Chapter Thirty
Roberto
I’m outside Olivia’s office with a cup holder in my hand. A breakfast sandwich, as planned, and two coffees. Her door is locked. The light under it is dark.
After the conversation with Caterina last night and Olivia not coming over, my suspicions are a bit high.
Could she be avoiding me?
Keys clink at the far end of the hall. Heels move quickly. I look up, and there she is—black pants, a soft gray blouse tucked in neatly, cropped jacket. Hair pulled back in a low twist, a few pieces loose near her temples.
She’s looking down, digging for keys in her bag.
She nearly walks into me before she looks up. She yelps, hand flying to her chest. I steady her with a hand. “God—Roberto. You scared me.”
“Sorry,” I say, stepping back. I lift the bag. “Peace offering.”
A small smile graces her face. “You brought me breakfast?”
“I did.” I study her. Eyes a little red at the rims. Concealer doing more than it should. There’s a coolness at the back of her gaze I don’t like.
She finally fishes out her key card, and I take the handle to hold the door while she scans. We step inside, and I close it behind us.
Blinds are down.
“Late for you,” I say.
“Bad sleep,” she answers easily, moving past me to drop her bag on the chair. “Long weekend caught up with me, I think.”
“Headache?”
“A little,” she says. She takes the bag from me, peeks in, and the smile warms. “Oh, you got the one I like.”
“Egg, cheddar, bacon on a croissant.”
“Thank you.” I set one of the coffees on her desk and open the lid to vent because she doesn’t like her coffee too hot.
“Sorry about last night,” she says, looking up. “I should have called. I just… hit a wall.”
“It’s all right. Rain checks exist for a reason.” I nod toward the door, then back to her. “Can I?”
She glances at the blinds, steps into me, and I meet her halfway. I meet her lips, soft at first. Her mouth is warm, familiar, and she leans in like we’re picking up exactly where we left off.
I cup her jaw; she rises a fraction on her toes and presses closer. Heat flickers between us. When I angle to take it deeper, she answers with a small sound in her throat, a quiet moan I feel against my lips.
I ease back a beat before it gets greedy, thumb brushing her cheekbone. She stays close, breathing a little faster, eyes on mine, the trace of a smile there.
“You sure you’re okay?” I ask.
“Mm-hm.” She tucks a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “Just tired.”
“Anything I should handle?” I ask. “If something’s on fire, I’ll put it out.”
She smiles at that. “No fires. Promise.”
I take the second cup from the tray. “Let me know if that changes.”
She pulls out the wrapped sandwich and sits behind her desk. “I will. I’m good for now.” She looks up at me. “Thank you, and I really am sorry for cancelling on you.”
“You’re welcome, and don’t worry about it.” I take a stab. “You up for it tonight?”
She’s taken a bite just as I ask, so I have to wait a moment.
“Sure,” she says. “That should be fine.”
I smile. “Good. Have an appetite.”
“I’m sure I will,” she says. “Go. Be important.”
That makes me smile as I step back. The door clicks behind me.
I walk the halls and don’t stop until I reach another office door.
I don’t bother knocking, but open the door and walk right in.
Caterina jumps in her seat, startled. “What—”
I close the door behind me. “She knows.”
Caterina’s mouth drops slightly as she processes my words.
“What do you mean she knows?”
“Olivia,” I say. “She knows.”
“Knows? Knows what?”
I walk over to her desk but don’t take a seat. I jingle my keys in my pocket—a rare sign of agitation for me.”
“I think everything,” I say.
“Wh— How?” Caterina sets her tablet down slowly.
“I don’t know. But she somehow figured it out.”
“Wait, wait.” Caterina holds out her hands. “Knows what exactly?”
“I’m not sure,” I say, agitated. “Maybe all of it. You said it yourself. She’s not stupid. Finding out who we are is easy enough.”
“But how can you tell? Did she say something to you, give you a sign?”
I start pacing. “No. She’s a very good actress. She could’ve made a killing in Hollywood,” I murmur as an afterthought. “Or in the CIA.
“I just know,” I say.
There’s a pause.
“Finding out who we are is not the same as knowing…” She looks at the door and lowers her voice. “Knowing what we’re doing here.”
“She doesn’t strike me as the type to let something go,” I say. “The comps put her on the scent. If I know her as well as I think I do, she wouldn’t just let it go just because you ordered her to.”
Caterina rubs her temple. “I fixed the routing. They won’t touch her queue again.”
But I’m already shaking my head. “It’s too late.”
Caterina sits back in her seat and goes quiet.
Finally, she asks, “What now? I can’t just fire her, Zio. She’s my friend, and I moved her all the way here for this.”
Still pacing, I try to work it out. “I need time to think about this.”
“Should we tell papá?”
“No,” I say, too quickly. “No. Leave him out of it for now.”
Involving Luca at this point would be bad news for Olivia. My chest tightens at the thought of what might happen to her if Luca even suspected that she knew-.
“No,” I repeat. “Just leave it to me. I’m seeing her again tonight. I’ll keep you updated.”
Caterina looks conflicted. “If you’re sure…”
“I am,” I say. “Caterina, please.”
Finally, she nods. “Okay, okay. Just between us for now.”
“Thank you, stellina,” I say and turn to walk out.
“Zio,” she calls out.
I stop at the door and look back.
“Please…” She looks pained. “She’s my friend. Like a sister to me when my own was gone.”
“I’ll take care of it,” I promise her.