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‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘It means call off Santino and whatever plans he has of sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong, or...’
Her stomach hollowed. ‘Or, what?’
‘Or I’ll give a different kind of interview. One he won’t have the power to stop. You want to know how your mother died? I’ve tried to spare you the gory details, for your own sake, but if you really want to know, I’ll tell you when I’m ready. Or you can find out about it at some point in the future. Either way, I hope you’re as strong enough to take the truth as you insist you are.’
‘What? Papà—’ Her words echoed down a disconnected line. Chills rippled over her. She didn’t realise she’d stumbled to a halt on the sidewalk until Antonio cleared his throat.
‘Miss, is everything okay?’
She forced life into her feet, her steps growing faster as she spotted Javier’s apartment building. She crossed the foyer without looking up and was shaking by the time she let herself back into the penthouse. Her ringing phone a second later made her jump.
Hands trembling, she answered it.
‘What’s wrong?’ Javier demanded.
‘What...how do you know—?’
‘Tell me,’ Javier commanded.
‘My father... I just spoke to him...’ She shook her head to clear it, to find a way to attribute the conversation with her father to anything other than a clear threat. A threat not born in her wildest imagination.
‘And?’
She clamped her mouth shut, the thick cord of guilt she’d never been able to loosen from her heart tightening even further.
‘Carla.’ Javier growled a warning.
‘Please... I’m fine...’
A thick curse ripped through her senses. ‘What did he say to you?’
‘Did you stop the articles in Vita Italia?’ she countered.
‘Yes. I told you I was going to. I wasn’t satisfied with some of the subject matters.’
Dread raked her stomach. ‘I need you to lay off my father, Javier. Please. Until I talk to him again.’
‘No. Tell me what he’s up to and I’ll deal with it.’
‘No, questo è il mio problema. Io ne occupo io, non tu.’
‘I find it adorable that you slip into Italian when you’re fired up, Principessa, but you’re wrong. This is not just your problem. I hate to break it to you if you haven’t already worked it out, but your father is operating from a place of pure greed, just like my father when it suits him. And I guarantee that every misguided decision he makes from now on will impact both of us.’
‘So you’re helping me to fight him?’
‘In this case, protecting you from him also protects my brand, so yes. Now, tell me what he said to you,’ he insisted for the third time.
‘He said something, about...my mother. H-how she died.’
‘How did she die?’
Debilitating pain deadened her limbs. She stumbled to the sofa and dropped into it. ‘That’s just it. I don’t know. I wasn’t there, and he won’t tell me. But I know whatever happened, it had something to do with me.’
‘How is that possible?’ he demanded.
‘It sounds absurd, I know, but, whatever it is, I can’t find out any other way, Javier. Please. Give me time to deal with him my way.’
