Page 69 of Enzo

“Not by us,” Rio points out.

“You’re making money, aren’t you?” Father snaps. “You have a stake in this company.”

Rio’s jaw flexes.

Father looks out of the window, at the Manhattan skyline. “Stories didn’t dominate for too long, back then, when the world was simpler. Now one viral video, a podcast, a documentary, a social media creator … these vultures can cause unlimited damage.” He pauses, deep in thought. “I wish we could erase the goddamn internet.”

“You can’t.” Matteo folds his arms.

I shouldn’t be surprised by his anger, or his selfishness. He’s always been about protecting himself, and his legacy. He doesn’t seem too bothered that Aurora’s memory is being dragged back into the public eye, or that her sons are about to relive one of the worst moments of their lives.

“You're still making this about you,” I remark, an undercurrent of anger simmering in my veins.

“Just … deal with it,” he hisses, then leaves. I breathe a sigh of relief.

“How did the meeting with the mysterious Luca Valizar go?” Matteo asks.

Rio chuckles. “The Mysterious Man meets the mysterious Luca Valizar.”

“At least people know about Enzo. No one knows much about Luca Valizar,” Matteo points out.

“I’d rather know about the woman who took the video of the Mysterious Man.” Rio’s voice drops an octave, like he’s auditioning for a voiceover on a horror movie.

I don’t need this. Not now. Not on top of everything else.

“There’s nothing to know,” I reply, feeling weary.

I don’t miss the glance Rio throws at Matteo.

Or the way Matteo’s mouth twitches.

“That’s bullshit.” Rio raises a brow at me and waits.

“Nothing happened,” I insist.

“This isn't nothing.” Matteo swipes his hand through his hair. “This is a whole lot of something.”

Rio scratches his beard. “And the internet isn’t quieting down.”

Molly didn’t mean to set this off. It was an accident, but the ensuing mess is one I don't know how to fix. All I know is that this is happening because of something I did.

It's the same old story all over again.

Matteo fidgets with his leather bracelet. “Give it another month and this will die down.”

I’m not so sure. “If that were the case, it would have died down by now.”

The story is as alive as ever, only it’s now taken a dangerous turn.

“The old man doesn’t sound too well.” Rio heads for the door.

Matteo gives an agreeing nod. “You'd have thought he'd want to rest some more, after his operation.”

“The old man does as he pleases.” Rio leaves, waving his arm in the air by way of goodbye.

I pick up an elastic band from my desk tidy and play with it. “How are you feeling after the op?” I ask Matteo. He donated his kidney. Father gained a healthier one, but Matteo has to deal with giving one away.

“I’m fine.” Matteo perches on the edge of my desk.