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“How do you know? They’re identical. I can’t tell the difference.”
“Mom, the man who took me away and the man who came to rescue me didn’t look anything alike. I could see it in their eyes. That man was so cold, like frozen metal, but this man is warm and nice. Look at him.”
Annie casts me a wary glance. “This man can look cold as well. I’ve seen him in this street many times looking so arrogant and aloof. Who’s to say he’s not switching it on and off?”
“That wasn’t Nero,” Rieta tells her. “I thought it was, but Luca was impersonating my husband.”
“You couldn’t tell the difference between the two men either?”
Rieta shakes her head, looking so ashamed of herself that it hurts me. “I should have been able to, but I didn’t.”
“Ours was an arranged marriage,” I tell Annie. “Rieta barely had time to get to know me before Luca replaced me. It’s not her fault.”
“I still should have known.” Tears roll down Rieta’s cheeks, and she wipes them away. “I know it all sounds far-fetched, butLuca has done terrible things, and he was trying to hide in plain sight by sending Nero away and pretending to be my husband.”
“He’s done some of the worst things that a person can do, that’s for sure.” Annie frowns, thinking, and then she glances at me. “If… If you’re telling me the truth, and you never hurt my baby, then…thank you.”
“I’m just glad she’s home safe.”
Annie gathers up her daughter and carries her inside the house, and we hear her calling 911 and asking for police and an ambulance as she closes the door.
Then we turn to each other.
Rieta gazes at me with huge eyes, as if she’s afraid I’m going to vanish in a puff of smoke. Gesturing at Harriet’s house, all she asks brokenly is, “How did you do this? I thought she was dead.”
“I remembered what Costa said, that Luca took her away, so I thought there might be a chance. I gathered men I could trust, and we looked for her. I had to do some unpleasant things that I’m sure will give me nightmares, but I won’t regret any of it. It’s all worth it now that Harriet is home.” I take Rieta’s face in my hands. “And because I can come home to you.”
Rieta is choked up, but she manages to get the words out. “You’re really home? You’re not going to leave me again?”
“I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.”
“I don’t want you to,” she says urgently.
“Then I’m not going anywhere. I promise. I can’t make up for all of Luca’s wrongs against you, but I will spend the rest of my life trying, if you let me.”
She seizes my wrists. “I don’t blame you for anything that Luca did to me. That was him, not you. I don’t know how I ever confused the two of you. Like Harriet, I should have been able to tell the difference right away.”
I smile sadly. “Don’t be so hard on yourself,cara mia. He fooled me as well. I wanted family so badly that I was blind to how Luca intended to replace me.”
“Can you forgive me for killing your only family? He was still your brother.”
I press my forehead against hers, feeling not one drop of malice toward her. “If you hadn’t done what you did, I would have died in that prison. You saved me.”
“Can we go home?”
“Please,” I breathe. “It’s all I want.” I also need to get cleaned up. It’s been a rough couple of days.
We go inside our home and head upstairs to the master bathroom. I kiss her as she undresses me, making her smile against my mouth as she fumbles with the buttons and zippers.
Standing under the hot spray, I hold her naked body against mine and rock her in my arms. “What did I miss? Tell me everything”
Rieta smiles. “Only me throwing up at all hours of the day and night. The nausea comes in waves, but I’ve read that it will pass soon. I’ll have my first scan in a couple of weeks.”
“Thank God I didn’t miss the first scan. I want to be here for everything from now on.”
“Family means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” she says, tracing my lips with her fingertip.
“Family who truly loves me? It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
