Chapter 20 #2
“It’s the truth,” he says simply. “You said you didn’t want to be hidden. Fine. I’m done hiding you.”
“And Francesca?”
His jaw tightens. “I told you. I’ll handle her.”
Something trembles in me. It’s not fear but something more dangerous. Hope.
I should tell him this is all too fast and definitely too risky.
But instead, I whisper, “Okay.”
A slow smile curves across his mouth. Not smug. Certain. Like he already knew I wouldn’t say no.
“Okay,” he repeats, standing and offering me his hand.
We leave the cozy little café behind, stepping into the crisp morning air. The city hums softly around us, the holiday buzz still lingering in the frost-tipped streets. For once, there’s no motorcade, no shadows lurking just behind us. Just him. Just me.
“Want to take a stroll before we go home?” he asks, and it hits me how gently he says home.
It’s all so normal—dangerously, heartbreakingly normal—and I find myself smiling up at him.
“I’d like that.”
He tucks my hand under his arm like it belongs there, and we start walking past shuttered boutiques and window displays filled with leftover Christmas glitter.
A street sign catches my eye, and I pause.
“Wait… is tonight New Year’s Eve?”
“It is,” he says, glancing down at me like he’s amused I lost track of time.
I hesitate. “Are you doing anything?”
“I was supposed to attend a formal event. But I decided I’d rather stay home with you.”
I don’t need to ask who he was supposed to go with. I already know. Francesca. Glittering gowns. Champagne toasts. Public appearances.
And still, he chose me.
The thought burns and soothes in equal measure.
“Well,” I say, trying to lighten the mood. “Maybe we can get some wine and popcorn and watch a movie or something.”
“Wine and popcorn?” His brow lifts like I’ve just suggested something absurd.
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” I tease. “It’s tradition. You’ll see.”
He chuckles, that low sound rumbling through his chest as he tugs me a little closer.
“Fine, cara. But if I’m giving up truffles and caviar for your popcorn, you’d better make it worth my while.”
“Oh, I will,” I promise, my voice softer than silk but weighted with something far more dangerous than flirtation.
“I have no doubt,” he says, his gaze dipping lower.
There’s something in his eyes that steals my breath. Possession, yes, but tenderness too. As if he’s looking at something precious. His lips part, and I know he’s about to say something that could tilt the balance between us completely.
But then someone calls his name.
We both turn as a poised woman with flawless makeup and pearls glides toward us. She’s all socialite smiles and curated grace. I dislike her right away.
Lorenzo’s entire demeanor changes.
“Victoria,” he greets flatly.
She leans in to kiss both his cheeks, air only, of course, and runs a hand down his arm like she owns him.
“I was just telling Fran that I missed seeing you at family dinners.” Her voice is syrupy and laced with judgment. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to attend Simone’s funeral.”
It takes me a moment to register what she means.
Simone.
Sienna.
The names aren’t even close.
“Sienna,” I correct before I can stop myself.
Victoria finally seems to notice me, and the temperature in her gaze drops several degrees. “Pardon?”
“Sienna is Lorenzo’s daughter.”
The smile she gives me is pure society venom. It’s polished, precise, and sharp enough to draw blood. Like I’ve just made a fatal etiquette mistake.
But I hold her gaze and lift my chin, silently daring her to say more. And she does.
“And you are?”
Lorenzo answers, “This is Elizabeth. She’s Sienna’s best friend.”
Victoria’s lips twitch in a tight, humorless smile. “Was,” she says, voice clipped. “And what is she still doing here? The funeral was weeks ago.”
My lips part. Two. It’s been two weeks. She speaks like grief comes with an expiration date. But she’s not done yet.
“This must be the girl Fran was telling me and her father about,” she says, as if I’m not standing right in front of her.
Her eyes sweep over me, full of disdain.
“She’s quite upset, you know. And I heard you canceled your gala appearance tonight.
” A mock-sad shake of her head. “What will people say? I believe Federico is planning to call you about it.”
