But since it was Giancarlo and Justina who were married—-
Didn't that make her the villain in this story instead of the other way around?
Justina indicated Sarica's already-empty glass. "Would you like another one?"
What I'd like,Sarica thought,is Giancarlo back, and for you to disappear.
Shame ate her alive as soon as the thought popped into her mind, and Sarica managed to shake her head with a polite smile. "I'm fine, thanks."
Sarica made a show of texting someone on her phone, but it was all for show. She just didn't have it in her to indulge in small talk with a woman who professed to be Giancarlo's wife.
What now, God?
What do I do?
What do You want me to do?
The Giancarlo she knew would never have made love to her if he was truly married. But what if she was wrong? What if he had really changed that much?
And if Giancarlowasmarried, then—-
Help me, God.
Please.
Because she loved Giancarlo so, so much that only a miracle would enable her to walk away from him for good.
GIANCARLO FELT THEweight of both women's gazes as they watched him approach. The silence stretched taut between them, laden with unspoken questions and painful truths. Justina was a picture of confidence and ease, her lithe and slender form perfectly accentuated by the designer dress she wore.
He took the chair next to Justina and heard Sarica suck her breath as he did. He didn't want to look at her but forced himself to.
Dio mio.
He had been hoping the photos his security sent to her had exaggerated her loss of weight. But it had not. She had also changed her hair color to periwinkle, but that only made things worse. Such changes always meant she was not okay.
And this time, Giancarlo knew he had only himself to blame for her troubles.
"I've heard a lot of rumors about you two," Justina murmured. "The people from your world—-they made it sound like neither of you were in favor of being married to each other. That you were only doing it to obeySignoraMarchetti. Were they wrong?"
"No."
"Yes."
It was Sarica who had said 'no'...in a pathetic attempt to save her pride. But when Giancarlo had actually said the truth at the same time, and she saw the way his lips tightened when he realized what he had revealed...
Puzzle pieces started falling into place as Sarica finally got past the veil of her heartbreak, and her mind began to work like it was supposed to.
"I think I should rephrase my answer," Sarica heard herself say. "I fell in love with Giancarlo right away—-" She saw Giancarlo's jaw clench at this, but she told herself to ignore this. "But I didn't want us to marry if he was only making me his wife out of duty." She looked at Justina then, asking softly, "Does that sound familiar to you?"
Sarica was hoping to catch the other woman off guard, but the words only made Justina smile. "It does, actually. Very much so. And come to think of it, the three of us have that in common. People say 'thank you' when someone lends them a helping hand—-and leave it at that. But the three of us?" Justina shook her head with a laugh. "We always want to go the extra mile,regardless of whether we're returning the favor or paying it forward."
Sarica's heart started pounding. Was this the other woman's way of acknowledging the truth about her marriage?
"Do you know what I owe Giancarlo?" Justina asked.
Sarica slowly shook her head.
"I was abducted on my way to an event I was hired to host. I caught the eye of the wrong man, my abductor had told me. And that was why I became their target."
