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“And how would you give it to them?” I snap. “You got a way of getting through this bulletproof glass I don’t know about?”
The guard next to us raises his head, staring at me pointedly.
My father shrugs. “It’s amazing what’s possible in this great legal system of ours. God bless America.”
I glance at the guard, choosing each word with caution. “And you think you can just get it all back? Even if they let you walk out of here? Things have changed since you’ve been gone.”
“Oh, I’m sure they have. Is that why you came to visit me? To tell me things have changed?”
My fists clench. “Yes. I wanted to tell you that BCU reversed its decision. I’ll be starting school as a freshman next fall. Funny how you couldn’t do anything about that.”
He tries not to react, but I see his eyes flash. “Like I said, ruthless. That’ll take you places. You really are my daughter.”
“I would never take away from you what you tried to take from me.”
“Like my life? My freedom?”
I stare at him. “You really still think I set you up?”
He sneers. “No, of course not. 20-year-old cold cases get prosecuted all the time.”
“It’s like you can’t decide if you’re proud of me, or want to kill me.”
“Yes. Exactly.”
In spite of how hard I’ve worked to cut him out, to not care, my lip still quivers. He’s my dad. I don’t want us to be enemies. I want him to love me. “Why did you even force me to marry him in the first place?” I ask bitterly, close to tears. “What is wrong with you? Why would you arrange that if you were just planning to take it away at the last minute?”
My father closes his eyes. When he opens them, his face is impassive. “I did intend for you to marry Alessandro. You’ve been pledged to him for a very, very long time. Since you were young.”
What?It’s impossible to hide the shock on my face. “I… what do you mean,since I was young?”
He just laughs, eyes gleaming with the realization that he’s finally found some power over me, even from behind the bulletproof glass. “You think you know everything about this? Oh, I guess you don’t. Why don’t you ask your husband about it, if you think he’ll tell you.” He leans back in his chair.
A familiar sense of resentment washes over me and I stand up, my own chair flying out behind me. “Enjoy prison.” I drop the receiver and storm out.
Chapter Forty-Three
Ava
“Ava! I’m so happy!” Isabella wraps her arms around me as we meet outside Gino’s bar, a popular Gagliardi family hangout.
I squeeze her back, grinning. “And you thought you were going to be rid of me.”
We’re here to celebrate me getting back into Bover City University. Dominic and Alessandro stand behind us on the sidewalk, waiting to go inside.
As we find a table and sit down, I try to ignore the swirl of misgivings I have after the conversation with my father. I don’t know how to understand what he just told me. I’ve been pledged to Alessandro since I was young? Fucking yuck. And also, what the hell?
Ask your husbandabout it, if you think he’ll tell you.
I make eye contact with Alessandro, sitting across from me, and his handsome face smiles back. What does he know that I don’t? What game am I a pawn in that he never even bothered to tell me about? I squirm at the feeling of being used, and I hate it. It’s exactly why I wanted to leave this life behind me.
“Mr. and Mrs. Rossi! So good to see you you here. How’s your night going?” The bar owner approaches us, beaming.
Alessandro puts his arm around me. “Good, thank you, Luigi. We’re celebrating Mrs. Rossi getting accepted to her first-choice college.”
The owner claps his hands. “Congratulazioni, Mrs. Rossi! But seeing as this is a bar… Can I see some ID?”
I freeze. Alessandro assured me we wouldn’t get carded here.
