Chapter 155
After Liora bounced out of the room, I didn’t go back to Dante’s room. I couldn’t. The air in there felt too heavy, too full of him.
Instead, I grabbed the thriller I’d been looking for and went to the second-floor lounge. I curled up in the window seat, the one with the floor-to-ceiling glass that looked out over the dark, sprawling gardens of the Wilson estate. It was quiet here. Safe.
I read for maybe half an hour, losing myself in a plot that didn’t involve love triangles or family betrayal.
Then the door opened softly.
“Mag, so you’re here p>
I looked up. Nonna was standing there, holding a bowl of that godawful herbal medicine. Steam curled up from the dark liquid.
I put my book down and stood up to take it. “Grandma, you didn’t have to bring this up yourself. You could’ve just sent someone to get me p>
“You’re sick, you shouldn’t be moving around,” she said, waving me off. She sat down on the sofa opposite me, her brow furrowed. “I was going to ask Matteo to bring it up, but he’s locked in the study. Typing away like the world’s ending. It’s the weekend! I don’t know what he’s so busy with p>
I stared into the bowl. Black. Bitter.
I knew exactly what he was busy with.
Earlier in the dining room, he’d been whispering to Sienna about project specs. He probably figured it was easier to just go to the study and finish it for her. Save her the trouble.
*Of course he did p>
I picked up the bowl and drank. The medicine was lukewarm now, which was somehow worse. It wasn’t hot enough to burn, just cold enough to let every single bitter note coat my tongue. I didn’t sip it. I just gulped it down, emptying the bowl in one go.
Nonna winced watching me. “Mag, slowly! It’s so bitter p>
I set the bowl down, my face impassive. “It’s okay. Wasn’t that bad p>
She handed me a piece of candy to cut the taste. I took it, but I didn’t eat it. I just held it in my palm.
Dinner time came and went. I wasn’t hungry. Nonna went downstairs to eat with Liora.
About half an hour later, they came back up.
The atmosphere was… off. Nonna’s face was like thunder. Liora was dragging her feet, looking mutinous.
“It’s already this late, and Matteo *still* went to the company?” Nonna fumed, slamming her hand lightly on the side table. “Busy for nothing! On a Saturday night p>
I hadn’t even heard a car leave. I’d been too wrapped up in my book.
He’d gone.
Of course he had. Something came up with Sienna’s project, and he went running. Probably didn’t even tell Liora goodbye.
Liora flopped onto the sofa next to me and laid her head on my lap, pouting. “Daddy didn’t take me with him p>
*Naturally he didn’t, Liora p>
If he took you, the whole company would see you. They’d ask questions. They’d wonder who the little girl was. And then someone would do the math, and they’d realize the Alpha of the Bellini Pack has a wife.
And that would ruin Sienna’s reputation.
He’d never let that happen. He’d never let *her* suffer even a second of public scrutiny.
I gently pushed Liora’s head off my lap. “Mom’s still sick, baby. Go sit somewhere else p>
She muttered something under her breath but moved to the other sofa. Okay p>
By ten o’clock, I was done. Exhausted. I took a quick shower and went to bed.
Dante’s side of the bed was empty. The sheets were cold.
He didn’t come back that night.
The next morning, I woke up to an empty room.
The doctor came by again, clucked his tongue, and said I was almost fully recovered. Just needed to replenish my blood and energy. He wrote two more prescriptions.
I planned to go to work. I had things to do at Cole.
But Nonna blocked the door. “Absolutely not. You’re drinking that medicine tonight. If you don’t want to make it yourself, you’re staying right here p>
She looked so determined, so fierce in her protection, that I didn’t have the heart to fight her. I agreed. One more night.
Liora was getting ready for school, shoving books into her backpack. She looked up at me with big, hopeful eyes.
“Mom, can you take me to school today p>
I hesitated. “Mom didn’t bring her car back, baby. Maybe next time p>
She waved her hand dismissively. “Then take Dad’s car! It’s right in the garage. I’ll call him, he’ll definitely agree p>
She was already reaching for her phone.
I watched her, my chest tightening.
*Take his car p>
The car he drove to see Sienna. The car that probably still smelled like her perfume.
