With my days free, I can cook meals, take him places and keep him safe. So, for now, I’ve decided to stay at Velvet.
Although I didn’t see Fiero yesterday, he kept in touch throughout the day, checking on Dad’s progress, asking about his diagnosis, asking about me. His attentiveness made me feel… like he really cares.
And after spending an intense couple of nights in his penthouse apartment, confronting the fact he’s killed multiple men in my name, I’m tumbling down a rabbit hole far deeper and more frightening than Alice ever did.
I’m falling for him.
Hard, fast and recklessly.
And as magical as this moment should be, there’s still something intangible that doesn’t feel right.
I need to figure out what it is before I’m in so deep I can’t climb out again—I can’t wake up.
“Earth to Pfeiffer.”
I blink and look up from polishing a champagne flute to find Hallie waving a hand in front of my face.
“You’ve been staring at that glass for like a full minute.”
Heat creeps into my cheeks. “Sorry. I’m just helping José while it’s quiet.”
“What were you thinking about?” Hallie smirks knowingly. “Il Diavolo?”
I flash her a warning look. “Of course not.”
She grins wider just as Vivienne appears beside us, her presence casting light over Hallie and darkness over me.
“Vivienne,” Hallie says politely.
The Head of House inclines her head before her gaze lands begrudgingly on me.
“How’s your father doing, Pfeiffer?”
I almost jerk back in surprise. Vivienne never asks after my father. She never asks afterme. I’m instantly suspicious of her motives. Still, I don’t have it in me to be impolite.
“He’s good today, thank you. And we got him a diagnosis. So we’re starting to look at getting some support—different medication and some help around the house.”
“That’s good to hear,” she says with a thin, disingenuous smile. “And how are you after… the incident the other night?”
Hallie swings round to face me. “What incident?”
“Just some trouble with an associate,” Vivienne explains briefly, waving a hand to knock off some of its significance.
“I’m fine,” I reply, though something still doesn’t sit right in my stomach about what happened. Not the shooting, but the reactions of Fiero’s brothers. It felt like they were waiting for Fiero to do something or say something—to catch him out.
It’s the latest in a growing list of dubious behaviors from the other three Bellucci brothers. First, there was Brando’s reaction to Fiero calling me an angel as I was patching up his bullet wound. Then the glare through the elevator from the brother I think is Remo. And then the overriding sense of hostility that flowed down the table toward me from all three of them.
It doesn’t make any sense. I haven’t met any of them before. They don’t know me and I haven’t done anything wrong.
But Fiero’s words still haunt me.
You don’t recognize me, do you?
I told him truth. I don’t. I don’t remember much about high school. I blocked it all out so I wouldn’t have to remember what my uncle made me do, and the consequences I faced when I didn’t do as he said.
But maybe… if Fiero went to Berman High, maybe his brothers did too? But I’ve no idea of their ages and what grades they’d have been in. I make a mental note to ask Fiero when I see him next. Maybe he’ll be able to explain his brothers’ strange behavior toward me.
Hallie’s eyes narrow to subtly let me know she’ll have questions later, before she turns back to Vivienne.
