’Til next time, stay safe.
XOXO,
GG
Chapter Thirty-One
Coincidence My Ass
Chiara
“That’s a wrap!”announces Natalia, and the entire crew high fives and whoops. We’ve been on set since 4 a.m. shooting a cover and feature for New York’s most elite fashion magazine,En Vogue, about the hottest young Hollywood stars. I’m exhausted but on a high from being surrounded by celebrities, expensive designer clothes, and hair and makeup artists and stylists transforming the talent into true visions.
“You were incredible today, Chiara,” Natalia praises, handing me her camera to put away for her. “That was a good call to pull in tighter on that shot and bounce the light off the dress to create a flare effect.”
“Thank you,” I say. “I’m just glad it worked out. I would’ve looked like a fool in front of all these fabulous people otherwise.”
“That’s not true. Getting unicorn shots like that only happens if you take a risk. Of course, sometimes it fails, but the magic happens when you try and it works. Never doubt your intuition. It’s our guiding light as creatives and artists—and in life,” she reminds me with a soft smile. “Once you finish packing mycamera, you get out of here. You were first on set this morning; the other assistants can finish packing down.”
I wonder if Mama brought Natalia into my life to be a reassuring, calming presence in my life. God knows it’s the break I need from the overprotective, testosterone-filled antics I have to put up with.
I nod my understanding, and Natalia squeezes my shoulder as she passes me and says her goodbyes to everyone else.
I can’t wait to go home.Home.It’s funny that within one day of being at Raf’s, the word subconsciously falls from my lips. Especially when I consider that, for the entire time I lived with Uncle Gino, I’ve never once referred to his house as home. It’s a bittersweet realization that I’ve come to feel a permanence in a situation that is very temporary.
I grab my stuff and put on my big coat. I check my phone to see Avery has dropped me a pin to where he’s waiting with my driver on the street level. I quickly text him back to let him know I’ll be down within the next five to ten minutes and pop my phone in my coat pocket so I can say goodbye to the rest of the crew. Just as I step out of the studio, my phone vibrates with an incoming call. AJ. I consider hitting Ignore but think better of it after all that’s transpired.
“Cousin dearest, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Hey, Chiara. I need you here within the hour.”
“Can it wait? I’ve been on set all day and?—”
“Look, I’m going to be straight with you, especially since it seems you have no issues shooting me if you need to. Julian Rizzo is coming to see me. He told me he has intel on Marco’s shooter…but he’s insisting you’re present too.”
I breathe out heavily. “Here I am trying to carve my way out of Mafia life and you’re trying to pull me further into it. I thought you were going to make this arranged marriage shit go away, AJ.”
“I promise you, I am going to make it right. But he wants to meet you before he hands over the intel he has.”
“Fucking hell, AJ. This nightmare just keeps getting worse.”
He grunts, then says, “I’ll drop you a pin to La Rosa. Avery will know where to find me. And please, Chiara, just let me do the talking.”
I hang up on him, not bothering to acknowledge his last sentence. I’m fucking tired of all these men doing the talking. Arabella is right. We need to break this cycle. I wish I knew how she was doing with her mission. It stings that I still haven’t heard from her. It makes me question if she considers me a true friend she can trust or if it was just a convenient friendship.
I pocket my phone and walk towards the elevator, mulling over the details of the conversation.
“Ah! Sorry,” I say as I collide full force with someone walking out of the studio to my right.
“That’s okay, Bella Mia,” says the voice belonging to the body I collided with. His hands are now steadying me by the shoulders. I stiffen, and my heart rate spikes to dangerous levels.
What’s that saying—you should always listen to your gut?Raf will be pleased I didn’t fuck that one up, I think as I snap my eyes up to meet the stranger’s, though I already know it’s him.
I keep walking towards the elevator, and Alessandro falls into step with me. His presence doesn’t feel menacing, but Raf’s words ring in my ears:Do you also think it’s a coincidence that just weeks after he sees you and Marco together in L.A., Marco gets shot at an event you’re attending?
I finally stop and turn to look at the man I once trusted implicitly.
“You shouldn’t hide this pretty face from the world,” Alessandro murmurs.
