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“Be sure to get those back before one of these guards wanders off with it,” I say, remembering the guard who showed off his expensive watch.
There is a knowing look of concern deep in Mattia’s eyes that tells me the situation is a lot worse than I originally thought. I’d expected Gabriele to take it too far, but leaking this to the media is very risky for him. He must be confident in his plan.
“It’s good to see a friendly face,” I say to Mattia as I take a deep breath to calm down.
He looks at my hands, and then at the marks on the walls and I can see him piece it all together.
“Why didn’t you tell me what you were up to?” he asks.
“Because I knew that you would try to stop me,” I answer plainly.
Mattia motions to the jail cell around me. “Would that have been such a bad thing?” he asks.
“I suppose not,” I admit. “I was just trying to talk to him. He tried to blackmail me, and I thought I might be able to get through to him.”
“Youwhat?!” Mattia says angrily. “You thought you couldspeakto him and it would all turn out alright?” Mattia bursts out laughing and doesn’t stop for quite some time. “You must be falling for that girl, boss, because only feelings like that can make you so incredibly stupid.”
He’s right. I really don’t know what I was thinking. I let my judgment get clouded.
“Tell me what I can do to help, boss,” he says, his expression serious again. As always, he is ready to spring to action.
“This news article could ruin my chances,” he says. “Trial by media is a powerful tactic, and almost always works. There are only two options here.”
“Lay ’em on me,” he says, folding his arms.
“The first would be if Gabriele confesses that he made it all up. That there was no kidnapping and that he was wrong,” I say.
Mattia stares blankly at me. “Yes, and then the pixies can come down from the sky and make it rain marshmallows and glitter for all of eternity and we can live happily ever after,” he says sarcastically.
“The only other way would be if Aria makes a statement that she wasn’t kidnapped and that she went to the island with me willingly. She could even pass a lie-detector test,” I say. “And this option certainly seems more likely.”
I can hear the shuffling of Mattia’s feet as he suddenly becomes uneasy, but I don’t pay it much mind. I’m already thinking it all through, and deciding what the next arrangement should be.
“Yes, her statement is our only option,” I say. “Get in contact with my lawyer, I have some arrangements to make.”
“That certainly would be the best option,” Mattia mumbles.
Still, he doesn’t seem to spring into action like he usually does. Perhaps he wants some clearer instructions? Or perhaps he just wants to talk a little longer. Whatever it is, I don’t have the time for it. We need to act before the rumors and media spiral completely out of control.
“What are you still doing here?” I eventually ask. “You need to let Jay know that he must bring Aria back immediately. There is no time to waste.”
“I can’t do that,” he says finally. “She isn’t on your island.”
My brain scrambles to make sense of what he just said, but I can’t think of any reason that she wouldn’t be there.
“I saw her this morning,” he says. “She and Jay were at your penthouse, looking for you. I ran into them when I went to check on the place.”
“What? Why?” I bark.
“I’m not sure,” he says. “But she seemed confused as to where you were. She said you told her that you were coming for a business meeting. I didn’t find out more because then we found out about your arrest.”
None of it makes sense to me at all. I had instructed Jay tonotlet her leave. Why had they both come back?
“You can only imagine my confusion when I learned that you had come all the way back here and not told me about it,” he continues.
“Yes, I know,” I say. “And I’ll keep apologizing for it until you forgive me or I die, whichever comes first. But right now, I need you to go back to the penthouse and ask Aria to make a statement telling the truth. And get my lawyer on the phone.”
I am starting to lose my patience with Mattia. If he is looking for apologies, now is not the time. Surely all of those things can wait until I am walking free. Every minute that he stands here is a minute of my freedom that he is taking from me.
