Accardi by allison franklin novel

You Were My Favorite Hurt, And My Hardest Goodbye by Ava Knight 120 Summary In this chapter, Genevieve is confronted with a shocking and terrifying reality: she is now wanted by the authorities, accused of murder. The wanted posters bearing her name and mugshots from a past arrest reveal the severity of her situation. The fear and panic overwhelm her as she grapples with the implications, especially with the added concern for her unborn baby.

Matteo tries to calm her, urging her to breathe and focus, but Gen is consumed by disbelief and anxiety, fearing the loss of her freedom and the safety of their child. Matteo reveals his plan to protect her and their family: he intends to turn himself in to the authorities. This decision shocks Gen, who reacts with anger and confusion, unable to understand why he would sacrifice himself. Matteo explains that by surrendering, he can shield Gen and their friends from prosecution and gain access to someone inside the system who holds crucial information.

He assures her that he has powerful allies who will help secure a pardon once he obtains what he needs, and that Gen will take over the business while he is away. The couple discusses the timing and logistics of Matteo's plan, with Gen demanding at least five days together before he leaves. Despite the tension and fear, they find moments of tenderness and connection, reaffirming their commitment to each other. Matteo promises to keep everything under control and protect their family at all costs, while Gen struggles with the weight of the situation and the sacrifices ahead.

The chapter ends with a passionate kiss and a declaration that Matteo will not be sleeping apart from her, highlighting their deep bond amid the crisis. Continue Regular Chapter Reading Below Chapter One Hundred and Twenty "Genevieve, you need to breathe," Matteo's voice echoed faintly from somewhere nearby, steady yet distant. "Weakness, look at me." But she couldn't. Her eyes remained glued to the wanted poster bearing her name, over and over again. The photos pinned there were the mugshots from her last arrest-when she'd foolishly struck the officer who was detaining her.

Those nights spent behind bars had been her stepmother's harsh attempt to make her understand the consequences of her recklessness. Cruel? Absolutely. Effective? Without a doubt. In those images, her eyes were bloodshot and wild, her right ring finger swollen and purple from having forgotten to remove her ring amid the chaos, and her clothes were torn and caked in mud. Matteo snapped his fingers in front of her face, yanking her back to reality. Her gaze flickered upward, and the fear that clouded her eyes made him recoil.

Gen sprang to her feet so suddenly that Matteo had to stumble backward to keep from falling over. "What is this? Are these for real?" she demanded, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Yes, they're..." Matteo began. "I can't believe this!" she cried out, her voice breaking. "Murder?! Murder, Matteo? I can accept defending the others, but that one?" Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She was a murderer. She had killed Marco. There was no excuse, no denial. She had tainted her soul with vengeance, and the devil had come to claim his due. "How did they find out?

Is there a leak?" she whispered, panic rising. "They're not charging you for Marco's death, Gen," Matteo said softly, reaching for her hand. She yanked it away sharply. "If not Marco, then who? Who else would they..." Her breath hitched. "Noah is accusing you of Becca's murder, Weakness," Matteo confirmed quietly. "She was my friend!" Her voice cracked with pain. "I know," he said simply. Gen grabbed the other papers, scanning them frantically. Each page slipped from her fingers and fluttered to the floor with a sharp thud. "This is nonsense! I can't believe... I didn't...

I thought I was untouchable!" Her voice turned bitter, disbelief turning her words into venom. "You are untouchable," Matteo growled behind her, his tone fierce and unwavering. She whirled around, eyes wide and wild. Marching toward him, she waved the wanted poster like a weapon. "This..." she spat, thrusting the page in his face. "This is anything but untouchable, Matteo. This is very much... touchable!" she shouted. Matteo snatched the paper from her hand and flung it behind him. "Breathe, Gen." "I'm breathing!

This is..." She struggled for air, as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Her eyes darted around the breathtaking setting where she was supposed to marry Matteo. What if the FBI stormed in tomorrow? What if they dragged her away before she could say her vows? "This is..." She pressed a hand to her stomach, trying to steady herself. Then the terrifying thought struck her. "The baby." Desperation coursed through her veins, making her legs tremble. "I can't..." She gripped Matteo's forearms tightly. "Matteo, we can't have our baby in prison! They'll take it away from us!

