Giovan should have expected her to react in such a tender, affectionate manner, yet it still resonated and struck his very core abruptly; the sheer amount of softness and care she was displaying just for him meant so much more than words could describe. He let her hand gently guide his face, tilting his head slightly in order to lean further into her increasingly familiar touch. Giovan frowned deeply when she enlightened him that she was aware of practically everything, including the fact that he could not ensure her safety; a part of him was pleading with himself to see that it was far better for her to be away from him than this close, yet on the contrary.. He knew for a fact that he could not survive without her. His heart twisted painfully in his chest when she mentioned the sole possibility he feared the most: he may very well be the one to end her life. The mere thought of it had caused him so much pain that he diverted his gaze and bit down harder on his lip. It was the last thing he wanted and, truth be told, he was realizing why his mother had been so concerned. Josephine was different from everyone else and he knew that if it did come down to that possibility, it would destroy him in unimaginable ways. No one had cared as much as she did.

Giovan was eerily silent as he sat there, immersed within the depths of his thoughts. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he was surprisingly too afraid to do so. He had already been so honest with her so far, so why was he struggling out of thin air? Perhaps it was because he was realizing how special she truly was; if he lost her, maybe he would lose his sense of purpose, his sense of self even. Since he was at a loss for words, he resorted to shifting closer to her on the bed and lifting an arm to pull her close, angling himself so that most of his body was pressed firmly against her own. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, a gesture that seemed to indicate he was seeking solace, perhaps reassurance from her. Silence overtook him as he remained like that, thinking without voicing any of it aloud. Giovan figured she was probably aware of what was going on in his head, especially when she seemed to be so perceptive when it came to him. He did not mind it, however, and he actually felt grateful for it.

The silence remained heavy between them as he lifted his other hand to embrace her completely, his warm breath tickling against the skin of her neck as he closed his eyes. He recollected how most women- according to his mother- preferred men to be confident and unwavering, displaying their emotions very rarely and how too much vulnerability was a turn-off. Back then, he had scoffed at the mere idea of becoming vulnerable for a woman, but here he was.. doing precisely that. He knew he was the one meant to reassure and comfort her, but their roles were reversed at the moment. However, Giovan knew that she was aware of the monster lurking beneath his warm, not so serious surface; she probably knew she was the safest she could ever be as long as he was nearby. It definitely still felt so strange to him, being so emotionally open and vulnerable, to be more precise.

Giovan clinged onto every single word that she spoke to him, her voice providing him with the warmth and affection he desperately craved to know she reciprocated; he was more than aware of the fact that she did reciprocate it due to everything that had unfolded, but he needed to know it was concrete and unchanging. His stiff anatomy gradually became limp and relaxed in her embrace, his fingers tensing slightly against her back as he persisted in holding her close. Even though he was more than aware of how his potential death could affect both his family and society itself, he knew that, if he was forced to do so, he would gladly sacrifice his wealth, power, and even his life just for her. Josephine was the light at the end of his dark, isolated tunnel that seemed to have no escape; so soon, he knew that she would forever be his lifeline and the reason to keep on living despite it all.

``I.. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and alive,`` Giovan finally said it aloud, his voice threatening as if the very thing that would try to take her away was in the room with them. He knew that if he did have to kill her, he would not be able to follow through with it; if things did come to the worst, he simply let her leave and move on. A heavy sigh escaped him as he listened to the next words he spoke, these ones managing to truly imprint themselves within his head. So many words were begging to leave his mouth at this precise moment, some of them more absurd and sudden than others, yet that did not prevent him from saying them. He may sound like a mad man, but it was the truth and she needed to know it, even if he was truly letting her in and being the true Giovan beneath the layers of authority, selfishness, and even his immoral tendencies.

``Josephine, I..`` he trailed off momentarily, his hold on her tightening before he created some distance between them so he could peer down into those gorgeous gray pools. His expression was no longer as distressted and uncertain as it had been moments prior, love and affection overpowering all else. Slowly, he allowed his hands to travel from her back upwards until they gently cupped her cheeks, his thumbs massaging her flawless skin with utmost gentleness. He admired her for a moment, letting her words of them being partners truly engrave themselves in his memory. ``I love you..``

Giovan could only watch as she reacted to his words of endearment, his heart melting further as he saw the tears beginning to fall from the corners of her gorgeous eyes. He wanted nothing more than to wipe those tears away, the sight of them hurting him a little even though he knew they were the kind of tears that were good and not bad. When she pressed herself against him to give him an emotional kiss, he reciprocated it with equal gentleness and passion, his eyes closing momentarily until she pulled away. He was more than relieved to know that he was not imagining all of these emotions that he was feeling; Josephine loved him just as much as he loved her, something he had never dreamed of happening before: him finding a lover, to be more precise. There was nothing that could take her away from him, whether they be outside forces or even herself if she did ever decided to leave despite how unlikely it seemed.

