Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rachel
Sofia sat on the veranda steps, carefully grooming Cassius. The moment she looked up and saw me, her eyes lit up.
"Mommy!" She dropped the brush and flew toward me.
I crouched down and caught her, burying my face deep into the soft curve of her neck, greedily breathing in that wonderful scent of milk and sunshine that clung to her. My tears came then, unstoppable, flooding out.
"I missed you so much... my baby..."
"I missed you too, Mommy." Sofia clumsily wiped at my tears with her small hands. "Grandmother said you and Daddy went to fight a big monster. Did you win?"
"We won." I looked into her clear eyes and nodded hard. "We won."
Camilla stood quietly at the other end of the veranda, smiling at me. "It's good you're back. Rosalia, brew a pot of chamomile tea."
That night I slept deeply. The next morning, Leona dragged me out for a walk in the garden. Charles approached us. He'd lost a lot of weight, his face was pale, and there was gauze taped over his left eyebrow. He looked unusually haggard.
He stopped in front of us, his expression dejected.
"Rachel, that day in the garden... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you."
I didn't speak, just watched him quietly.
"I've been thinking a lot while recovering." He gave a self-mocking laugh. "I always seem to use the wrong approach. All my life, what I want, I can never hold onto. The harder I try to grip it, the more I lose."
"Rachel, I... I just..." Pain flickered in his eyes. "I just wanted you to know that from the moment you first blocked that glass of red wine for me at the office, my feelings for you have never changed. I..."
Before he could finish, a tall figure emerged from the veranda. Matteo strode over and pulled me into his arms. Charles's gaze lingered on our entwined arms for a second, the color draining from his face.
"Charles, I'll always remember your help. I'm grateful. But I'm certain I love Matteo, and I'll never leave him again."
"I hope you'll give us your blessing, whether as a friend or family."
Charles stood frozen. Finally, he simply nodded slightly and walked away like a puppet who'd lost its strings.
The way Charles left made me instinctively uneasy. Even before bed, his final look kept replaying in my mind.
"You're worried about him?" Matteo held me tighter.
"I just feel... he didn't look good." I gripped my teacup. "I'm afraid he might not think straight, do something stupid."
"Rachel, Charles isn't that fragile." He patted my back. "He just needs time to accept all this. Once he works through it, he'll be fine."
A week passed. Charles didn't reappear. That morning, I was helping Sofia with a giant star map puzzle when my phone rang. An unfamiliar number from downtown Palermo.
I walked to the balcony and answered.
"Hello?"
"It's me, Rachel." Charles. His voice sounded exhausted.
"Can we... meet?" He was pleading. "Consider it a farewell meal. After all these years, I want to say a proper goodbye—to you, to the past. I'm leaving Sicily soon. I won't be back."
Logic told me not to go. Matteo definitely wouldn't approve. But his voice sounded so desperate, reminding me of that chaotic rainy night when he shoved me into his car and handed me an envelope full of cash and fake documents. He had saved my life.
"Rachel? Are you still there?"
"Alright," I said. "Two hours. Golden Sail. The main dining room. You agree to that, I'll come."
"I'll wait for you."
After hanging up, I kept playing with Sofia until she got tired, then carried her to her room.
"Leona, I'm going out." I handed Sofia to her. "Meeting an old friend. I'll be back soon."
Leona reminded me to drive carefully. I kissed the sleeping Sofia, changed clothes, and drove to the restaurant.
Golden Sail was a famous old seafood restaurant in downtown Palermo. When I arrived, Charles was already there. He'd chosen a window seat and wore a neatly pressed navy shirt. He looked better than a few days ago.
"You came." He stood and pulled out my chair.
"I can only stay for an hour."
He nodded and handed me the menu. He didn't mention anything about the past or feelings, just chatted about Palermo's weather and his plans to travel the world. He didn't even pour my wine himself—he called the waiter.
"I should go."
"Alright." Charles didn't try to keep me. "I'll walk you to the door."
We left the restaurant one after the other. As we parted, Charles told me to drive safely.
The drive back to the estate wasn't far. By the time I parked, it was getting dark. I decided to check on Sofia first. At this hour, she'd probably be playing with Cassius.
I pushed open the door. The lights were blazing. Leona was slumped on the sofa, her head tilted to one side, sound asleep with Sofia's picture book still draped across her lap.
"Leona?" I shook her. "Leona, wake up."
She didn't move. I walked over and patted her face. Only when I pressed harder did she furrow her brow and mumble something, her eyelids struggling open.
"Rachel?" She wasn't fully awake. "You're back, what time is it?"
"Where's Sofia?"
The drowsiness on Leona's face froze. She pushed herself upright using the sofa arm and looked toward the bed. Her expression went blank, then she snapped awake.
"She's not in bed?"
"Weren't you watching her?"
"I was," Leona pressed her temples, her brow furrowed tight. "After I brought her back to the room, she wanted to hear that little bear storybook, so I read to her. Then a maid brought in tea. I drank some, and after that..." She paused, stunned. "After that, I just fell asleep."
A chill shot up my spine. Leona was usually so alert, especially about Sofia. She couldn't possibly fall asleep like this for no reason, not even noticing when Sofia disappeared.
"The maid—did you know her?"
"No." Her face went white. "Usually, Rosalia comes along. Not today."
I rushed to Sofia's room. The balcony door was closed, the window lock intact. Everything looked undisturbed—except the one person who should have been there was missing.
"Sofia?" I called out. "Baby, come out, don't scare Mommy."
Leona searched with me, checking under the bed and behind the curtains. Her movements got faster and faster, her breathing more ragged.
"Could she have gone to find Cassius?"
"The greenhouse."
We practically ran downstairs. The night guard saw our faces and started to speak, but I cut him off. "Have you seen Sofia?"
He blinked and quickly shook his head. My chest tightened. Without stopping, I went to the greenhouse, then the fountain path, then the sycamore tree—all of Sofia's favorite places. But tonight, everywhere was empty. Even Cassius was gone.
Leona leaned against a pillar, breathing hard. "Did you check Camilla's?"
"No." I turned and walked. "Let's go."
At first, Camilla stayed composed, but when she heard Sofia was missing, she stumbled. She immediately ordered the main building's exits sealed and had someone pull up tonight's surveillance from the building and gardens. But the chill inside me only grew heavier. My fingers were going numb.
Charles's face—too calm—flashed in my mind. The churning in my stomach surged up, and even breathing became difficult.
Leona grabbed me. "Rachel, did you think of something?"
"I don't know, I just..."
Just then, the servant who'd gone to check the children's playroom came running back empty-handed, face drained of color, shaking her head frantically. The one who'd gone to the stables returned, too. Still nothing.
Night wind poured through the veranda. I stood there, ears ringing, everything before me starting to blur. Leona couldn't hold on any longer—she gripped my wrist, her fingertips ice-cold.
"Sofia's gone."