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“Who was the guy you were talking to when I got here? He’s nothing like your other goons.”
“That, my precious Ella, was Uberto. He’s my computer specialist and the man who takes care of everything technical.”
“Why do you need a computer specialist?”
“Not all wars are fought on the streets anymore, princess.”
“Oh.” Is the only response I have for that.
“Uberto has many other talents. He’s excellent at finding information, no matter how hard to come by. Information is power. So it pays to have the best on my team.”
Interesting. Uberto sounds like a skilled resource. “So, he hacks for you?”
“Among other things,” Gualtiero replies, self-satisfied.
Even though Uberto didn’t acknowledge me when I passed him, I could swear I’ve seen his face before. But where? “Have I met him before? At your work?”
Gualtiero smirks but doesn’t say anything.
“What?” I ask, somewhat annoyed.
With an indulgent smile, he answers, “You might have seen him at your hotel. He stayed in one of the rooms on your floor to hack into the hotel surveillance system and create his own version.”
I gape at him, eyes wide and mouth half open.
Sure, why not? That’s totally normal, isn’t it? Having your computer geek spy on your vacation fling?
“I had to make sure you were safe,” he offers as an explanation for this lunacy.
Holy shit! Am I really in that much danger?
I’m almost believing it if Gualtiero had me under surveillance from the very beginning. Or is he just a possessive ass who wanted to make sure no other men got to me?
If Uberto stayed on my floor, I wonder what else Gualtiero manipulated. And then I connect a few dots.
“The hotel floor was weirdly deserted from the day after we met, when previously it was bursting with life. Did you have anything to do with that?” I ask, but I’m pretty sure I know the answer already.
“Of course,” he replies unapologetically. “Security is harder to control the more people are involved. Plus, I figured, you’d enjoy the quiet.”
What a control freak. “Who else stayed on my floor?” I want to know.
“Both Alonso and Oriana had rooms, but they were under strict instructions to remain hidden from you.”
I steeple my hands in front of my face and rub my brows slowly.
“You said Uberto uncovers information for you. Did you have him investigate me?”
“Naturally.”
“So you knew everything about me already before we went out for the first time?” I ask but don’t wait for an answer. It really is a rhetorical question, anyway.
“You knew about my heritage and my parents and what I do for a living. You probably knew all about my ex-boyfriends. And my favorite lilies… no coincidence! How on earth did he find out about that?”
Not denying anything, Gualtiero studies me. “You could take it as a compliment that I wanted to learn all there is to know about you,” he placates.
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, taking a deep, calming breath. I feel sick to my stomach.
“Has anything been real, Gualtiero? Or was everything orchestrated by you?”
