Chapter 34: Chapter 34

The pattern of the games had completely slipped my mind. I had been so preoccupied with worrying about what exactly the individual games were that I’d never taken the pattern into consideration.

Something all the games had in common.

My mind drew a blank.

When no one replied to him, Xavier raised an eyebrow. “Should I give a hint?”

Genevieve perked up at that. “Would you?”

He nodded. “What was the first thing you were taught by your mentors?”

I paused.

The Roscotto Code of Ethics.

It suddenly struck me, and my eyes widened. Xavier glanced at me and smiled. “Did you figure it out? Share with us.”

“The themes were the hints, right?” I asked.

His smile widened. “Sì, how did you come to that conclusion?”

“Well, each game has a theme that coincides with your code of ethics. That’s why it kept being stressed. There are five games in total and five tenets. Loyalty, Strength, Life, Love, and Courage.”

Xavier gave a slight nod of encouragement, so I kept going.

“The escape room represented life, and the forest represented strength. Which means the other three games will represent loyalty, love, and courage.”

Xavier nodded. “Correct.”

Christina smiled. “It took me forever to figure that out when I competed.”

“Oh? How were your games, Christina?” Genevieve asked.

She thought about it before replying. “Well, you already know this, but even though the themes always stay the same, the individual games change. My strength game was an obstacle course we had to complete with our hands tied behind our backs. The goal was to escape a kidnapping while dodging enemies.”

I looked at her with keen interest. “Who were the enemies?”

Her eyes twinkled. “The other participants.”

That made sense. It was similar to ours, yet different at the same time. Honestly, I was jealous. Her game sounded easier to win since there were no weapons involved.

I guessed they raised the stakes for the games each year.

“Who comes up with the ideas?” I asked.

“It’s a joint effort among our highest members. We pool our ideas, then cast a vote,” Stefano explained.

I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities for the next three games. If I could figure out what tenet was next, maybe I could try guessing what the game would be.

I looked up, about to ask Christina what her game for courage was, when I caught Alex’s eyes.

“Catalina.” His lips quirked. “How was your first kill?”

Stefano and I stiffened.

Stefano glared at his brother. “For someone so cowardly, you sure talk like your life means something.”

“Is that a threat, brother?”

Stefano said nothing and simply stared at him. They looked at each other, and the tension returned to the room.

I sighed. I could feel Stefano’s restraint in how tightly he held my hand, but I didn’t say anything. He and his brother clearly had deep issues they needed to work on, but it seemed that only one was willing.

I looked at Alessandro, whose face was sunken from the toxins he’d inhaled, probably on a daily basis. He would’ve been just as handsome as his brother if he’d taken better care of himself.

Camille frowned. “Can you focus on your own fiancée?” she asked Alex. “You’re pathetic. The only people you’ve addressed since you walked in here were Cat and Stef. What’s with your fixation?”

Alex scoffed. “Focus on your own obsession.”

“It’s not an obsession!” she snapped.

“Who’d believe that? Wherever Stef and Anton were, you were right behind. The little lost puppy seeking validation from its owner.”

“That’s rich coming from the man who resorted to drugs because he couldn’t face the fact that he’s the incompetent brother.”

Alex slammed his fist on the table and shot to his feet, startling me.

“What did yo—”

“Do not slam my fucking table! Sit down!” Christina’s voice somehow overpowered Alex’s. Her expression turned cold as she glared at her son. It scared me, and I wasn’t even on the receiving end of her stare.

I tensed, my eyes flitting between her and Alex. After a brief moment, Alex clenched his jaw and sat down.

Christina took a deep breath to rein in her emotions and asked wearily, “When will you three learn to get along? You’re embarrassing us in front of our guests.”

Stefano’s arm found the back of my chair as he corrected his mother. “Not guests, Mother. Family. Catalina isn’t an outsider.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words, and I looked at him softly.

Xavier chuckled. “That’s right. It can’t be helped. Every family has its defects.” He cast a cold glance at Alex, who stiffened in his seat, lowering his head and saying nothing.

Despite how he’d acted, I somehow felt bad for Alex. Calling your child a defect was wrong, no matter what they’d done. If this was how Alessandro was treated before turning to drugs, then I understood what drove him to seek an escape.

Genevieve looked at Alex with what appeared to be worry, but I could see through her act. Her concern was fake.

She placed a hand on his shoulder and consoled him. “Don’t worry yourself, honey. I know damaged goods aren’t your preference.”

I furrowed my brow in confusion. What was she on about?

Everyone looked at her.

Rena’s lips quirked as she spoke for the first time that night. “She’s saying she’s pure, and you’re not.”