We have to leave! We have to run! We have to-" "Sit down," Matteo commanded, his voice sharp and authoritative, the tone he used with his men. He grabbed her upper arm and pushed her down firmly. "You've had your moment of panic. Now sit the hell down and listen while I tell you how I'm going to fix this." He dropped to one knee again, cradling her face in his hands and forcing her eyes to meet his. "I need to see you breathe." She inhaled sharply. "Good. Again." This time the breath came easier, then easier still with each inhale. *** "Matteo...

what are we going to do?" she asked quietly, her hands reaching up to cover his. His thumbs brushed away tears she hadn't realized had fallen. "I have a plan." "And what is it?" she pressed. "I'm going to turn myself in." "What?!" Gen shoved him backward to stand again. Matteo fell onto his backside with a grunt. "Are you out of your mind?" "Sit down, Gen," Matteo ordered, his voice deadly serious. "No! I'm about to be your wife! You can't order me around like I'm Frankie or Leo. If I want to stand, I'll stand!

Especially since it looks like I might not have much freedom left once I..." Her words trailed off. Matteo rose to his full height and clamped a hand over her mouth. His other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him, silencing and immobilizing her all at once. She squirmed, but her panicked thrashing was no match for his strength. "They can't touch us while we're in Italy. That's one reason I brought you here." Gen's eyes narrowed. "I thought we were here to get married!" "I can't hear you, Weakness. Shut up and let me finish, then you'll have your turn.

I'll turn myself in if they let you, Frankie, Leo, and Louis go free. I'm the target. They don't care about you all-they want me. If I give myself up, I can keep you safe." His hand slid from her back to rest protectively on her stomach. "Both of you," he whispered, before slowly removing his hand from her mouth. "You turn yourself in, then what? Rot in prison for decades while I raise our baby alone?" Her voice was low but simmering with barely contained anger. "I need information from someone on the inside.

I get it, then I get out." "Just like that?" she mocked with a bitter laugh and a twirl of her hand. His eyes darkened. "I have judges, senators, and high-ranking politicians in my pocket. Once I get what I need, they'll write me a pardon." Gen's eyes widened at the power he wielded. "Why not use those favors now? Get all of us acquitted, arrange a visit with this insider, and call it a day?" He sighed. "I can call in favors, but it takes time. The man I need to speak with won't trust me easily. It'll take days to earn his confidence.

Plus, Michele and Bennett need to think they've won for the next phase of my plan to work." "Next phase?" she asked, folding her arms. Talking was calming her fears. He took her hand gently. "Frankie, Leo, and Louis will stay behind to help you take over." "Take... over..." she repeated, still trying to grasp the meaning. Matteo smirked down at her hand, admiring the large ring she wore. "Tomorrow, if you still want me, when we get married, you'll become my Donna. When I turn myself in, you'll run the business. I'll need your help to keep everything running smoothly." "How?

What will you need me to do? Should I write it down?" she asked earnestly. Matteo gave her a look he often reserved for moments when she surprised him. Tentatively, he ran his fingers down her upper arm. She stepped closer, and he brushed his knuckles across her cheek before leaning in to kiss her. "Why aren't you telling me you want to be as far away from me as possible, Weakness?" he murmured against her lips. She scoffed, an unladylike sound, raising an eyebrow. "Do you not remember what you told me in that supply closet on the boat?

How you warned me about the FBI?" He groaned softly and closed the distance between them. "I remember that kiss. I remember feeling proud when I saw Paul's eyes widen because you looked like you'd just been fucked. I wanted to claim you right there on the table, in front of him and your dad." She rolled her eyes but blushed anyway. He smiled, sensing he was breaking through her fear-walls. "You've given me every chance to walk away. I'm under no illusions about who you are or what you do. You warned me before I climbed into that bed. I chose this life, Matteo.

