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“The truth…?” She froze.
The determined glint in his eyes allowed no escape. “You know what I mean.”
No.
He couldn’t possibly–
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned,” Gio said dangerously, hands spread wide, “is that there is no smoke without fire. The rumor may be made up. But it’s not entirely false, is it?”
Her breaths came in a rush as he moved from the bed, prowling toward her as she remained pinned to her chair, paralyzed with dread.
His face was unreadable. So sharp and beautiful, yet intractable. “There was something that happened with your family’s guard last year.” Gio’s eyes held hers. “They told me he was caught stealing and then fired immediately. But when I demanded to speak to him, he was gone. ‘Taken care of,’ Marta said.”
Ana couldn’t move.
She couldn’t speak.
He was pulling the threads apart, inch by inch, as she watched, powerless.
“There was only one conclusion I could draw, but it didn’t make sense. Not for a case of petty theft.” Gio shook his head assuredly. “So I’m asking you now. Why did your family kill their guard?”
All her thoughts shut down; everything inside her became utterly calm. It was always meant to come to this, no matter how much she or her aunt tried to suppress it. In the end, all roads led to the same destination–the truth.
Resignation permeated through her.
Weighing her down.
As she said, “They didn’t kill him…I did.”
Chapter 19
Last Year
Snow was falling.
Beautiful, soft puffs that floated to the ground without a sound. The entire expanse of the grounds was blanketed in white. And even though the lights were turned off inside, the brilliance of the snow was enough to illuminate the entire room.
Ana pressed her head against the windowpane, gazing at the view. She loved these large floor-to-ceiling windows that existed in almost every room of the house. They made it easy to stay indoors for days on end, without feeling trapped. The large window seat in this room, in particular, made the experience even more sublime.
Her breath clouded the glass, and she absently drew her finger through it, forming a single letter: G.
The call with him an hour ago lingered in her mind. Their wedding had been pushed out for the second time, causing a few more months of delay. Understandable. There was so much to be done in the aftermath of his parents’ deaths and his coronation as Don. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind for a celebratory event.
But still, it was disappointing.
Their interactions had become less and less frequent recently, especially with his newfound aversion to Pittsburgh. That was understandable too. This was the place where everything had gone awry for him; it would forevermore be a reminder of his parents’ murder. But that aversion only made it harder for them to meet. She had taken the initiative to visit him in New York last month, but it had been obvious then that grief still weighed heavily on him.
Gio–
Her heart went out to him.
She didn’t want to be needy and unduly demand his time and energy. As Don, he already had to contend with hundreds of people clamoring for his attention. What he needed now was someone he could rely on–someone he could trust.
Ana could be that for him.
But what power did she have? She couldn’t even persuade her grandfather to lend his support. She had pleaded for him to, at the very least, stop maligning Gio in public, but the old man didn’t care. He had never cared for her, and he certainly did not care for her fiancé.
Grandfather would be even more furious if he knew that Ana was lounging in his office right now. It was a secret pleasure she’d indulged in occasionally, sneaking down to his office in the southwest corner of the house, which had the most beautiful, private view of the backyard. Nothing but acres of land and trees stretched beyond the horizon, delicately coated in snow.
