"She ran away from you, Dad. Didn't you fucking notice?"
"Watch your mouth, boy." There is a dark cloud of silence, full of ominous pressure. "I will send a car."
"Yeah, well, I think maybe it's best to let her cool off."
"That girl needs to be taught a lesson. She is going back to school now. I don't have time for her childish games."
I rub my eyes. "Don't. Or you will have two kids who don't want to be part of your... business."
I was going to say life, but I don't. It might just cause bigger problems.
"She can come back here?—"
"I think time apart will be good. For both of you. Okay?"
He huffs. "We will talk Monday."
I turn off the phone.
"Enzo?"
"Yeah?" I look up. Lyndall is in the doorway, and she edges into the room.
"He said yes?"
"He didn't say no."
She nods and pulls down books, sliding them back after flipping through them.
Then Lyndall spies my desk, her eyes lighting up at the papers and photos on it. Namely, the photos of Lola.
She picks one up. "Pretty."
"Put that down."
"Is she your girlfriend?" And my sister snatches up some others, too.
I grab the rest, including the papers I have spread out, and push them all together.
I'm not sure what is going on, but I want Lyndall even more in the dark than I am. I want her knowing nothing. Not even who Lola is.
But she has locked onto the dark-haired beauty and is now standing there, a photo held up in the air as she looks from me to the picture and back again.
I lunge for them, but she backs up.
"I can see you together." Then she looks at some of the others she has. These are from Silas and taken with a telescopic lens. "Unless...is she a rando you're stalking?"
She doesn't recognize Lola, which isn't surprising. Lyndall was tiny when the Mancini family was in our lives.
But I also don't like how sharp my sister is, or how close to the truth she is hitting.
"Work. She's work-related. And it is none of your business."
She clamps her lips together, and her gaze crashes into mine. "Really?"
Shit, I don't want to upset Lyndall. "Yes, look?—"
"Work-related, huh? I thought you'd bought some flailing startup."
