retorted, my voice a pitch higher than I intended.

“Then why couldn’t you just say that at dinner? Why couldn’t you say that we met at a bar, and it was electric, and the rest is history?”

“Because sometimes our history is our own, and we don’t have to share it with the world!” My voice came across louder than I intended.

Enzo rubbed his forehead, his eyes narrowing. “If you feel that our love story is something that should be hidden—”

“I’m not hiding it! I just chose not to broadcast it during what felt like an interrogation.”

“I didn’t see it as an interrogation. And frankly, it’s a bit odd that you did,” he said.

I was taken aback. “How could you find it odd?” I asked. “Mila was pressuring me about it in front of everyone. Didn’t you see the way she looked at me? The way she looked at you?”

“Oh, come on, Nina,” Enzo said with an exasperated sigh. “You’re taking it too seriously. She wasn’t acting any differently with us than with anyone else.”

I was near boiling point. “Yes, she was!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in annoyance. “Her whole attitude shifted when it came to the two of us. I can’t believe you don’t see it.”

He sighed deeply, looking at me with a mixture of disappointment and disbelief. “Nina, I think you’re just on edge, and I think I know why. After Selena—”

My heart sank. The room felt suddenly colder, the emotional distance between us like a tangible wall.

“Don’t you dare bring my dead sister into this,” I hissed.

Enzo stared at me in shock for a few moments before his face seemed to soften ever so slightly. “Okay, I’m sorry. But Nina, you know me. You know you can trust me, and Mila… I’d never do anything so unprofessional. I thought you would trust me by now.”

“Enzo, I’m not saying you would do something so unprofessional,” I argued, my voice quivering. “I’m just trying to tell you how I feel. Mila—there’s something about the way she looks at you, and it makes me nervous. I don’t like it.”

“You’re nervous?” Enzo crossed his arms over his chest, a stern look in his eyes. “If you really trusted me, if you really believed I would never cheat on you in a million years, then why would you be worried about Mila?”

I felt like I had been slapped. I broke down, sinking onto the edge of the bed with tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Look at me, Enzo. I’m 5’2”, dorky, with stupid hair and I’m gaining weight from the pregnancy. Mila is tall, slender, and drop-dead gorgeous. How can I not feel threatened by her?”

With a sigh, Enzo knelt in front of me, taking my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“You listen to me, Nina,” he murmured. “You are the most beautiful woman in the entire universe. You think Mila is beautiful? That woman cakes her face in makeup, and I’m pretty sure she’s had work done. You? You’re naturally stunning. Your caramel skin, your long black hair, your striking features, your freckles. You’re amazing just the way you are.”

I wiped my tears, sniffing. “You’re just flattering me, Enzo.”

“No,” he said firmly. “I am telling you the truth. You have nothing to worry about. I am madly in love with you, my wife, the woman carrying our child. No one could ever take your place.”

“It’s just…” I sobbed, burying my face into his chest. “These pregnancy hormones are making me feel so down on myself.”

He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around me. “Maybe that’s so, but you should know, you're even more beautiful now, especially with our baby inside of you. You’re glowing, Nina. Glowing.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” he reassured me, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead.

His words were a comfort, but for all the beauty he saw in me, I couldn’t help but be haunted by the idea that someone else might snatch him away. It was a ridiculous thought, utterly illogical given our history, our chemistry, our love.

Yet the worry lingered, fueled by a dizzying cocktail of pregnancy hormones and insecurity.

“Promise me something,” I whispered, looking up at him.

“Anything.”

“Promise me you’ll never leave.”

His eyes met mine, and the look he gave me was so intense, so filled with emotion, it took my breath away. “I promise, Nina, I’ll never leave you. How could I? You’re everything to me. Everything. I made that vow on our wedding day for a reason.”

I sighed, feeling the weight of my worries ease, if only for a moment. It was enough. Enough to remind me that despite everything, despite the obstacles that were constantly thrown our way, we would always have each other. Through thickness and thin, life and death.

“C’mon,” Enzo said gently, standing. “Let’s get ready for bed.”

He held out his hand for me, and I took it.