Page 49 of Enzo

“Who’s the woman?” Rio cries, clearly not leaving until he’s questioned me to death.

“Give him some time,” Matteo snaps. “He’s suffering from jet lag.”

Rio stares at me. “He’s suffering from more than jet lag.”

“She's a schoolteacher,” I say, wearily.

Matteo cocks his head. “A schoolteacher?” He swipes a hand across his face. “The videos have a ton of views. We’re talking hundreds of thousands. You've been tagged as a mystery man at Venice masked ball and now everybody wants to identify you because of this schoolteacher.”

“Most people have identified you,” Rio remarks. “They know who you are.”

Matteo looks at me. “The old man isn't too pleased about that.”

I know. I expected it. Father has left me a few voicemails, but I can’t bring myself to listen to them yet. I crouch down and start tying my sneaker laces.

“You know her?” Matteo asks.

“I spent the evening with her.”

Rio’s about to take another sip of his drink, but stops. “You spent the evening with her?”

“Nothing happened. We talked, that’s all.”

“Just talked?” He gapes at me wide-eyed. “Do you at least have her number?”

“No.”

Rio whistles. “Hot damn. You need to up your game, dude. And you wonder why you're single.”

Blood surges through me. “I don't wonder why I'm single.”

“No?” He opens his eyes wide in that annoying, older brother way. Patronizing and condescending all at once.

“Do you know her name?” Matteo asks.

I shrug, more to indicate that I’m sick of this intrusion. I want to be left alone. I want to put this behind me. I’ll never see her again, and there's nothing I can do about the videos being online. They will have been downloaded, screen-recorded, reposted and shared thousands if not millions of times.

I can't go back in time and prevent any of this.

Now that one of them has gone viral, taking it down won't solve the problem. Rio doesn't need to spell it out, but no one wants the past being dredged up again.

Father rarely gives interviews or allows journalists into his life. The Knights have been in the press before, and every time it happens, someone starts digging.

The Knight family is famous but we don't seek fame. We prefer to build our empires silently, and this level of scrutiny isn't welcomed.

“It will die down,” I tell them, more to convince myself, than anything else. “The media will get bored and this will disappear.”

“I hope so,” Matteo mutters.

“If you guys have finished dissecting my weekend, I’d like to go for a run.” I check my phone again for messages.

Matteo pats me on the back. “That’s a good idea. Maybe come over later tonight and we can have dinner. Elizabeth’s over.”

Rio sets down his glass and chuckles. “She’s moved in with you, more like.”

“And your problem is?” Matteo eyes him.

“No problem, dude. I’m happy for you.”