CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER TWO
W HY , I HAVE nothing going on in my life and would love to drop everything to fly halfway across the world. Thanks for the consideration, Enzo.
Charlotte did, in fact, have no plans but it was his lack of consideration that irked her. He was lucky that she lived such a hermitic life. Knowing she could not say anything so revealing aloud, Charlotte simply pushed her glasses—that she did not need—up the bridge of her nose and ensured that the plane was fuelled and ready.
She glanced at her watch with annoyance. It would be incredibly tight to make all their arrangements plus get home in time to pack a bag for an unknown amount of time away and still be at the airport within the hour.
But not having much of a life and very few, mostly essential possessions meant that she was able to perform the miracles that Enzo needed. Just as he had ordered, an hour later, they were seated in the De Luca private jet and taxiing down the runway.
This wasn’t the first time Charlotte had taken an international trip with Enzo, but it was always a source of great stress for her. The one place she couldn’t lie about her name was in immigration. She constantly feared that it would be on one of these trips that her father finally found her. So far, her luck had held out. She clung to that knowledge now because there was nothing she could do while in the air. Nowhere she could go. No plans she could make. She would only know if she had to run again once she landed.
It hurt that she had to run from the man who should have wanted to love and protect her, but her father’s only interest was in his business. That was why he had arranged her marriage to Grant Campbell, a crooked businessman in Perth who could get her property-developer father any land he wanted at any price. He was a slimy character who had been involved with her father for years. Had known her for years. Wanted her despite how young she was.
At twenty-five, Charlotte had already been in hiding for two years. Trying to remain safe from the two most unscrupulous and powerful men she knew.
‘Please! I don’t want to marry him!’
‘I don’t care. I won’t let you cost me business.’
‘Is Grant more important than me?’
‘Yes.’
The memory that both angered and hurt her was never far from her mind. Always there ready to plunge a knife in her chest. It also motivated her to keep hiding.
Charlotte had done everything she could not to arouse suspicion. She had cleared her bank accounts when she left and split the money over several new accounts with several banks so none of them seemed conspicuous. Even her socials had been abandoned as they were when she left Perth. She had deleted the apps from her phone to never be tempted. She even avoided taking selfies because she knew how many millionaire heiresses had had their pictures stolen from the cloud.
Her life would have seemed extreme if anyone had seen how she lived, but Charlotte’s goal was that no one ever would. Not when she couldn’t trust anyone. Not when her tormentor had so many resources.
A breath-stealing ache in her stomach had her reaching for the antacid she always kept nearby.
It was always like this. Charlotte wished she could have just one day, one trip, when she didn’t feel like she had to look over her shoulder.
The only bright side was that Enzo wasn’t around to see her like this. While normally they would have spent most of the flight working closely, this time he had shut himself away. His corporate jet was huge, with a private office and a bedroom, as well as numerous public sections—a conference area, a lounge, guest bathrooms. But Charlotte had chosen to sit at a table by the window, always the quietest spot on the plane. Three luxurious cream leather seats sat empty around her, which was perfect. No one had to witness her falling apart just slightly. Not the cabin crew and certainly not Enzo. Not that he would notice.
It was the point of her disguise...but it made her miserable at times. Enzo was a smart man. How wonderful it would be to have an honest interaction with him! What would he think of her? Would he remain as calm and in control as he always did? He never allowed anything to get under his skin. Well, not until now. He had never snapped at her like he did in his office. Something was eating at him. There was another reason it was probably for the best that he wasn’t around her, because she might have asked him what was wrong. And she couldn’t do that. She shouldn’t want to know more. Distance meant safety.
A soon as the plane levelled off, Charlotte pulled out her laptop. If her mind was going to race, she would at least try to give it something to focus on.
And it worked. She didn’t notice the drink placed on the table for her and certainly not when her meal arrived. She had worked so long and so hard that she only took a break once her eyelids began to droop. She saved her work and looked out the window seeing nothing but an illuminated wing.
The cabin was dimly lit when Charlotte blearily blinked awake. Having no idea how long she had been asleep, she lifted the window blind she had no memory of closing and instantly regretted it. The bright sun was an assault on her senses. She turned away for a second and rubbed her eyes before attempting to look out the window again.
They flew over green hills— close green hills. They were obviously going to land soon, and she had missed her opportunity to freshen up. She stood to get her bag and felt a blanket fall from her lap, something she didn’t remember being draped over her. Enzo’s crew was always attentive, but they’d gone above and beyond today. They’d never packed away her laptop before.
She retrieved her bag and pulled out a compact mirror to look at the frightful state she was in. Playing the role of the plain PA had its advantages: all she had to do was brush out her hair and pop a mint in her mouth.
