He kisses me softly, still buried deep inside me as he whispers, “You really don’t have to love me back because I have enough in my heart for both of us.”
I shake my head slowly this time, cupping his face in my hands and whisper with sincerity, “Loving you is the warning I chose to ignore. If I listened to my reasoning, we wouldn’t be here now. You are everything I shouldn’t want, but I can’t imagine a life without you, and I do love you, Julius, and there is nothing you can do about that.”
I kiss him softly, slowly and with a promise that I am exactly where I am meant to be and as tests go, this one was over quickly because even if many people believe I have failed it, I’m under no illusions that I have passed with flying colors. I was always meant to be here, always meant to find him, and getting here was dangerous, but leaving is unthinkable now.
Two dayslater we head to his parent’s house in the Hamptons via helicopter. I am becoming used to having everything that money can buy, and yet it’s the simple pleasures that interest me the most. Time spent with Julius, when it’s just the two of us and walks in the garden. Learning how to run a home and organize my day. But flying is my guilty pleasure that I can’t get enough of, and as we soar high above the ground, I am alight with excitement for the flight.
Julius holds my hand the entire way, and as I gaze down on the world below, I congratulate myself on finding him.
It doesn’t take long before we land on their immaculate lawn, and I gaze in awe at the splendid mansion that gleams in the sunshine. Their family home is even more extravagant than the Washington estate, and as we exit the helicopter, Julius grasps my hand and pulls me toward the house.
We head inside, and his mother is waiting to greet us and holds open her arms, a happy smile on her face.
“Here you are.” She smiles. “Welcome, darling. Now come and tell me everything you’ve been getting up to.”
Julius laughs behind me, and she rolls her eyes. “Spare meallthe details but tell me how you are spending your days.”
“Julius!” Her sharp reprimand tells me he was about to speak, and his low chuckle blends into the background as Sophia leads me away.
We head to a room a short distance from the entrance, and as we make our way inside, I notice the large piano. The room itself is serene, beautiful in fact, and I ask with excitement, “Do you play, Sophia?”
“I do. It’s a passion of mine.”
“Me too.”
I stare at the piano, my eyes shining as I remember how I would practice for hours at the one both at home and in the convent.
“Play for me.” Sophia points to the piano, and I need no further invitation as I perch on the bench and lift the cover, my fingers trailing almost lovingly over the polished surface, my eyes closing against anything other than the music.
As I begin to play, the familiar tune transports me back home, to a place where my only freedom was through the keys at my fingertips.
As the music fills my spirit, I fly, taken away to a world where nobody exists, my place of safety, my sanctuary.
When I finish, it’s as if I crash to earth and Sophia whispers, “That was beautiful, Rose. It’s my favorite, Debussy’s Clair de Lune.”
“Do you play it?” I ask with a dreamy smile, and Sophia nods, a similar expression on her face.
“I do. I love the classics. However–”
She sighs and moves to sit beside me.
“I brought you in here to make a confession of sorts.”
My euphoria is replaced with anxiety as I sense the mood shifting.
“When you left the convent, Sister Agatha gave you a phone, and there were two numbers programmed into it.”
“You?”
She nods. “It was no coincidence that you were sent here, Rose, but it wasn’t at my husband’s request; it was mine.”
“I don’t understand. Why?”
“Because–” She smiles almost guiltily. “Sister Agatha was my best friend at Canton House. We forged a friendshipthat has meant a lot over the years. She is the only woman I truly trust, and I will never betray her trust in me. When she told me your story, I was in a predicament. I wanted to help her, help you and your sisters, but well, this world isn’t a suitable place for young innocent women.”
She sighs. “I knew that as soon as Giovanni learned of your inheritance, he would see it as a business opportunity. He will never change, and to be honest, I wouldn’t expect him to. So, I made my reservations known to Sister Agatha, and yet she was adamant. She wanted the three of you to be here safe with us. To teach you about life outside of the convent, knowing you would be safe from Morgan and her plans for you all.”
“Plans?”
