CHAPTER 77 - ARIANNA
CHAPTER
Arianna
MARIA brUSHES HER HAIR in the dressing table mirror as if it’s a normal day, acting like she hasn’t just seen someone get their face blown off.
“You weren’t supposed to see any of that,” I say as she hesitates before brushing the next dark wave.
“I have to ask, what made you come down there in the first place?”
She swivels around on the stool to face me. “I was looking for you. I wanted to make the bad feeling everyone has about me better.”
I frown, still furious with Red for what was being said about Maria earlier, but this business with Dave put paid to a resolution.
Red has since apologized, as has Liam, even if his apology to Maria was done under duress. But none of it changes that no one trusts my sister to keep her head. Myself included. “They shouldn’t have said any of that stuff.”
“But that’s the thing.” Maria places the hairbrush down. “What they said was right.”
“No, it wasn’t.” I shake my head. “Even I started believing that you were imagining things when you weren’t. I’m sorry we doubted you - that I doubted you. I thought you were going crazy.”
Maria smiles. “Probably because I was doing a good job of acting like it!”
I say nothing to that because this is strange. Maria looks different. I can’t explain why, but she does.
“Look. What Luca did with that ring and then planting that thing to record us, what you said about what he and Matteo did and what they planned to do - I couldn’t get my head around it.
Then there was all that stuff at the funeral.
He sent someone to kill you, Arianna! It messed me up, but now. .. now it’s like the veil has lifted.”
I frown, not expecting this. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I want to help you.” Maria holds my eyes with a look I’ve never seen from her before. “You’ve got to prevent him from getting involved with the Eredità della Luce. You mentioned earlier that you plan to contact Papà’s allies. Have you done it yet?”
“Not yet, I...”
“Then do it now.” Jumping up, Maria grabs my phone off the bed and hands it to me. “Call Papà now and get the relevant numbers for his allies and phone them.”
I blink, genuinely confused. “Where has all of this come from, Maria?”
“Like everyone says, I’ve been more of a hindrance than anything else, and I don’t want to be. I want to help, really I do. Also, once you’ve spoken to the allies, I’d like you to ask Red to recommence my training.”
I grimace, imagining Red’s reaction to being asked to go through that again. “Oh, Maria, I don’t th...”
“Ah, I know what you’re thinking, but this time I’ll make a proper effort, you’ll see.” She nods at my mobile. “Go on. Phone Papà.”
Shaking my head with a mixture of surprise and hope, I bring my phone to life. If Maria has genuinely turned a corner, it will be a weight off my mind.
Scrolling to Papà’s number, I press the call button.