Lorenzo’s phone buzzes in his pocket like the universe timing its entrance. He checks the screen, then looks to me.
“I have to take this,” he says softly.
And then he steps away.
The moment he does, her mask slips. Victoria turns to me like a predator sensing weakness.
“My, what a…comfortable situation you’ve found yourself in,” she says, her tone saccharine with venom. “How convenient—to be alive, nestled in his home, while his daughter lies in the ground.”
The words hit harder than a slap. I blink, once.
How dare she.
“You think you’re special?” she hisses, inching closer. “You’re not. You’re a moment of distraction. A symptom of grief. And trust me, my husband will ensure you’re on the next plane out of here.”
I feel my pulse race, shame and fury rising in equal measure.
My spine stiffens, but I don’t step back. I won’t give her the satisfaction.
“Preying on his broken heart? You’re mistaken if you think I’m here out of convenience. I loved Sienna.”
Victoria’s brows arch, her smile curving with derision. “Aren’t you? Don’t flatter yourself, dear. Everyone sees it for what it is. You’re a distraction. A mistake.”
“If I’m such a mistake, why are you so threatened?” I ask softly.
Her smile falters, just for a beat.
“Your husband can make all the phone calls he wants,” I continue. “But you don’t get to rewrite who Sienna was to me. Or who I am now.”
She leans in, perfume too sweet and suffocating. “You’re no one. You’ll always be no one.”
But before I can respond, Lorenzo’s shadow stretches across us.
“Is there a problem here?” he asks. His voice calm but it’s the kind of calm that comes before the storm.
Victoria straightens like she’s been caught mid-theft. “Not at all. I was simply expressing our family’s concern for your…guest.”
Lorenzo steps between us, his arm brushing mine like a shield.
“Elizabeth is not a guest. She’s family.”
Victoria’s eyes flicker.
He doesn’t stop. “And if Federico has something to say to me, he can say it directly. But let me be very clear, Victoria: if I find out either of you has interfered with her safety or freedom in any way, I will consider it a personal threat against the Conti Family.”
That smile of hers slips entirely now.
Lorenzo doesn’t even blink. “Do I make myself clear?”
She nods once, stiffly, and then with all the grace her heels can carry, turns and walks away.
As the tension lingers like smoke, Lorenzo exhales slowly.
Then he turns to me, brushing his fingers against my elbow. “Are you okay?”
I nod. But my voice is quiet when I say, “She said you’d regret keeping me here.”
His hand moves to my jaw, tipping my face toward his.
“The only thing I’d regret is losing you.”
I let out a breathy laugh, the kind that comes when your heart’s too full and your body already knows what’s coming.
“Well, now you’re definitely getting laid.”
His grin is pure predator. “Then let’s go home, cara, and bring in the New Year with a bang.”
Right on cue, a black SUV pulls up to the curb. Sleek, silent, and utterly discreet.
Lorenzo opens the door for me, murmuring, “It’s supposed to rain soon. I thought this might keep us warm on the way home.”
We climb into the back, the door thudding shut behind us. The cabin is dark, plush, and private—thick tinted windows cocooning us from the world. The partition between us and the driver slides up with a soft click. We’re alone.
Lorenzo shifts, his knee brushing mine. Then his hand finds my thigh, possessive and warm, and suddenly his mouth is on mine.
“I need you, cara,” he breathes against my lips, voice ragged with restraint. “Now.”
I don’t answer. I just move.
His jacket is already off, my hands pushing beneath his shirt, his palms sliding up my legs, my dress hitched above my hips.
I straddle him when he pulls my panties aside, sliding slowly onto his cock.
We both moan as he fills me completely. There are a million things I should ask him.
What are we doing? Is he going to end things with Francesca?
But all thoughts leave as he kisses me again.
“Ride me, cara. Show me how much you needed my cock.”
And, so, I do.
The SUV rocks faintly as we lose ourselves in everything we’ve both been holding back.
Outside, the rain begins to fall.
Inside, we burn.