That sounds nice.Are you chartering a vessel?
It’s one of Porta’s, she explains. I get the impression that should mean something to me, but I’m not sure what.
Natalia reads the confusion on my face and frowns.
You know, Porta d’Oro Maritime Holdings?
She offers me a sympathetic look when it still doesn’t register.It’s the charter brokerage company Angelo and Alessio own.
I blow out a breath and shrug.I don’t know anything about it.
Sorry.She winces.This is all still new for you, I suppose, after that whirlwind of a wedding.
It is,I confess.
I swear I had no idea,she tells me.I was just as shocked as you were.
I know. It’s still hard to believe myself.
It feels weird to ask if you’re okay with all of it,she says. But are you?
I consider it for a moment.I am, but… I also feel terrible. I shouldn’t be okay with it.
Is that because of how it all went down…or because of Matteo?
One look at her face confirms that she knows.Alessio told me last night. From his account, it was no loss.
I grimace at the memory, and regret passes through Natalia’s eyes.
God, I’m so sorry. I’m not saying the right thing. Sometimes I feel like this world has completely desensitized me. Of course, you have every right to be upset. You were engaged to Matteo. You were going to marry him. I didn’t mean to imply?—
It’s okay,I assure her.I wasn’t marrying Matteo because I loved him. I just… I can’t help but feel like it’s my fault. He was trying to protect me.
None of this is your fault,Natalia insists.He’s gone because of the choices he made. Please don’t put that on yourself.
“Mrs. Vitale?” Veronica interrupts us. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“Oh, yes… Thank you.”
“It will be out in just a moment,” she says.
Natalia rises from the lounge, and we take a seat at the table, at which point I remove my sunglasses. I don’t want to be rude, and it’s not like I can wear them all day. So I may as well get it over with.
As expected, concern etches across her face as she assesses my injuries.Did your father do this?
It’s nothing to worry about,I tell her.Just a stupid mishap.
I don’t like lying to her, but there’s no good way to tell someone your father smacks you around on occasion. Besides that, Natalia has suffered far worse at the hands of a man. That’s why she no longer has a voice and wears a choker around her neck to hide the scars. Anything my father has said or done pales in comparison to what she’s been through in her life.
You know you can always talk to me, she says.About anything.
I nod and thank her, grateful when Veronica arrives with a fleet of stewardesses behind her, each of them carrying a tray.
“Here we are.”
They arrange the dishes on the table, leaving us with a spread of pastries, fruit, yogurt, cold cuts, and cheese. My stomach is still unsettled, but I grab a few selections anyway.
Natalia uses her text-to-speech app to thank them, and I echo the sentiment before they take their leave.
