Edoardo shook his head. ‘Mi dispiace, Lucia. I really am sorry.’
Lucia stood with such force that her chair toppled behind her, smashing to the floorboards with a crash. Foscari yelped from the shock, darting under the table to take cover.
A cold sweat rose to her skin as the blood drained from her face. ‘What do you mean, you’re sorry? What’s going on?’ Her hands trembled as they pressed against her temples.
‘I accepted another offer,’ he said, and the rosacea across his cheeks glowed cherry-red.
‘Gatti?! You accepted Gatti’s offer? I have been killing myself for months, Edoardo! And I have pulled everyone closest to me with me through this nightmare to secure this deal, just as your terms demanded!’
‘Ti prego, Lucia, just listen.’ He attempted to extend a placating hand, but she ignored it.
Between defeated sobs she said, ‘I’m done with listening. I’m done with allowing everyone else to hold a slice of my life. This ismyschool.Myfuture.’ Blotting her cheeks with her sleeve she walked to thecalle-facing window and opened it, desperate for air. Her lungs had wound themselves around her heart, and she was struggling to draw a breath. She propped herself against the bench seat and leaned out onto the ledge, breathing as deeply as possible through her panic.
Foscari joined Lucia and sat closely by her side, growling defensively at Edoardo.
Now standing behind his chair, keeping a wide berth between them, Edoardo pleaded with an open hand. ‘Lucia, please. It’s not like that. Ididn’taccept Gatti’s offer.’
Lucia’s laboured breath suddenly caught, but she was too upset to face him. ‘Who else would want a stake in this?’
‘Jacopo’s share was purchased by another party. Someone who not only matched Gatti’s offerandyour offer, but beat them . . . both.’
Lucia spun around. ‘Why didn’t you call to tell me this?’
‘Off the record, I didn’t feel I needed to. It was in your best interest that I didn’t.’
‘How could thatpossiblybe the case?’
‘Because it was purchased on your behalf. Inyourname.’
‘What?’
‘The school is yours.Allyours.’
Lucia began to shake, and the prior light-headedness returned. She felt like she might collapse. ‘I . . . don’t understand . . .’ she stammered. ‘Who bought it?’
Edoardo took a step forward and gave a kind nod. ‘Alessandro Scarpa.’
‘Alex!’ Lucia knocked loudly on La Commedia’s door. ‘Alex! I need to talk to you.’
It took several moments before he eventually opened the door. ‘Lucia, what’s going on?’
‘Please, let me in. We need to talk.’
He gestured that she should step inside. ‘Sure.’
‘Edoardo tells meyoubought Jacopo Molin’s share of my school.’
Alex simply nodded. ‘Yes, I did.’
Lucia wasn’t angry, despite her balled fists. What coursed through her veins was a mix of shock and frustration. ‘Alex, I had this under control. I had the money all organised. I was going to do this myself. For myself. Why did you do it?’
‘I thought it would help you.’
Lucia closed her eyes for a moment to process his words. ‘I had already pulled all this together, Alex. Myself, with Mariella and Francesco’s support. It was all done.’
He sighed. ‘I know. But . . . I alsoknow. . .’ Alex stopped himself.
‘Whatdo you know?’