``Only a mad man would take such serious words back, darling,`` Giovan chuckled softly as he finally took the opportunity to wipe the tears off of her face with tender and affectionate care. He met her gaze head-on as he rested his forehead against her own as well, briefly lifting his head to kiss her forehead ina reassuring, loving manner. ``And you`re mine as well. Other men can only dream of taking you from me.``

He was no longer afraid of being open and honest with her, especially after this emotional and paramount exchange that had meant the world to him. Truly, he felt like there was no more uncertainties or doubts between them now. Giovan gave her a final kiss to her forehead before he leaned back completely and lowered his hands, reaching for the clothes he had gotten her. Even though he desired to remain in this moment forever, he still had things to tend to and, hopefully, they would also be able to knock out the task of gathering her stuff and moving it to his room. With a soft hum, he smoothed out the clothing since it had been caught in the crossfire of their emotional exchange and lifted it for her to take. His expression remained gentle and loving as he gave her another one of his special, lopsided smiles, whispering softly, ``Want to try these on now?``

Giovan`s heart somehow managed to warm further at her words regarding him being uncomparable to alternate individuals, her reassurance that no other man would take her away being the icing on the cake. He smiled as he watched her take the clothes he had handed to her with a slight glimmer of excitement and anticipation swirling in the depths of his hazel eyes. Josephine truly was the only woman he had ever met that made him want to sacrifice everything- whether it be his own life or something as small as a few hundred dollars here and there- just to see that gorgeous smile written all over her face; her happiness was his happiness, a phrase that he now understood in its entirety. His gaze remained fixated on her as she rose to her feet and started to undress so she could change into the clothes he had given her. Giovan`s breath hitched when she removed the t-shirt he had given her, his eyes roaming across her familiar body; he still wanted to explore it more, to maybe even memorize it one day. He was tempted to throw his plans for the day out the window, but he knew better than to do so.

``You look gorgeous,`` Giovan whispered softly, his voice soft and brimming with affection. He wondered if he would ever have to talk to her in a way other than the way he has been using recently; the mere thought of raising his voice or not allowing himself to be vulnerable with her an almost foreign possibility now. He hoisted himself to his feet so that he now stood before her, his height far greater than her own. With a soft hum, he reached out to intertwine his hand with her own, looking her over one last time to admire her ethreal beauty and glowing face. ``If you need to bring anything, go get it before we leave.``

Giovan waited patiently in case she did need to grab some of her things, especially since he had noticed that her purse was still on the nightstand. She did not really have to bring it with her, but he knew how women were with their personal belongings thanks to his mother. Once she was ready, he pressed a kiss to her scalp before he took her hand and led her out of his room, ensuring the door was locked prior to continuing down the hallway. His pace was slow and steady just for her, his gaze intense and brimming with silent warning whenever curious or uncertain stares were sent their way. The last thing he needed was to be questioned, even if they did have a valid reason to do so; they probably believed their beloved boss was going mad. The plans he had for the day, unfortunately, were all incredibly serious and strenuous ones, which meant that Josephine would most likely see the cruel reality of his world firsthand on day one. He did not want her to scare off from it all so soon, but he trusted her when she claimed that she could handle it for his sake.

Giovan, despite knowing it would be incredibly unlikely, remained vigilant and meticulous as he led his lover through the mansion`s winding halls, his mind fixated on the possibility of something going wrong somehow. Although his meet presence was more than enough to instill fear into anyone in his proximity, he knew that there would always be individuals that simply shrugged him off as nothing even close ro being dangerous and malicious in every way imaginable. He occasionally paused to coverse with guards and officers he recognized, the conversations cryptid and brief since each individual was meant to know certain fragments of information and details about the ongoing operations; it decreased the chances of their enemies figuring their plans out if every member had a different understanding of what the end goal was. Most believed this method would backfire and cause trouble, yet it had never happened before. He was fixated on where he was going and consistently checking on Josephine that he nearly collided with the smaller, almost innocent-looking form of his couson: Lorelai Sterling Salvatore.

``Gio, what the fuck?`` Lorelai grumbled as she smacked him rather harshly on the shoulder, surprising him and causing him to take a step backwards. Momentarily, he removed his hand from Josephine`s to lift it along with his other one in mock surrender. Other than Hosea, his beloved younger brother, it was Lorelai that was also aware of his true self, the one he had shown Josephine; the two of them were incredibly close and considered themselves partners in crime, especially when Lorelai was the cherished wife of an alternate mafia in the area. It was thanks to her that most of the rivalries and conflicts in the area had become minimal, even if her and her husband`s personalities conflicted greatly. ``Since when did you scamper around the mansion like a child again?``

``I am simply busy, Sterling. I have important matters to tend to,`` Giovan explained as he folded his arms across his muscular chest, raising an expectant brow. He would only allow such verbalizations from her and Hosea; if it had not been a family member, they would have already been unconscious and knocked down to the floor where they would eventually be dragged away by a nearby mafia member. His umber gaze drifted towards Josephine for a brief moment, looking her over to ensure she seemed a little comfortable with the unfolding situation. He cleared his throar rather harshly before he reached out and wrapped a firm arm around Josephine`s waist to pull her gently against his side. ``This is Josephine. And Josephine, this is Lorelai, my cousin.``

``Josephine?`` Lorelai repeated in a curious voice, humming softly as she sidestepped to get a clearer virw of the new woman. She was quiet, her azure eyes sparkling with interest and curiosity; unlike her aunt, uncle and younger cousin, she was clearly not against Giovan seemingly falling for a woman he had just met. Lorelai smiled brightly as she oustretched a hand for the other woman to shake, her blonde curls bouncing slightly due to the movement. ``It`s a pleasure to meet you. I trust Gio is behaving himself for you, yes?``