And call him? Call the man who spent last night at his mistress’s side to ask for a favor?
“No,” I said, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.
Liora froze, her finger hovering over the screen. “Why not p>
I turned away, picking up my book again. “Because I said so, Liora. The driver will take you p>
Liora was already dialing before I could even answer her question about the car.
The phone rang once. Twice.
Then it picked up.
I saw Liora’s lips part, ready to spill a name. I saw the way her eyes lit up, that instinctive, affectionate reaction she only ever had for one person.
*“Aunt Sienna p>
The words died in her throat the second she saw me looking at her. She choked on them, swallowing hard, her face flushing pink.
“It’s nothing,” she blurted into the phone, then hung up immediately.
She turned to me, smiling that fake, bright smile. “Mom, then can you take me to school next time p>
I stared at her. My chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped a band around my ribs and was slowly cranking it.
She’d almost said *Sienna p>
Which meant *Sienna* answered Dante’s phone.
My daughter was calling my husband’s mistress “Aunt” and talking to her like she was family, and she lied to my face without even blinking.
“Okay,” I said. My voice sounded flat. Dead.
Liora didn’t seem to notice. She grabbed her bag and bolted for the door.
Yancy and I went the same way. The driver dropped him at his high school first.
He was in the back seat, muttering physics formulas under his breath, stumbling over the same word three times.
“It’s *velocity*, not *viscosity*,” I said, not even looking up from my phone.
“Oh! Right! Velocity!” Yancy gave me a thumbs-up from the rear-view mirror. “Sister-in-law, your memory is insane. How do you do that p>
“I pay attention,” I said dryly.
The car pulled up to the gates of St. Jude’s. I looked out the window. I’d graduated from here. The brick buildings looked the same, but smaller. Or maybe I was just bigger.
A flicker of something—nostalgia? regret?—tried to surface. I shoved it down.
No time for that.
Yancy jumped out. “Bye, Sister-in-law! Feel better p>
“Mm. Bye p>
The car merged back into traffic, leaving him waving on the sidewalk.
When I walked into Cole Tech, Johnny took one look at me and pinched my cheek. Hard.
“Ow!” I slapped his hand away.
“Why does your face look like death warmed over?” he demanded. “Did you get sick p>
I rubbed my cheek, glaring at him. “I had a fever yesterday. I’m fine now p>
“A fever? And you’re dragging your ass into work today?” He looked like he wanted to drag me back out. “Go home, Elodie p>
“I’m not going home,” I said, walking past him toward my desk. “We have the Wilson Tech data to review p>
“Are we going later or not?” he called after me.
“Sure,” I tossed over my shoulder. “Give me an hour p>
I sat down and tried to focus on the documents, but my eyes kept blurring. I found a discrepancy in two sets of data and went over to Simon’s desk to point it out. By the time I got back, Johnny was leaning against my desk, tapping his watch.
“Ready p>
“Mm p>
At Wilson Tech, we didn’t waste time. The CEO—some guy named Henderson—knew better than to make small talk with Johnny. We got straight to work.
About an hour later, the pressure eased. Most of the diagnostics were done.
Henderson came in, looking way too chipper for a Monday morning. He handed us each a cup of coffee. “Fresh brew from the new machine on the executive floor. Try it p>
Johnny took a sip. He raised an eyebrow. “Huh. This is actually good. Better than the swill you guys used to have. Welfare budget getting a boost p>
Henderson laughed, leaning back in his chair. “Well, can’t take the credit. That’s all thanks to Miss Brown p>
The air in the room shifted. Just a little.
Johnny’s hand tightened around his cup. “Brown,” he repeated, his voice flat.
“Yeah, Sienna Brown,” Henderson said, oblivious. Or maybe just an idiot. “She joined the board last month. First thing she did was overhaul the employee benefits. Great girl. Smart, too p>
Johnny didn’t say anything. He just took another slow sip of coffee, his eyes cold.
He hadn’t expected *her* to be involved in this, either.
He set the cup down on the desk with a clink.
Then he turned his head.
And looked at me.
His gaze was heavy. Searching. Waiting to see if I was going to crack. Waiting to see if I’d grab that hot coffee and throw it at Henderson’s smiling face.