“Yes, of course.”
Lucia nodded, swirling the liquid in her cup before taking a sip. She generally preferred tea, but Francesca’s espresso was impossible to resist.
Skye, as Francesca’s right hand, would naturally be included in whatever this was about, but that didn’t mean Lucia had to like it. Their past, if you could call it that, was complicated. And for a while now, Lucia seemed to be the only one willing to leave it there.
“Your report on Blackwell was a bit vague, but we should wait for Skye to—”
The doorbell rang.
“There she is.” Francesca rose to open the door, and moments later, she returned with Skye at her side.
Lucia barely glanced up. “Hey.”
Skye grunted in response before dropping into the seat across from her, one hand running through her unruly blonde hair.
Charming as ever.Still couldn’t be bothered to use a brush.
Francesca didn’t waste time. “All right. Now that we’re all here, let’s discuss our little enterprise. Lucia, tell us more about Blackwell. How is that avenue shaping up?”
“She’s sharp, like I said. But she seemed to concede the Bellini could be real. She’s got both pieces now. Maybe she’s easier to fool with an old copy than a ‘new discovery,’ but…”
Francesca arched a brow. “But?”
“She asked if I could convince the ‘owner’ of the Bellini to loan it to the Meridian.”
Francesca leaned forward, her dark eyes gleaming. “That’s perfect. What did you say?”
“That I’d ask him. It shouldn’t be too easy or too quick, but she gave me her number, so I thought we could—”
“Did she now?” Skye cut in, an almost goading smile on her lips.
Lucia ignored her, turning fully toward Francesca. “It could be a test. They authenticate the Bellini, and we see how it holds up. I could ask to observe the process firsthand.”
“Yes.” Francesca’s expression sharpened. “That’s more than I’d hoped for. Contact her before the end of the week. We’ll prepare the paperwork for your client. Let me know if you need help with that.” She paused. “And remember, this stays between us.”
Lucia hesitated. “What about Jules?”
“Yes, yes. She’s a part of it, but she couldn’t make it today. Aside from her, the full story doesn’t leave this room.” Francesca gazed between Lucia and Skye until they both nodded.
“There’s something I want to show you.” Francesca pulled out a folder and handed each one a stapled collection of pages.
“What am I looking at?” Skye asked.
“Reading helps,” Lucia muttered, not looking at Skye but knowing she’d heard her and was likely glowering in her direction.
“All the information I gathered about my painting and the security of the Meridian, courtesy of Jules. You need to keep your eye on Blackwell. Try to befriend her. If she signs off on your Bellini, we’ll be set to exchange theMadonnaduring the Luminary Ball.”
“Right.”
TheMadonna in Red. Not the Bellini or the Alessi trial piece, but the real target. The one Francesca had been chasing for decades.
“It really is the perfect trifecta: the new director’s reevaluation plan, the security update, and the ball.” Francesca leaned back in her seat. “It’s like a sign from the heavens. MyMadonnais returning home.” Her face hardened. “After all she did…”
Francesca didn’t need to say the name for Lucia to feel the gravity that existed between them. Some sort of betrayal Francesca couldn’t recover from. She had once caught Francesca staring at an old photograph of theMadonnahanging above a bed, Francesca younger, radiant, and unguarded beside it. She’d snapped the album shut when she noticed Lucia watching, but the image had stayed with her.
The painting wasn’t just art—it was a relic of a life Francesca had lost, one that still seemed to haunt her, even if she buried the details behind her teeth.
She hoped she’d never contract such a heavy obsession, one that might not loosen its grip even if they managed to get theMadonnaback.