I chose you..." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I just didn't think..." "I know. I'm sorry." "I did it," she whispered, staring at the floor. "I killed someone. Whether he deserved it or not, it still eats me up sometimes. I took a life, Matteo. And I thought I could get away with it?" She shook her head. "When?" she asked quietly. "When?" "When will you put this plan into motion?" She sank into the nearest chair with a heavy sigh, defeated. After a pause, she looked up. He stood with his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight nervously.

"Matteo." "The day after tomorrow." Gen stared at him, disbelief and dread swirling in her eyes. "You mean the day after our wedding?" "Yes." "Excuse me?" Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, a warning. "Weakness..." "You're marrying me, making me your Donna, consummating our marriage-if I even let you at this point-and then leaving the very next day?" "There are a lot of moving parts. The longer we wait, the more damage your reputation takes. Your accounting firm will be ransacked, Charlotte's name dragged through the mud. You could lose-" "I could lose you!" she screamed.

Matteo grabbed her upper arm roughly. "Look, woman, I have one goal: keep my family safe. My family-that's you and the life we've built. That's it. That's all I'm responsible for. I dropped the ball once, and it cost me everything. Everything! If you think I'm willing to risk that again, or that you have any say in me laying my life down for you and our baby, let me be clear now." He pulled her closer. "There's you, and there's this," he growled, his palm flattening over her stomach.

"If I have to stand in front of a firing squad to make sure you breathe, I will." He loosened his grip slightly. "But that won't happen. I'll be gone a week, tops. I have it under control. You just have to trust me and listen to the guys. Can you do that?" Gen looked up into his defiant eyes, nearly black like the stormy sky above them. He dared her to say no. He was terrified she might. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked, a stray tear slipping down her cheek from the deep frustration inside her. "You deserved a few perfect days," he whispered, voice low and desperate.

"Why not wait until after the wedding?" "I couldn't, in good conscience, stand before you tomorrow and vow honesty while hiding this truth." "Five days." "What?" "You'll give me five days before you leave," she decided, nodding firmly. He smirked and shook his head. "Things will move fast, Gen. I'll need..." "I'll take no less than four. That gives us time to negotiate with Bennett-you're not just hopping across the pond and hoping for the best. We'll get it in writing, negotiated by top lawyers. Alessio has a few we can use, right?" Matteo stared at her, mouth slightly open.

After a moment, he nodded. "Good. We'll negotiate and create a plan we both trust. I'll know every detail before you leave, so nothing is left to chance. I'll talk to Charlotte so she's prepared. Her husband's a lawyer too, so he can help with the business side if needed. We can call in some of your other guys to help as well..." Matteo's mouth covered hers, cutting off her excited rambling. His hands tangled in her hair as his lips conveyed what words could not.

He backed her into a table, and she placed a palm against it to stop him from pushing her down as their lips met, teeth scraping, tongues dancing in a fierce battle. When he pulled back, their foreheads rested together as they caught their breath. "It's late... We have a big day tomorrow. Alessio set up a room for me in another wing of the house. I know it's tradition that..." Gen grabbed his shirt in her fists and pulled him down for another kiss. When she finally let go, she admired the bruised look of his lips. She kissed him softly again, holding him tight so he couldn't pull away.

Shaking her head, she said, "If you want to finish this conversation later, fine. But if you think I'm letting you sleep anywhere but beside me tonight, Matteo Accardi, you're sorely mistaken." Conclusion The chapter closes on a poignant moment of vulnerability and fierce determination, as Genevieve and Matteo confront the harsh realities threatening their future. Despite the weight of accusations and looming sacrifices, their love remains a steadfast anchor, grounding them amidst chaos.

Tensions will rise as they navigate the complexities of loyalty, power, and survival, with every decision carrying the potential to either protect or unravel their carefully built lives. The upcoming days will reveal how far each is willing to go to safeguard their family, and whether their love can withstand the sacrifices demanded by a perilous game they cannot afford to lose. Expect moments of vulnerability, fierce determination, and the quiet strength that only true partnership can forge in the face of overwhelming odds.