I smile, her playfulness is contagious. “Get out of here, troublemaker, before you get yourself into real trouble.” I tap the desk in front of me with my open palm.
“I wish.” She gives me a sexy wink and disappears out of the door.
I turn back to my computer, and there’s a knock on the door.
“Come in!” I call.
Lorenzo comes into view, and emotion fills me.
“Hello, Enrico,” he says with caution.
I point to the chair at my desk, and he closes the door behind him. He walks in and takes a seat. We stare at each other. His eyes are sad.
Out of everyone I know, Lorenzo is someone I never thought would lie to me.
“Enrico. I know you feel betrayed.”
I drop my head and stare at a random mark on my desk.
“Your father wanted you protected. We only followed his wishes.”
I stay silent.
“This has all been a shock for you, and I understand that you’re angry. I know that you don’t like how this has come to light, but believe me, your father grew up with no secrets kept from him. He knew too much from a young age-too young. He battled through his childhood every day, and he despised his father for it. He didn’t want that for you.”
My eyes rise to meet his. “So, you lied to me?”
“We protected you. There’s a big difference.” A frown crosses his face. “And I stand by that decision.” His jaw ticks. “One day, you will look back and understand that you wouldn’t be the honorable man you now are if things had been different. If you knew then what you know now, it would have changed the way you saw the world. Your childhood was happy, and you were well adjusted. That was all your father ever wanted.”
My breath quivers on the inhale.
“I will resign, if that’s what you want.” His eyes search mine. “But there is one thing you will have to do for me first.”
“What?”
“You have to come and meet Angelina.”
“Forget it.”
“Enrico,” his voice sharpens. “You are thirty-three years old and look how upset you are over this. Giuliano is going to find this out when he is only twenty-one. He is the child of a mistress. His whole world will crumble. Every single thing the thinks he knows is a lie… even his name. His father isn’t the man he knew. He is your baby brother, Enrico. Whether you like it or not, you have to look after him. He is the true victim in this story. Him and his beautiful mother Angelina.”
“Did you know her?” I whisper.
“Yes.”
I frown.
“She’s an incredible person, Enrico, and she deserves our respect. Stop looking at this like you’re a hurt child, and begin thinking of it as a man who needs to step up and protect his family.”
“She’s not my family.”
“Whether you like it or not, she is.” He shakes his head. “She is a Ferrara. Maybe not by marriage, but most definitely by heart. She bleeds your father’s blood, and he bled hers.”
I drop my head.
“She gave up her entire life to be with him. She has been nothing but respectful and loving… even to your mother.”
I frown as my eyes rise to meet his. “They know each other?”
“Of course, they know each other. They’re friends-part of a family. It’s not ideal, but they made it work. We all did.” He stands and holds his hand out to me. “Come.”
“Where to?’
“I’m taking you to Angelina. I don’t care if you fire me, but as my promise to your father, you will meet your other family-the ones you didn’t know.”
* * *
The car pulls up to the gates of the house in Lake Como.
“Thank you,” Lorenzo says from his place behind the wheel.
The guards look into the car and see me in the passenger seat. Their eyes widen, and they all stand back, granting us access.
“I thought the guards were taken off this house,” I say as we drive through the gates.
“Your mother demanded they stay. She wanted them to remain safe. She’s concerned for their wellbeing.”
I begin to pale as another piece of my reality becomes lost.
The car pulls to a stop, and Lorenzo turns to me. “Do you want me to come in with you?”
I stare straight ahead. “No. I have to do this alone.”
I get out of the car and walk up to the front door to ring the bell. I can hear the blood thumping throughout my body as the rest of the world seems to stop.
The door opens and Angelina stands before me. She’s blonde and beautiful. “Hello, Enrico.” She smiles sadly.
I nod, unable to push a word past my lips.
She steps back and gestures to inside. “Please, come in.”
I walk in the door and look up. My step falters as I’m taken aback, and my eyes instantly fill with tears. A huge painting hangs on the wall in the entryway. It’s at least six feet tall, and it’s a hand-painted picture of my father with her and their son.
He’s squatting down in a field of white flowers. The small boy, who looks only around three years old at the time, is sitting on his knee, looking up at him. My father’s arm is wrapped lovingly around the woman who is sitting on the grass beside them.
Her.
They look happy. So in love.
I drop my head, unable to move from the spot. Unable to speak through the lump in my throat. This is too much. I need to leave.
I can feel him. His spirit is here… with her.
Angelina gives me a sympathetic smile. “Just this way,” she says softly. We walk into the living area, and I frown as I look around. There are photos of my father everywhere. It’s like a shrine.
My thoughts go to my mother’s house, and how she has not one photo of him anywhere.
So different.
“Please, take a seat.” She offers me a chair, and I sit down awkwardly. “Can I get you a coffee, tea?”
Scotch, I think to myself. “No, thank you.”
She sits down opposite me, and I inhale as I try to calm myself down. I just want to hurl abuse her way.
“I know this isn’t what you wanted,” she starts.
I clench my jaw. My eyes roam over her coffee table, and I count the candles to try and distract myself.
“I’m scared for my son,” she says quietly.
My eyes rise to meet hers. “You should be.”
Her face falls. “I know you hate me.”
“Yes… I do.”
“Please don’t take this out on him.” Her eyes fill with tears. “He needs you. He needs your support.”
“What makes you think that I would want anything to do with him?”
“He’s your brother, and you’re a loyal man. I’ve watched you grow up.”
“From my father’s bed.”
She screws up her face and I close my eyes in regret. “This is pointless.” I stand and turn to walk out.
She stands in a rush. “Don’t go, please. I don’t know how to navigate this with Giuliano. I need your help.”
I stop still.
“Hate me all you want, but please don’t turn your back on him. You are his only family. He is your brother, Enrico.”
I close my eyes, disgusted with the position I find myself in.
“Can I bring him to you? Just meet him. Please. Just once. I won’t tell him who you are. He doesn’t find out anything for another three years yet, but I do need to prepare him. When the time comes and he finds out the truth, he will turn his back on me. If he doesn’t have the love and support of his brothers, he will be all alone in the world.” Her voice cracks. “He is just a child.”
I stare at the wall in front of me.
“Please, Enrico. If not for us, do it for your father.”
I close my eyes, knowing my conscience is getting in the way of my better judgement.
“Bring him to my house on Sunday afternoon,” I say flatly with my back to her.
“Thank you.”
I stand with my back to her for a few minutes, we don’t speak, we don’t move…eventually when I can’t take the silence anymore, I walk out of the house. That is the first and last time I will ever come here.
Olivia
“So?” Natalie raises her glass my way. “Tell me everything.”
I smile at my inquisitive friend. We’re in a bar, after work, having a few drinks. Enrico is picking me up in half an hour. “About?” I ask.
She leans in and whispers, “You know…the creepy bodyguard.”
“Him.” I roll my eyes in disgust. “He’s not a bodyguard. He works for Enrico.”
“Doing what?”
I frown. “I don’t even know to be honest.”
“Are you sure he was in your bathroom?”