A few months and already millions down the drain.
Leonardo welcomes her into his living room, putting aside his half-empty glass of alcohol. They start talking, so I increase the volume.
"You didn't say you were coming," he plops himself on the couch, a bored expression on his face.
Allegra will soon realize that her father is a little too far gone, and I doubt what she has in mind will be as effective as she's imagining. After all, Leo is used to being in a drunken stupor at all times.
"We should be there for each other,papa," she says, imitating Chiara's higher-pitched tone perfectly. "Mammajust died and you're here feeling sorry for yourself," she continues, taking two bottles of alcohol from the table in front of them and depositing them in a drawer.
"I know you're hurting," she starts, but Leo just laughs.
"Hurting? Me? I'm glad that bitch is gone. Good God, I never thought I'd get rid of her… and so easily. Whoever killed her has my thanks," he replies smugly, sourcing another bottle of rum from behind the sofa.
"Papa," Allegra exclaims in feigned shock, "how can you say that?"
"That bitch was out to get me." He shakes his head, reaching for the bottle's neck and tipping it for a long swig. "She knew our secret."
Allegra frowns, and so do I. What secret?
"What do you mean?" she asks, adding, "how?" to mask the fact that she has no idea what he's talking about.
Smart little tigress.
"I got too drunk," he shrugs, taking yet another swig, "and I ended up telling her I took your virginity on your fourteenth birthday." He releases a long sigh, but Allegra is just looking at him in horror, her mask slipping for a good second.
"You did?" she tries to play it off, laughing nervously.
What the actual fuck?
I'd always known Leonardo was a reprobate of the worst order, but this… I almost feel sorry for Chiara. But then I remember what she's been doing for the past few years, and I shake my head. She's just as bad as he is.
"I tried to explain to her that I was drunk," he continues, and I roll my eyes at his explanation, "and that you came to sleep with me one night and things happened… We both know I didn't force you." His eyes land on her, seeking her approval.
"Of course," she replies immediately. "It just happened."Her expression is still shocked, even though she tries to hang on to Chiara's personality; the way her eyes widen just a little or how her mouth curls slightly at the corner gives her away.
To me at least.
"Exactly, but then she had to go and ruin my evening, nagging and nagging, asking if it happened more than once and all that jazz. Frankly, I'm so relieved to be rid of her fucking mouth. It's still giving me nightmares," he adds with a fake shudder.
"And what did you tell her?" Allegra probes, putting some distance between them.
"The truth. That it only happened a few more times, but only when we were both drunk. I mean, let's face it, you're not very discerning when it comes to who you fuck, and neither am I." He shakes his head, as if it'sthatsimple.
"She didn't understand."
"No! She started saying how wrong it was and that if I wanted, I could have fucked Allegra. But then I reminded her that we still needed her intact for her marriage."
My fists are already clenching in fury as I hear Leonardo talking so blatantly about fucking his own daughter. For fuck's sake, what's wrong with this family?
"Would you have?" Allegra speaks after a pause, her face slightly scrunched up in disgust. I want nothing more than to barge in there, hold her to my chest, and assure her that no one's ever going to touch her again.
"Nah," Leo waves his hand, the corners of his mouth pulling down. "She's too much of a cold fish. You, on the other hand…" his gaze travels up her body in a way that makes the hairs on my arm stand up.
Don't you fucking dare!
But Allegra is determined to move in for her kill, and I watch in frustration as she steps closer to him, her hand alreadyhiding the needle. She goes in for a hug, Leo's hands lasciviously roaming over her back.
It takes everything in me not to run in there and take him off her, but I need to trust her.