A small part of Charlotte was excited. She hadn’t been to Italy since she was much younger. It had been a different life back then, and all she had seen was Rome and Venice. This trip might not be the vacation she hoped to have—she didn’t go on those any more: they were too risky—but at least she was still able to see new places in the world and admire the coastline she had dreamed of one day sailing along.
The plane touched down, and as soon as the doors opened, her passport was being stamped and, without another word, the immigration officials were gone. With a pounding heart, Charlotte gathered her things and made for the stairs. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out and found...a gleaming grey Maserati Quattroporte waiting on the tarmac, just as she’d arranged. No one but airport staff around, no one waiting to corral her into a waiting vehicle that would whisk her back to her father.
Only once her feet hit the tarmac and she knew she was safe did she feel like she could breathe again. Her shoulders relaxed a fraction, and she sprang into action.
She retrieved the key to the Maserati and dismissed the driver. With her tablet in one hand, she waited at the base of the staircase for Enzo.
Charlotte watched him jog down and cursed the unfairness of life. He looked every bit as fresh as he did when boarding, as if he could be stepping out of a glossy magazine cover, whereas she was in some sort of corporate ghillie suit that made her invisible. Not just to Enzo but to everyone. A part of her railed at being hidden. It wasn’t fair that she lived half a life. It wasn’t fair that she should be punished when all she wanted was freedom. But she had to swallow her irritation.
‘Here are your keys, Mr De Luca,’ she said.
‘Thank you,’ he replied, taking them from her, barely breaking his stride.
She had to almost run to keep up with his long strides, but after two years, she was used to it.
The lights on the car flashed as he unlocked it, and immediately their luggage was being loaded into the boot.
‘You might as well put your tablet away. It’s over an hour to Perlano,’ Enzo said in his deep voice. While there was no emotion to his tone, it still felt like an instruction.
‘Yes, sir.’ She did as she was told and, when she walked around the car, found that the passenger door had been opened for her. This was different. Normally she and Enzo shared the back seat and discussed his schedule, meetings and anything else that needed to be addressed for the trip. Now she was meant to sit beside him while he drove. Would she be expected to talk to him? They usually didn’t discuss anything that wasn’t work-related. What if she slipped up and mentioned something incriminating? Maybe it would be best if she found alternate transport. Except she didn’t really know where they were going. All Enzo had said was that he would arrange their accommodation.
She was back in her spiral of overthinking, which was helping nothing. Buckling herself in, she pulled out her phone and decided to do some research on the area.
She typed Perlano into the search bar and pulled up an article on the history of the region. It was an old place, and she felt some relief knowing it would hold little value to her father. It was unlikely that he would think to look for her there. She flicked to the images tab, seeing hundreds and hundreds of beautiful pictures of hills and sea.
‘It would be better if you looked out your window instead of looking at pictures that do it no justice.’
Charlotte started at the sound of Enzo’s voice. They’d left the airport and were now driving along an undulating, curvy road with green hills on her left, dotted with stone ruins among tall trees. And on her right, the Tyrrhenian Sea stretched to the horizon in a rainbow of blues, the surface of the water shimmering in the afternoon sunlight. Charlotte noticed the number of yachts out on the water and wished she could be lying on the deck of one of them, having the sun kiss every inch of her skin.
And as they drove past one of the many little borghi , Charlotte’s breath caught. The little town cascading down the mountainside was something straight out of a fairy tale. It was as if she’d been transported back in time.
She had to admit, Enzo was right.
‘Have you been to Italy before?’ he asked.
‘Once, when I was young, but we didn’t see much of it. Though, I do wish that we had. Especially the coast.’
‘Let me guess, you went to Roma?’
‘And Venice.’ Charlotte was a little shocked that Enzo was asking her about herself. While she revealed nothing of any real consequence, it would be far safer to steer the conversation away from herself.
‘Those are beautiful places, but Perlano is different.’ Charlotte hazarded a look at him and found his gaze firmly focussed on the road, his hands holding the steering wheel in the gentlest grip. For some reason she thought she’d never seen him so at ease, while still being so utterly tense. His body might be languid, holding all that effortless confidence that seemed so natural to him, but the lines around his eyes and mouth told a different story.
Not wanting to be caught staring, she shifted her gaze out the window.
‘How so?’
‘You will see when we get there. It’s best to experience it. No explanation will be adequate.’
Charlotte caught the flicker of a smile in his reflection on her window. Well, there was information for her to store away. He might not return home very often, but he certainly did love it.
Within minutes the view changed, and gone was the sea. Instead, they were surrounded by hills, long green grasses dancing in the wind and, in the distance, what must have been farmland. It was beautiful. And the warmth of the afternoon sun on her skin was heaven. Sydney’s winter chill was a distant memory here.
‘I read that Perlano is quite old,’ Charlotte offered when the silence in the car grew too thick and she could bear it no more. Her father had always wielded stilted silence like a weapon. Rather than endure it, Charlotte would escape with her friends, and then she didn’t have to be quiet. She would be her natural self, talking and rambling without worrying about the consequences. Well, she had no friends now, but still she didn’t have to bear any real silence. The office was filled with various sounds. At home, she kept the television on nearly constantly even if she wasn’t watching.
