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“No.” He gave her a rueful look, which made her feel worse.
One of the reasons they had married was to strengthen the alliance between Pennsylvania and New York. So many of the old, legacy families lived in Pennsylvania and held enough power to potentially split away from the Family. The Mancinis, as one of the most influential families in that region, could have been a huge support to Gio. But it seemed they wanted to use their marriage only to their advantage.
Though her aunt had surprisingly apologized for the text she’d sent–an uncharacteristic gesture.
Grandfather, however, was radio silent.
Sigh.
“It’s better this way,” Gio assured. At her skeptical gaze, he insisted, “Trust me. Francisco is a loose cannon. With my luck, he’d go nuclear and throw me under the bus in front of the others.”
Gio seemed unbothered by Grandfather’s lack of support, but Ana wasn’t. There were hundreds of conflicts ongoing at any given time, within each faction and from the outside. How could Gio handle them all alone? He was still so wary of taking on additional staff.
“You have to hire help,” Ana urged, her delicate features straining with concern. “There are so many vacancies. You’ll burn out if you don’t fill them soon.”
“I know…I’m interviewing a few more guards after the summit. Reggie has been doing well, hasn’t he?” he asked.
Ana agreed reluctantly.
Reggie was good. But having a bodyguard hover around them 24/7, after her last experience, made her stomach revolt. No matter how professional and courteous Reggie had been, all Ana could feel was sheer terror every time he appeared. It had become easier as time passed. So she was reluctant to express her fear to Gio. It would invite too many questions and dissuade him from hiring more help.
“I’ll have to set aside some time to hire other roles too. I need some accountants,” Gio said distractedly, typing away on his phone before grabbing his coat.
The housekeeper knocked on the door, indicating it was time for him to leave.
Ana watched him for several long seconds and then hugged him tightly from behind, feeling him freeze in surprise. “Be safe,” she whispered, her voice thick. Her hands clenched around his blazer and then released.
She stepped back quickly and put on an easy smile.
He slowly turned around and stared at her for a long time. The question was clear on his face, but the housekeeper knocked again. Gio closed his eyes in visible irritation before controlling his expression again.
“Enjoy your time in Pittsburgh,” he said reluctantly, his voice gruff. “I’ll be there before you know it.”
Heart in her throat, Ana followed him out. They had hardly been apart the past few weeks, cocooned in their home, completely in bliss. Seeing him leave now, knowing he’d only join her in Pittsburgh after ten days, was harder than she’d expected.
I love you.
I love you.
The yearning to tell him was growing deeper as the days passed by, yet she remained silent. Fearful of her feelings not being reciprocated.
But what if she never got the opportunity to tell him? What if something–?
Flicking away the morbid thoughts, Ana waved her hand in goodbye. Lingering there long after his car disappeared around the bend.
Ana cataloged her luggage, cross-checking everything before the flight in a few hours. It was a pain packing up all her work items, toiletries, and clothes every time she had to head back home. But there was no way to avoid the trips.
Their distribution center was just outside Pittsburgh, and it would be too difficult to move it now. Although Emma handled many of the operations there well, Ana was the head of the company. It was her responsibility to review each month’s shipments and ensure accountability.
There was also the complication of coordinating with Tony, as his gold shipments were often timed to go out with her dress shipments. Sighing, Ana flipped through her phone’s calendar.
This coming Thursday, Tony would formally meet with Russo to discuss a possible partnership. Her cousin had no intention of accepting the deal, not with his loyalty to Ana–and, by extension, to Gio. But he’d agreed to the meeting to humor Russo. Hopefully, the other business leaders coming to the summit this weekend would also stand firm with Gio and resist Russo.
Bzz.
Unknown: Is this Ana?
She frowned, opening the new message.
