"Tomorrow would be better."
"That's disappointing," Sarah says. "We came all this way to see Maddie's new life."
"And you will," Enzo assures her. "But today, I thought you might enjoy a drive to a beautiful medieval village, stunning views, excellent shopping."
"Shopping?" Jessica perks up immediately.
"The ceramics are particularly famous. And there's a lovely café in the main square that serves the best granita in Sicily."
He's good at this, redirecting Jessica's enthusiasm while appearing helpful. But Sarah isn't so easily distracted.
"Will you be joining us on the drive?" she asks him.
"Unfortunately, I have business to attend to. But Antonio will drive you." He gestures to where Antonio waits by a black sedan. "He knows all the best places and he’s very knowledgeable about the area. The roads are treacherous. Very narrow, many switchbacks. Antonio is familiar with them."
Antonio steps forward with a professional smile. "Ladies, whenever you're ready. Are you interested in history? There are many spots I can show you."
"Oh, I love ruins!" Jessica says, already heading toward the car.
Sarah hesitates, looking between me and Enzo. "Maddie, are you coming?"
"Of course," I say quickly.
"Actually," Enzo interrupts, "Madison has an important appointment with the contractor this morning. To sign papers about the electrical work."
I do? This is news to me, but I try to keep my expression neutral.
"I could reschedule—" I start.
"Impossible. You know how difficult it was to get Franco to commit to today."
The look he gives me makes it clear I need to play along.
"Right. Franco is a very busy man." I turn to my friends apologetically. "I'm sorry, guys. But I'll meet you for lunch, okay? Go ahead and enjoy your drive. Antonio knows a place with amazing arancini."
Sarah's expression says she's cataloging every suspicious element of this conversation, but Jessica is already taking photos of the hotel's flower gardens.
"Fine," Sarah says finally. "Lunch. But tomorrow, we want to see your actual life here. No more scheduling conflicts."
"Tomorrow," I agree, knowing Enzo will have some other excuse by then.
After they leave with Antonio, Enzo guides me to his car with a hand on my lower back, possessive even when no one's watching.
"There's no contractor appointment," I say once we're driving.
"There is now. Franco needs to make your house look actively under construction. The least amount of time your friends spend in the village, the better for everyone."
"Why?" I ask.
"Because your friend Sarah is too observant for her own good."
"She's just being protective of me,” I explain. “You’re overreacting."
"She's suspicious of me. Those are different things."
"Can you blame her? You're controlling where they go, who drives them, what they see while they’re on vacation."
"I'm managing risk."
