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“And who will support this second business with Antonio?” Emma persisted. “Someone will eventually figure out that his ‘secretary’ doesn’t exist.”
“Shhh.” Ana glanced worriedly at the closed door. “It will be fine. I'm only stepping in for the difficult customers. Antonio is able to handle the bulk of the calls.”
“With much support,” Emma scoffed.
She spread her hands out helplessly. “We can’t just drop the ball on it, Em. The gold line has grown tremendously.”
“Then Antonio should ask for staff!” Emma cried. “I like the work, Ana. I do,” she conceded. “But Daily Couture is growing well too, and that's the business that has your face on it. We can’t neglect it to help him.”
Ana had no rebuttal to that.
“Why can’t Tony just admit he can’t do it on his own?” Emma grumbled.
Ana snorted. He would never. The male ego was notorious, and in the Family, it was especially strong. There was no way Antonio would ever admit to failing, not with his mother, grandfather, and the entire Pittsburgh faction breathing down his neck. But she also suspected another reason for his obstinacy–
He’s probably waiting for Tony to take over.
Gabriella’s words floated through her memory. Gio would never allow their wedding to go through if Tony didn’t prove himself and accept his birthright: to rule over Pittsburgh. But if Tony was struggling to manage one business, how could he manage an entire city?
At that thought, a wave of pity cut through Ana's earlier frustration. There were a lot of expectations on her cousin’s shoulders, and she understood them all too well. In the Mancini family, there was no room for failure.
“Maybe I can ask Gio for some additional staff on Tony’s behalf,” Ana murmured.
Emma’s eyes flared in alarm. “You haven’t told him about any of this, have you?”
No way. Who knew how he would react? His sinister expression from that murderous night flashed in her mind, along with her aunt’s warning about him. Gio would not tolerate lies and secrecy. But Ana was drowning in nothing but secrets.
The anxiety must have been evident on her pale face because the blonde leaned in to hold her hand, inspecting her worriedly. “Is everything good…with Gio? He isn’t some abusive asshole, is he?”
Ana’s throat closed, moved by her concern. “No, nothing like that. The last month has been fine.” More than fine, actually…until it wasn’t.
“Hm.” Emma eyed her closely. “And you coming here a few days early has nothing to do with him?”
The question echoed her aunt’s earlier one. But with Emma, it was hard to be as evasive. She had been Ana’s sole confidante for the past few years. It was futile to conceal the truth from her.
“Things were…difficult between us after what happened with his advisor,” Ana admitted. “I know justice is needed. What happened to Gio’s family was so horrific, I can't even fathom it. But–I fear the past has him in a chokehold.”
Emma frowned in understanding. “I hate to say it, but I get him. If someone did that to my family, I’d fuck them up too.” Her threat was deadly serious, with not a hint of her usual humor. “But still, Gio just let you go after that? He didn’t try to come with you?”
Ana shrugged, the sting still so sharp. “I never expected him to join me here, even before our tiff. Everyone knows he refuses to step foot in Pittsburgh.”
That had played a large factor in the two of them not meeting as much before their wedding. Gio had visited her in Pittsburgh during the early days of their engagement, but he had come to detest the town after his parents’ deaths. He distrusted everyone in the region. So Ana had tried to visit him instead, traveling up to New York once or twice. But it had been hard. She’d been suffering through her own trauma while Gio had grappled with his new role as Don.
He had been so busy…always busy.
But she wondered now if the distance was simply his way of breaking it off. I was afraid that he was going through with the marriage because he had to.
Without his parents, there was no reason for Gio to abide by their betrothal and marry her. But he was a man of his word. He would never sever the engagement.
Did he wish she had?
Ana’s head pounded, the doubts collapsing in on her, undoing all the progress she had made in opening up to her husband. She now questioned every moment between them. One single fight–one brutal murder–had eroded the calm and peace that had started to settle over her the past month, shadowing her visit here. Work had thankfully consumed all her energy and thoughts. But in every quiet moment, she felt despair creep back in, along with deep loneliness.
Did he care that she’d left early? Had he ever cared?
Sensing that Ana needed a diversion, Emma placed her laptop on the desk and nudged her into reviewing their recent work orders.
They continued working for several hours, stopping only for lunch, which they scarfed through at the desk.
