AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He’d rather not say, given your present company.” She motioned that he was in the room next to my office.
The fact that the man knew who was here told me who it was.
“It’s fine.” I nodded at Sofia. “We’re finished here, anyway.”
“Elio,” Elenora clutched my arm as I went to leave, and I glared down at her hand and then at her, “don’t believe me, fine. Francesco doesn’t know the truth, but Sienna does.” She paused while I waited for more. “She knows enough that she might be able to see what I see.”
“Do you ever wonder why no one believes you? Because though you might be telling some form of the truth, you never just say it all at once.” I pushed her hand away and reached back to grab Sienna’s journal, holding in front of her face. “You want to make things right with your daughter, here’s how.”
“What’s this?” She slid the journal out of my hand and flipped through the pages.
“It’s from several years after we met at the pond. She had so many questions and no mother to answer them. Maybe you could stop racing from your past long enough to be a mother.”
“You want me to answer questions from back in her youth?” She looked at me like I was crazy, and I cursed under my breath as I pressed the intercom.
“Please escort these people out, Sofia.” As they left my office, Elenora dropped the book on the table with a head shake. The woman didn’t deserve to be a mother.
I opened the door on the side of my office to see The Finder staring out the window with something in his hand.
“Sorry to come without a call.” He turned to look at me. “I came in the back way with Vinni’s help.”
“Do you have something for me?”
“I do.” He let out a long breath as I came closer. “Elio, you know where my loyalty lies, correct?”
“Yes.” Once again, doubt filled my head.
“Good. Remember that when you listen to this.” He pressed play on the little recorder, and I heard Nonna’s voice.
“Where’s the girl?”
“She’s living under the Coppola roof,” The Finder answered her.
“That’s not possible.”
“It is if she carries the family ring. She also showed proof of a DNA test.”
There was a slight pause and a small gasp.
“Do we know where she got the ring?”
“Her mother, apparently.”
“Good Lord, I told that little witch to leave and never return!” Nonna puffed in frustration. “And she was actually welcomed in?”
“Yes.”
“Damn…all that time she was living under my roof learning our ways! I tried to get rid of her years ago because my gut told me something wasn’t right.” Nonna spoke as though she was thinking out loud. “And now she’s run off and will share everything she knows with the enemy.”
“I truly don’t think she knew who she was.” Hearing those words, I glanced at The Finder and gave him a slight nod, pleased he’d defended her.
“And Stefano,” Nonna’s voice continued, “showed up where Elio was making the exchange in Fiano Romano?”
“I’m not sure if Stefano was there, because he wasn’t actually spotted, but some of the Coppola soldiers were there.”
“Has Elio made any contact with the woman?”
“No. I have both being followed, and no contact’s been reported.”
