Page 37 of Banished and Pregnant by Her Sicilian Billionaire Husband

“I’m sorry I doubted you.”

The hoarseness of his voice makes me bite my lip.

“I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I made you cry.”

And yet...he’s doing it again.

Right this very moment.

He’s making me cry because...

“It’s not your fault,” I whisper.

This is exactly what I feared.

I told his mother not to tell him I cried, but she obviously did otherwise, and now...

“You don’t have to feel guilty for not loving me.”

This is exactly how I expected Marcello to react.

“So please—”

I manage to get to my feet while carefully avoiding his gaze. I look around and realize that Camillo’s already left. It’s just the two of us, and I guess that’s for the best. No one wants to have an audience while—

Marcello cups my face, and I just...panic.

I struggle and try shoving him away, but he’s not letting go.

He’s forcing me to look at him.

“Please.” And that’s how I end up begging yet again. “Please stop.” But this time, I’m begging for the opposite. I just don’t want to see him again. I don’t want to be ever reminded—

“I know this isn’t an excuse,” he says hollowly, “but I was raised to never trust my heart.”

“Please just stop—”

“My father would actually beat us black and blue until we swore we’d never forget.”

I want to cover my ears. I don’t want to hear this. I can’t.

“Evidence over heart,” he continues doggedly. “Blood over heart.”

I can only keep shaking my head because he wouldn’t let go. “I don’t care!”

Marcello flinches at this, but I try to convince myself I don’t care about that either.

“I know it’s no excuse,” he says again. “But that’s why it was so easy for me to think you betrayed me. It was what I was trained to believe—”

“Just please, p-please stop it!”

I plant my hands against his chest and just...push.

And Marcello, even though he’s big and strong, powerful and dangerous...

He looks at me like I’ve just ripped his heart out.

“It’s not normal, okay?” I sob out. “The way you can’t seem to trust me...it’s not how a man in love would ever do. So just stop feeling guilty about this and let me go.”