Page 18 of The Hidden Heir

My father didn't fear him. He faced him head-on every damn time.

So will I.

Caroline lets out a heavy sigh. "I'll admit, Luca. I do feel insulted, hurt, even. I thought we had come to a satisfactory agreement," she says. "But at the same time, my heart breaks for Valentina. She really believed Stefano was the one. It's not her fault your brother turned out to be an absolute piece of shit." She pauses, waiting for my reaction.

Despite the surge of boiling blood in my veins, I keep a straight face and a cool head. "I won't argue with you there," I tell her. "Stefano made plenty of mistakes along the way."

"What matters most is that we put an end to the bloodshed, one way or another. If you think it's better to simply marry Valentina and keep Michael in your family, then so be it. I can't force you to do otherwise."

"No, you can't."

"I still think it will be incredibly difficult to hash out with my father, but maybe you're right. Maybe, once the ink is dry on your marriage certificate, he'll have to simply accept it and adjust accordingly. He still needs an heir."

"He could always try getting himself a fourth wife," I chuckle dryly.

Caroline shakes her head slowly in genuine dismay. "I did warn Cindy before the wedding. I told her she didn't know what she was getting herself into. She thought she was marrying an old man for his money and influence, but she was signing up for much, much more. The truth hit her hard in the face the next day, when she realized she was going to stay cooped up with my father until she produced an heir."

I notice Caroline shudder in disgust.

"He's been looking for Valentina since she first left two years ago," I say.

"Oh, yes, though nowhere near as intentionally as he did after Cindy vanished."

"Yet I was the one who found Valentina."

Caroline gives me a curious look. "And you didn't even know about Michael."

"The Mancusos played their cards close to the vest, I'll give you that. But it's over. The decision has been made. Valentina and Michael belong with the Petruccis."

"I hope so, Luca. My sister deserves better," she says. "How is she, by the way? I'd like to see her."

"You're welcome to join us on Sunday. Unfortunately, for security reasons, and I'm sure you understand, I cannot extend your father the same courtesy."

She nods slowly, staring at her coffee for a moment.

I use her silence to observe her features. I can't help but wonder how she turned out this way. Caroline survived a terrible ordeal as a young girl. It cost her dearly, but she proved herself to be a fighter, choosing to live when an illness tried to claim her. However, how much of what she's showing the world is her true self, and how much is she hiding beneath a carefully constructed mask?

Because I know she's wearing a mask. Caroline is very good at blurring the line between the role she plays and the woman she truly is. In my line of work, that can be a tremendous advantage or a game-changing danger. I'll have to prepare for both.

"I'm tired of all the fighting," she finally says. "Our family business suffers every time we clash in the streets. The distribution networks are thinning, and our operations take the heat. It's a shame, considering the wealth of our suppliers and the profits we could make if we set our ancestral egos aside. Don't you think, Luca?"

"I wholeheartedly agree."

"Granted, this would've been much smoother if Stefano hadn't taken it upon himself to tear a big hole in my father's ego. You know he's not a forgiving man."

"I know."

But Stefano already paid the price for that, didn't he? Caroline won't say it out loud. She shouldn't, not in this conversation, not in this setting. She knows better. Which is why she'd make a much better head of the Mancuso family than her own father, but the old man is set in his old-fashioned ways and will only accept a male heir.

"I trust you will counsel him into a peaceful approach regarding my wedding with Valentina."

"I'll do my best. I can't make any promises. I will, however, attend the ceremony. Maybe not as a representative of the Mancuso syndicate, but definitely as a sister. Besides, I'm dying to meet my little nephew. What's he like?"

My heart softens when I see the boy. Something inside me melts and makes me dangerously vulnerable. I would burn the whole world down to see him and his mother safe, happy, and thriving. I've never felt this way about anyone before. It frightens me, in a sense.

"He's a happy boy," I tell Caroline. "Healthy. Takes a lot after his mother, but he carries plenty of Stefano's features, as well. You'll adore him."

She smiles, but it doesn't feel like the most genuine smile Caroline could muster. Perhaps she's tired of the entire situation. Or nervous about how it will progress. Her father's anger hangs like a shadow over everything, threatening to break it apart.