The man gets up out of his chair and leaves quickly, no doubt grateful to close the door behind him on the tension in this room.
“Congratulations,” Mom seethes when we’re alone, spittle flying from her lips. “You got away with it, both of you. If he’d lived just one more day, you would be disinherited, or better yet, dead.”
I think of Dad’s final words to Damiano in the ICU. How he acknowledged that I’d saved the family. How he told Damiano to protect me. How he gave his blessing, in his own way.
Mom has no idea. She thinks Dad died hating us.
Damiano gazes calmly at Mom, his long legs crossed, and his arm draped possessively across the back of my chair. “I won’t challenge your right to live in my house, but you will treat Lucy with respect. She’s the lady of the Barone estate now.”
Mom grips the arms of her chair. “How dare you, Damiano.I’mthe lady of the Barone estate, and I always will be.” She takes several short, angry breaths. “This is what’s going to happen. At Ariana’s engagement dinner, in front of all the prominent people in Malus, you are going to give a brief speech and tell everyone that you and Lucy are not related. Then you may announce your engagement, if you must. Lucy will not attend Ariana’s wedding. Damiano, you will give your sister away to Cristiano. The two of you may marry in a discreet, private ceremony much later in the year.” Mom pauses for a furious moment, and continues icily. “I need not point out that if your father were still alive and the head of this family, you would be facing deadly consequences for what you have done to this family. You had better be grateful for my concessions to your disgusting behavior. You may not be brother and sister by blood, but you have lived as brother and sister for half your lives.”
Damiano is lounging in his chair, perfectly at ease. He replies with a single word. “No.”
Mom’s face goes from pale to red. “What did you say to me?”
“I said no. Lucy and I will announce our relationship when and how we choose. Lucy will attend Ariana’s wedding if they both wish it, and we will marry when we’re ready, in whatever ceremony we want.” He leans forward slightly. “You seem to have forgotten something, Mom. This is my house now. My money. My family. You live in that mansion at my pleasure. If you won’t treat Lucy with respect, you can get out.”
Mom’s mouth opens and closes, speechless with rage.
“Furthermore,” Damiano continues, his voice deadly calm, “I know what Andreas tried to do to Lucy. I know you and Dad saw it and did nothing. You told her to apologize to him. You were going to hand her over to a rapist and a traitor.” His eyes are cold. “So before you lecture us about disgrace and family honor, remember that Lucy saved this family. She’s smarter and braver than you ever gave her credit for.”
Mom looks like she’s been slapped. “Howdareyou—”
Ariana’s exasperated voice cuts across her. “Mom, it’s too late. Can’t you see that the angrier you get, the more they enjoy it? Leave them be, for heaven’s sake.”
Mom grasps her handbag and heads for the door, her face lined from anger and grief. The beautiful mother I’ve known for so much of my life is becoming a bitter and vindictive old woman. “Ariana, come. We’ve fallen far behind on planning your wedding.” She opens the door to the office and strides out of the room.
Our sister wears a resigned expression as she gets to her feet.
Overcome with curiosity, I call after her, “Ariana, why are you still going ahead with this marriage when you don’t have to?”
Ariana pauses by the door. “Who says I don’t have to?”
“I’ll say it if you like,” Damiano tells her. “You don’t have to marry Don Cristiano.”
“Wow, thanks, Damiano. You’ve fixed everything,” she says flatly. “Neither of you have any idea what’s been happening outside your own drama, do you? You didn’t notice who wasn’t at Lucy’s wedding. You didn’t spot who was missing from Dad’s funeral.”
Damiano and I exchange glances, but neither of us have any idea what she’s talking about. Both events had several hundred guests, so I’m not sure I could pick out if a particular one was missing, unless it was immediate family. “Who was missing?”
But Ariana shakes her head. “It’s too late for me. Dad saw to that before he died. He had enough time to ruin my life or change his will, but not both, I guess. I hope you’re both happy though.”
I hear genuine good wishes in her voice, as well as bitterness. She turns and walks out of the room.
“Who is she talking about?” Damiano asks.
I think for a moment. “I remember at the bridal shop, she said something about having her own life. A secret life. She was angry that I’d taken away her time before she had to marry.” I frown, trying to remember her exact words. “She said keeping the peace was a full-time job, and when Mom and Dad were angry, they watched her more closely. She wanted a few more years to herself before doing her duty.”
“So there is someone she cares about.”
“Someone Dad found out about,” I add. “And did something about before he died.”
We sit in silence for a moment, both of us feeling guilty. We were so wrapped up in our own drama that we didn’t see what Ariana was going through.
“I wish there was something we could do,” I say quietly.
“We can’t do anything if she won’t confide in us,” Damiano points out, and then calls Mr. Rosso back.
When Mr. Rosso is once more seated behind his desk, Damiano reaches for my hand and holds it. “Do you have a moment to speak with us, Mr. Rosso?”