This silence was different to the one she’d grown to hate. It felt overwhelming for a different reason, and she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was apart from Enzo’s presence. This was a big car, but it didn’t seem like it with him in it. Charlotte was aware of every movement his body made, the way his hands splayed on the steering as he adjusted his grip. Perfect hands and long fingers...
‘My family ruled over Perlano for hundreds of years from the very same estate. Each one changed it very little, but their marks are there. You may explore it when we are not working.’
Charlotte was pulled from the rabbit hole that she was mentally falling into and forced herself to pay attention to his words. ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea,’ she responded automatically.
‘I assure you, it’s quite safe.’
She didn’t reply. She wasn’t about to argue with her boss when his idea of danger wasn’t hers. While it was very unlikely her father would even know of Perlano—he never saw the value in things unless they were important to him—there was no place picturesque enough, no gelato sweet enough to risk being caught off guard and dragged back to Perth. Her heart raced at the very thought.
Charlotte discreetly wiped her sweaty palms on the skirt of her dress and remained uncomfortably quiet as they approached Perlano.
The wild grasses disappeared, replaced by rolling green hills. The closer they drew, the clearer she could see that each one was covered in neat, vibrant vineyards. Over on the right, the sea was once again visible, but so were houses, stacked close together down the hills and stretching to the water. Every single one had a dull red roof and aged, sand-toned plaster. It was like a postcard made real.
They turned off the highway and drove along narrow roads, climbing higher and higher, closer to the vineyards. Charlotte felt as if she could stick her arm out and touch the bright leaves that surrounded them. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight looming at the top of the hill. All she could make out was an obelisk of a tower, rectangular and tall with a portion of its ramparts visible. The stone, even this far away, looked aged. It could have been an intimidating sight, jarring, but it wasn’t. Not with the great, silvery olive trees and lush oleander shrubs around it, pink blossoms bright against the monolithic backdrop.
Finally, they approached large wrought-iron gates that swung open, leading to a long driveway. Charlotte had always known that Enzo was the Conte del Perlano, but seeing and knowing were two different things. She had always thought of his title as nothing more than exactly that. A title. This was something else. She hadn’t expected an estate as grand as this or a building that had seen so many centuries but still looked like a home. Inviting and warm.
‘This is beautiful,’ she remarked as the car came to a stop.
‘You sound surprised.’ She could hear the teasing in his voice and found the smallest of smirks on his face.
Well, that was new. Was Enzo a different man here? For some reason she found herself wanting to know. Wanting to uncover that side of him. An impulse she’d never once had before.
‘I am, a little,’ she admitted.
‘Come,’ he said, elegantly exiting the car.
She joined him as he made his way to a large door where an elderly woman with a kind face and salt-and-pepper hair tied back in a bun waited.
‘What about our bags?’
‘They will be placed in our rooms.’ Gone was the playful Enzo from only a moment ago, and in his place stood a man even more tense than usual. ‘ Buonasera , Isabella . ’
‘Enzo!’ She took his face in her hands even though she had quite a height to reach. Her eyes sparkled, and there was clear affection in her voice as she said, ‘You have been away too long, Leoncino.’
‘I’ve been busy.’ Placing his hand above Charlotte’s elbow, Enzo urged her forward. At first, she felt the touch like a brand, the current startling. But then it changed. The gentleness of his grip and the warmth of his hand calmed that unsettled feeling into something even more unexpected. A feeling of being grounded. Charlotte wasn’t used to being handled gently or, in the past two years, at all. But here was a powerful man who was tense and curt and clearly on edge, and yet he controlled all that, shielded her from whatever was raging within him. It made her feel safe. And curious. And confused.
‘This is Celeste Park,’ Enzo continued. ‘Make sure she has a comfortable room. Celeste, this is my housekeeper, Isabella. She will help you with whatever you need.’
‘ Benvenuta , Celeste,’ the old woman said, taking her hands. ‘We will get you all settled, yes.’
‘It’s nice to meet you, Isabella.’ She meant it. It had been a very long time since Charlotte had felt anything close to the warmth this old lady exuded.
Still grasping Charlotte’s hands, Isabella turned to look at Enzo and added, ‘Your room is ready. It’s always waiting for you.’
‘ Grazie , Isabella.’
Charlotte watched him smile stiffly at the housekeeper and walk away.
Isabella sighed. ‘Come, let me show you to your room.’
Charlotte was certain that it was sadness she now saw on Isabella’s face and was filled with a burning curiosity to know exactly what had happened here, but she couldn’t ask Enzo. They didn’t have that relationship. The last thing she needed was to give him a reason either to fire her or remember her.