I blinked, my confusion deepening.

Rena chuckled at my expression while Genevieve blushed.

“I’m not pure?” I asked, trying to wrap my mind around what the fuck she was talking about.

Rena chuckled. “The two of them kept me up last night. I’ve been dying to share the horrors with someone else.”

Realization dawned on me, and my mouth fell open in disbelief.

The table fell silent.

Stefano quirked an eyebrow and looked at Genevieve. “Are you saying that Cat is damaged goods?”

She quickly shook her head and put on a coquettish front. “Of course not. I was speaking in general. Men love it when their women are untouched. You wouldn’t want an apple that’s been passed through many hands, would you?”

Camille gasped and glanced between Genevieve and me. “Oh, my!”

I narrowed my eyes at her insinuation. Was this Genevieve’s way of trying to target me? Well, she’d made a big mistake. She wasn’t the only one with a sharp tongue.

I smiled at her. “Keep in mind that you’re not his wife yet. Try not to get taken out before the wedding, or like you said, someone purer might take your place.”

Rena coughed and covered her smile by taking a sip of her drink.

Camille openly chuckled. “I’m afraid Catalina is right. Her position is solid compared to yours. There’s no need to brag so early in the games. I know my pathetic brother. Anything can happen.”

Alex glared at her. “Say that again.”

Christina sighed. “Let’s calm down, children. This is not how I wanted this family dinner to go.”

“You were a virgin?” Stefano asked Genevieve.

His sudden interest in her surprised me, and I snapped my disbelieving gaze to him.

The look he currently gave Genevieve left a bitter taste in my mouth, and my face darkened with anger.

Was he showing his interest for another woman in front of me?

I tried to tug my hand away from his, but he held firm to me. Curses were on the tip of my tongue, but I refrained from saying them. They’d be better said in private, when I could rant and rave, and maybe throw some punches.

Genevieve seemed surprised by his sudden interest but quickly welcomed it with a bright smile.

She shyly tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded. “Alex was my first, yes.”

“Was it his blood on the sheets or yours?”

Stefano’s question stunned me speechless.

My sour mood instantly vanished, and I calmed when I saw the mischief in his eyes.

Genevieve seemed confused when she asked, “What are you talking about?”

“I know my brother well. He was probably so high off his ass last night that he couldn’t tell the difference between your cunt and your ass. If I were to strip you right now, which end would I find torn?”

There was a collective gasp around the table, myself included. I knew Stefano had a nasty tongue, but I never knew he could be this sharp with it. I was at a loss for words, but I couldn’t deny the satisfaction pooling in my gut.

He was defending me, and my anger was quickly turning into exhilaration.

“Stefano!” Christina scolded. “Not at my dinner table.”

Alex looked just as shocked as the rest of us, but his dazed expression made it seem like he was thinking back to the previous night.

I was even more baffled. Could he really not remember if he and Genevieve had anal sex?

Stefano ignored his mother and continued to probe. “I bet you had to help him find the hole. You should worry about yourself. My fiancée will have me as her first love, her husband, and the only man bold enough to claim I’ve ever had her heart.”

Genevieve seemed incredibly embarrassed, and I ate up the look on her face with barely concealed amusement. She was speechless. She knew she couldn’t deny what Stefano said.

Alex abruptly stood from his seat, glaring at his brother. “I’ve had enough of this. I’m leaving!”

Stefano seemed to be powered by the god of chaos, because he didn’t stop there.

“Didn’t you run a background check on Genevieve after selecting her as your potential wife? She was known as a conductor in high school. She ran many trains.”

It took me a minute to process what Stefano was saying, but my eyes widened at the insinuation. Not only was Genevieve not as pure as she’d claimed, but she’d been had by many, many men.

“Oh, goodness.” Even Christina couldn’t hide her shock this time.

Camille openly laughed as Xavier massaged his forehead, seemingly exasperated.

Rena was just as shocked as me, and both of us shared a glance. Apparently, this was not the type of chaos she expected when she brought up the topic.

Alex also looked shocked, as well as embarrassed.

Stefano clicked his tongue in disapproval. “To think you wouldn’t even run a background check on the woman you chose. Your brain really is dead.”

“Fuck you! Fuck this shit!” Alessandro shouted as he stormed out of the room.

“Alex! Wait!” Genevieve quickly stood and ran after him.

Rena stayed.

The table descended into silence, but my face beamed as I linked Stefano’s and my hands under the table. I felt like a little kid who got the toy she wanted.

Christina sighed, obviously exhausted. “I have a dysfunctional family.”

I chuckled to myself. That wasn’t obvious to her before now?