The suggestion lands like ice water. “I can’t.”
“Why? Because he’s your boss now? Because he’s scary competent? Liv, you had a one-night stand five years ago. You got pregnant. You ran. He has a right to know he has a son.”
I shake my head hard. “You don’t understand what’s at stake. Dante has been texting again. Every few days now. He heard I took the job at Ferretti and he’s furious. He wants me back under his roof.
“He keeps saying Nico needs a stronger family structure. Stronger meaning De Luca control. If he finds out Valentino is the father, he will weaponize both of them. He will try to takeNico. Or use him as leverage against Valentino’s company. Dante does not lose. Ever.”
Piper listens with the focused attention she usually reserves for clients whose galas are collapsing in real time.
“Hiding a secret from a man who runs a security company may not be a sustainable life strategy. He finds things out, Liv. That is literally his entire business.”
The truth of her words settles heavy in my chest. I think about the quiet way Valentino watches everything.
The way he noticed my reaction when he leaned over my desk yesterday. He misses nothing.
How long can I really keep Nico hidden from him when we will be living on the same estate for ten days?
I finish my wine and stand up to pace. “I will only agree to the retreat if Nico can come with me. And if you can be nearby. I need someone I trust close by.”
Piper’s face lights up with that dangerous combination of mischief and loyalty I have relied on since college. “Funny you should say that. I’m already booked at the same Hudson Valley estate that week.
“My client is throwing an enormous gala for some tech heiress turning thirty. The event overlaps with your retreat dates. I will be on site handling everything from flower deliveries to drunk uncles. I can be your emergency escape hatch.”
Relief washes through me so strongly my knees feel weak. “Really?”
“Really. And get this.” Her expression shifts into visible irritation. She stands up and starts gesturing with her glass.“The Aurelius Consortium hired this reputation consultant to oversee the whole thing.
“Some insufferable lawyer with cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass and a God complex the size of Manhattan. Dominic Calder. He rejected my initial catering proposal for the gala. Said it lacked strategic elegance or whatever nonsense he likes to spout. I had to redo the entire concept because Mr. Perfect Suit thinks he knows events better than I do.”
She shakes her head. “We’re going to clash. I can already feel it.”
I smile despite everything. Piper in full protective mode is a force of nature. “Sounds like he might finally meet his match.”
“He wishes.” She refills both our glasses. “But back to you. You tell Valentino about Nico before the retreat or during it. Rip the Band-Aid off. He might surprise you. Men like him have resources. Protection. If Dante comes for you, Valentino could actually keep you both safe.”
The idea tempts me more than I want to admit. For five years I have carried this secret alone.
I built a life for Nico with sheer stubbornness and late nights and sheer terror of my father’s reach.
The thought of sharing that burden with someone who commands rooms by going still is dangerously attractive. But trust is a luxury I lost the night I ran from Venice.
“I’ll think about it,” I say finally. “But I need to get through the next few weeks first. Survive the prep. Keep Dante at bay. Make sure Nico stays happy and unaware that his mother is quietly trying not to lose her shit every single day.”
We talk for another hour. Piper orders more food and makes me eat. She sketches out ideas for how we could coordinate at the estate.
She even suggests a discreet background check on Dominic Calder just to annoy him. By the time I leave to pick up Nico my shoulders feel marginally lighter.
The subway ride home is crowded and warm. I hold the strap and stare at my reflection in the dark window. I look tired but determined.
When I finally reach our small apartment Nico is already in his pajamas, clutching his favorite toy car. The red one from the photo. He runs to me and wraps his arms around my legs.
“Mama! We built a racetrack with blocks. It had a loop.”
I scoop him up and breathe in his shampoo scent. “That sounds amazing, baby. Tell me everything.”
He chatters while I make dinner. Simple pasta with the sauce he likes. I listen to every word and try to memorize the way his eyes light up when he describes the loop.
Valentino’s eyes.
