Becoming Mrs DeLuca novel Chapter 29

VALENTINA

I froze, staring at the little boy. What had just happened? Stefan had fought against Adrian’s hold like a wild thing, as though he were terrified of his own father. And Adrian- God- there’d been a flicker in his expression, a dangerous tightening around his jaw, the kind of look that suggested he was one breath away from snapping.

Milo’s barking echoed faintly from downstairs, like a frantic background noise, but Sofia had quieted. Probably because Adrian had taken her out of her crib. My chest squeezed at the memory of last night’s chaos, but I pushed it aside and forced myself to focus on the boy in front of me.

I drew in a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and crouched down to his level. “Hello, Stefan. I’m Valentina.” My voice was soft and careful.

His eyes met mine. They looked miserable, guarded, and a shade of brown that reminded me of milk chocolate. His caramel–blond hair stuck up in uneven tufts, knotted in places as if no one had run a comb through it in far too long.

My heart twisted.

“How about we get you ready for the day?” I tried again, gentler this time, as if coaxing a stray animal.

But Stefan didn’t move. He didn’t nod, didn’t shake his head or anything. He just stared at me with that hollow

gaze that said more than words could.

My stomach tightened. This child was broken in ways I couldn’t even fathom. His mother had been gone only a few months, and his father… well, Adrian was drowning, that much was obvious. Whatever had happened in this house before me, whatever scars Stefan carried, I had no idea. But I could see enough.

He was hurting.

And worse- he looked so thin. Too thin.

I straightened slowly, brushing off my skirt, and held out my hand. “Will you show me to your room?”

My request was met with silence. Stefan didn’t even glance at me. Instead, his small fingers tightened around the tablet he clutched like a lifeline, and with a tap, the screen lit up. Bright colors and bouncing balloons filled the display— some kind of game.

I pressed my lips together. Forcing him wouldn’t work. Adrian might have picked him up and carried him, but I knew in my gut that if I wanted to earn Stefan’s trust, I had to do it differently.

“Stefan,” I tried again, softer this time, crouching a little so my voice went straight to him. “Please, help me. I’m new here and I don’t know where to go. I need you to show me your room. Will you help me?”

He didn’t take my hand. He still didn’t lift his eyes. But after a moment, he slid off the chair and walked toward the hallway, tablet still clutched tightly. It wasn’t much, but it was something. I followed quietly, letting

him lead.

His room was painfully plain. Neutrals dominated every corner: beige walls, a pale rug, plain furniture. The only signs of childhood were the toy dinosaurs scattered across the shelves and piled on his bed. They were the only bright splashes of color against the dullness. My chest ached. He needed warmth here, something soft and alive.

I crossed to the wardrobe and began rummaging through it, eventually pulling out a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Most of the drawers held clothes that seemed better suited for summer. The few winter pieces I found looked a size too small. I made a mental note to fix that.

Turning back, I lowered myself to kneel in front of him. Stefan had settled on the bed, cross–legged, with the tablet balanced on his lap. His lashes flicked upward for a split second before dropping back to the screen.

“Can you dress yourself?” I asked gently. I wasn’t sure at what age kids managed that on their own.

He didn’t answer. His attention stayed glued to the game, fingers tapping frantically at the balloons. I tried again, this time reaching for the tablet. “Stefan, we need to get you dressed.”

The moment my hand touched the device, everything changed.

A strangled cry burst out of him, raw and angry. Before I could react, he launched himself at me, catching me completely off guard. I toppled backward, landing hard on the rug. The tablet slipped from my grasp as his small body pinned me down.

He fought with surprising strength. Tiny nails scraped across my cheek, stinging hot as they dragged against my skin.

For one stunned heartbeat, all I could do was hold still beneath him, with my heart racing wildly. This wasn’t just a tantrum. This was pain and trauma.

“Enough!” Adrian’s roar rattled the walls, and suddenly Stefan’s weight was gone. I gasped as air rushed back into my lungs and pushed myself up on my elbows, heart thundering wildly in my chest.

Adrian stood over me with one arm wrapped around his son’s small body. Stefan kicked and fought, but Adrian held him effortlessly against his side. His voice was stern as he commanded. “I said enough.”

The boy froze, as if the sound alone could turn him to stone. His little chest heaved, but the thrashing stopped. My hands trembled as I pushed myself upright, blinking back the sting in my cheek. When Adrian’s eyes slid toward me, the fury in them disappeared. I lifted my hand to my face. It burned, and when I pulled my fingers back, the sight of bright red streaks made my stomach drop.

“Goddamn it,” Adrian muttered, rough and harsh.

He looked down at the boy in his arms, and for a fleeting second, I realized it wasn’t only Stefan who was broken. Adrian was too.

Without another word, he carried Stefan over to a changing table I hadn’t even noticed before, tucked neatly against the wall. The boy sagged in his father’s grip now, still as stone, eyes fixed somewhere past us.

I spotted the tablet abandoned on the floor and picked it up, placing it carefully on the bed before stepping closer. The bundle of clothes I’d chosen for Stefan felt awkward and heavy in my hands. I held them out.

Adrian’s gaze flicked to me, then to the clothes. His voice was clipped. “Put them down.”

I laid them neatly on the table. My eyes never left the boy. He looked so small against the white pad, his fists curled tight at his sides.

Adrian began stripping him down with practiced efficiency.

That’s when I noticed something. “He’s still in diapers?” The words slipped out before I could stop them. Stefan was nearly six. Shouldn’t he have been past that?

Adrian’s head turned slightly. “Can you change a diaper?”

Heat flushed my cheeks. “No,” I admitted. Then, trying to stand taller, I added, “But I can learn.”

His mouth pressed into a thin line. He didn’t reply, only finished the task quickly, his large hands moving with precision. Stefan didn’t fight. He didn’t even squirm. He just stared off at the wall, silent and stubborn, his expression locked down.

Adrian dressed him in the clothes I’d picked, and just as I’d feared, they were snug in odd places. The sweatshirt stretched too short at the wrists, and the pants barely grazed his ankles. The clothes were too small, but not loose. He was thin enough that nothing hung off him. My chest tightened.

Adrian set his son gently on the floor, and like a magnet, Stefan shuffled straight back to the bed, climbing up to retrieve his tablet. His small fingers immediately tapped at the screen, as if nothing had happened.

“For a while, he didn’t need a diaper.” Adrian’s voice cut the silence. Then it faltered, leaving the sentence hanging in the air unfinished. His jaw worked, I knew the words he wasn’t able to say.

I filled them in silently. Then Serena died…

18:41 Fri, Nov 7 M

Chapter 30