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“Anyway,” Aella changed the subject. “Is everything set with the charity event tomorrow? Do you need any help?”
While Aella’s heart belonged to the distillery, Ilaria was the charmer with the golden tongue when it came to their family’s non-profit organizations. Her ability to talk patrons into pulling out their checkbooks was unmatched.
“No, I think—”
Ilaria trailed off as the shop’s door jingled, signaling someone was walking in. Instinctively, the two looked up, and Ria’s face immediately contorted in disgust.
“What the hell is she doing here?”
Shrugging nonchalantly, Aella turned away, reaching for her glass of champagne. “I don’t know, just watch your temper. I don’t have time to break up a fight today.”
“As long as she doesn’t say shit to me, I won’t say anything to her,” Ilaria spat bitterly, snatching her glass from the tray between them, downing it in one gulp.
While Ilaria sat fuming, Aella discreetly surveyed their sister, Braxton, who hadn’t seemed to realize they were there. The word complicated didn’t even begin to cover their relationship.
Their family didn’t find out about Braxton’s existence until Aella was fourteen and Ilaria was ten. Somehow, Braxton learned her true father’s identity and, in her excitement about having two sisters, reached out to them via social media.
What she didn’t know was that her innocent intentions inadvertently started a war within the Torrisi family that they almost didn’t overcome. Years later, Ilaria was still furious with Braxton’s existence, while Aella was indifferent. Upon reaching adulthood, she’d tried to extend an olive branch to Braxton to forge just as close a bond with her as she had with Ilaria, but Braxton rebuffed her attempts, and Aella hadn’t bothered since. As far as she was concerned, they were sisters, and if Braxton ever needed her, she would be there. If she wanted to be left alone, that was fine too.
“Relax, Ria,” Aella murmured, feeling her sister’s heat radiating from her.
“I just don’t understand why she’s on this side of town,” Ilaria didn’t bother to keep her voice down. “It’s almost like she—”
“It’s almost like I what?” Braxton’s voice reached Aella’s ears. “Am a grown-ass woman with the right to go wherever the hell I want to go?”
“Elle, get your sister,” Ria snarled, refusing to look up.
Aella’s nail tech bounced a pair of nervous eyes between the three.
“Y’all chill. This room is more than big enough for everybody to ignore each other.”
“I’ve been ignoring her for years, yet she still finds some way to insert herself into whatever we have going on,” Ria mumbled.
“I’m sorry,” Braxton folded her arms, tilting her head. “I didn’t know this was your space. I must have missed your name on the sign out front.”
“I bet your stalking ass didn’t miss me posting it on social media, though, did you?”
“Ria, enough,” Aella demanded exasperatedly. “Damn.”
“Contrary to what you think, Ilaria, I don’t sit around watching your every move. Trust me, I’d rather not be anywhere the two of you are.”
“Brax, take that bitter shit elsewhere,” Aella waved her off. “I’m not in the mood.”
“Nor am I, and that’s the last bit of talking I’m doing before I get out of this chair,” Ilaria spat.
Braxton’s laughter reverberated around the nail salon. “Is that a threat, little sister?”
“Bitch—”
“No, ma’am,” Aella’s arm shot out like lightning to block her youngest sister from moving. “Chill the fuck out, Ilaria. I’m serious. Today isn’t the day.”
Ilaria’s sweet smile let Aella know she was about to take the situation too far.
“You’re right. We have an event with our daddy to attend later. But you wouldn’t know what that feels like, would you, Brax?”
“Ria,” Aella snarled.
Though she kept a straight face, Braxton couldn’t hide the touch of hurt in her eyes.
