There it was. The ask. Framed as a favor she was doing for me and Cosimo, because Vita Ferraro was incapable of selfish acts. That’s what she wanted me to think. Did she really think I’d buy it?
She must think I’m an idiot.
A gullible idiot.
A bitter anger dripped into my bloodstream.
“You make it sound like it’s impossible to lead the family and have a strong marriage. I wonder how your husband managed to do both.”
“Gino still made room for other things in his life. Cosimo doesn’t. All I’m asking is for you to talk to him. To make him understand what he stands to lose.”
Across the atrium, a familiar figure cut through the crowd.
Cosimo’s gaze found mine and held it as he approached. He stopped right in front of me, close enough to hear the next words out of my mouth.
The noise of the gala seemed to recede, until all I could hear was my pounding heartbeat.
“Vita,” I said.
Something flashed in his eyes. For a moment, I thought he might take the phone from me, but he didn’t. He just stood there listening.
“As you so wisely explained to me at our lunch, my duty is to Cosimo, and his duty is to the family,” I said.
“I did say that?—”
“You were exactly right.”
A notch appeared between Cosimo’s brows.
“I have no intention of trying to sway him or influence him on your behalf. It’s completely inappropriate of you to call me with this. In less than a month, he’ll be the don. If you really want to help him, you’ll find other ways of making yourself useful to the family without trying to interfere with his claim.”
Cosimo didn’t blink. He stood there, silent and unmoving, while a storm brewed inside his eyes.
Vita cleared her throat. “You misunderstand my intention.”
“I didn’t misunderstand anything. Cosimo told me everything I need to know about you. He told me how you’ve used women in his past to spy on him.”
“Spy on him?” Her voice changed. “That’s not?—”
“That’s exactly what you did. I don’t know what kind of power games you’re playing, but I won’t be your pawn, and I will certainly not be your willing helper.”
Cosimo’s jaw tightened, as if it cost him something not to interfere.
On the other end of the line, Vita had grown silent. For a moment, all I could hear clearly was the rush of adrenaline-driven blood inside my ears. Standing up to the Ferraro matriarch wasn’t easy.
“You stupid girl.” There was no waver in her voice anymore. Only poison. “One day you’ll regret squandering this opportunity to make yourself useful to me.”
Ice crawled through my veins. How quickly the mask had come off.
“You won’t be able to hold his attention for long, and when he moves on, don’t come crawling to me for help. You won’t find it.”
“I won’t need it,” I said quietly.
“You won’t survive a year in this world without powerful allies in the family. Maybe after all those years abroad, you’ve become too soft and too naive to understand how this all works.”
I swallowed past the burning in my throat. “Don’t call me again.”
I hung up with trembling hands.
