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“Like live a lonely life, away from everyone I’ve ever known?” Resentment builds inside me, forming a lump in my throat. I still remember the sadness and numbness enveloping me like a heavy coat during my first few months at boarding school.
“A safe life. I wasn’t in any shape to parent you after your mother died.”
“Were you ever? Or did she pretend you were this great dad when the truth was the opposite?”
He slams his fist on the desk, and the sound reverberates through me. “Basta!”
“I haven’t had enough. We’re just talking.”
“You want to talk,piccolina? Well, your mother wasn’t the perfect angel you think she was. She cheated on me for years with an employee. And when I found out, she killed herself. She loved that man more than she ever did you or me.”
My body is still, but internally, it’s as if I’m sat on hundreds of fire ants, and they’re all crawling through me, stinging. It hurts.
A single hot tear falls from my eye.
My mother… had an affair? I don’t know if I can believe him. Because my father is a criminal.
What else don’t I know?
“Fuck,” he curses under his breath. “Listen, I shouldn’t have told you. I kept it a secret for many years and made a bad call.”
The man who spoke to him minutes earlier shows up again at the open door. “Mr. Mancini, I hate to interrupt, but we’ve got a problem.”
You’re telling me,I retort inwardly.
He exchanges a couple of looks with the man. “Okay. Sienna, I need to take care of this. You’ll be comfortable in the guest house. Clara has been fussing over that place for days. Join me for dinner tonight, and we’ll talk more.”
5
Matteo
“How are you settling in?”I ask Sienna from the other side of the door.
Sienna has been quiet since she left her father’s home and I followed her to the guest house. I can see she’s not happy. Something must have happened in the library.
She’s been in her room, and the only time she left was when she went to the living area to pick up a bottle of wine and a glass.
I stare at the hallway. This guest house has an open, airy feel, with large bay windows and shades of white on the furniture and walls. The main house is somber and dark but has a dash of elegance, even with the ridiculous statues. The guest house is the expensive version of a Pinterest beach-inspired home. Doesn’t match the same vibe as the rest of the property. It’s lighter, with flimsy curtains.
Is that why he chose this place for her? Not only does he want her far from his dealings, but he also wants her time in limbo to be comfortable and peaceful before she downgrades to hell. I snort. Nah, I doubt her father would give a fuck.
I knock on her door again.
Silence.
I frown.
What if she ran away?
I installed cameras around the house, so if she leaves, I’ll know. Besides, there’s no way she can climb the tall brick fences surrounding the property or go through the gates unnoticed by security personnel.
I twist the handle, carefully open the door, and move into the room. She’s sitting on the floor with a half-full glass of red wine in her hand. I glance at the bottle. It’s almost empty.
“Having a hard day?” I ask and sit next to her.
She’s under my supervision. She can’t show up drunk to dinner with her father or take off. I need to nip this in the bud.
She looks at me with captivating hazel eyes and takes a generous sip from her glass.
