Blowing out a slow breath, I lower my gun. The fear of someone coming to take Izzy from me ebbs, but she’s still trembling. I hate that I scared her.
Then, she exhales, straightens her spine, and lifts her chin in greeting.
“Ms. Romano,” Papa acknowledges with a nod as he steps inside and takes a seat across from my desk.
I push Izzy into my chair before taking my place behind her.
“Mr. Russo,” she replies evenly.
He rolls his eyes, a hint of a smile showing. “Massimo is fine.” His gaze roams between the two of us. “I take it you’ve both seen the broadcast?”
We nod.
“About five seconds before you burst in here,” I confirm.
“We need to do damage control.”
My hands settle on Izzy’s shoulders, a show of solidarity. “What’s the plan, boss?”
“Our own broadcast.” His voice is firm. “Isolde, I had my consigliere draw up divorce papers. Sign them. We’ll handle the rest. Then, the two of you will make a public statement—clarifying that Izzy is here of her own free will and exposing Lucas for what he’s done. We’ll turn the vultures on him.”
I like this. It risks Lucas going underground before I can take my vengeance, but no matter—I’ll find him.
“We don’t need to worry about—”
“No.”
Izzy’s icy voice cuts through the room, silencing everything.
Papa’s brows furrow in surprise. “No?” he echoes.
She exhales sharply, her jaw tight. “Divorce? Fine. Announcing that I left? Sure. But the reason why?” Her head shakes. “No. We’re not doing that.”
“Why not?”
She turns, craning her neck to look at me. “There are things I can’t tell you.” Her gaze is unwavering, locked onto mine. “Either of you.”
Papa’s eyes flash with something—pride? But it’s gone before I can assess its meaning.
A muscle ticks in my jaw. Trust isn’t something I extend easily. It’s earned, and once lost, it’s nearly impossible to regain. Trust leads to betrayal.
But this is Izzy. Isolde.Cuore mio—my heart.
She’s hiding something. She isn’t even trying to deny it. That doesn’t sit right with me—I want her to trust me.
But maybe… maybe that starts with me trusting her first. Trusting her to do the right thing. Trusting her not to betray me.
Even if it kills me to do it.
14
Under Our Protection
I failed my math test. You helped me with numbers. Everything is harder without you. —Need you, Izzy
Izzy
“We’reherewithIsoldeDelaney, who has finally broken her silence after her husband, congressional candidate Lucas Delaney, spoke out yesterday about her disappearance. Isolde, where have you been this past month?”
