CHAPTER THIRTEEN
My fingers gripped the armrest, knuckles white, as my heart pounded against my chest, waiting for something else to appear on the screen.
What’s that noise? Is he all right? Luca looked just as rattled, his gaze now locked on something to his right.
I traced his line of sight to the door, spotting a fresh mark on the wall—maybe from the door slamming open. But who had forced their way in?
“What have you done, old man?” a voice shouted.
“Luca, è entrato…” He came in. Magda.
Luca visibly straightened. His eyes narrowed on whoever was off-screen. “Yes, Magda, I’ll take care of it. How dare you barge in here? Get out,” he hissed.
“Not until I find out what you’re going to tell Olivia.”
He was out of the camera’s shot, but I recognized Nico’s voice. However, Luca continued to respond to him. “What makes you think I’m going to tell her anything?”
“You…you’ve been talking to her, and you’re shutting me out of whatever you have planned.”
“What I talk about with my daughter is none of your concern.”
“It is if you plan to tell her—”
Luca crossed his arms. “Tell her what? That you cheated on her?”
My jaw dropped, and my stomach twisted with disbelief. Nico cheated on Olivia?
“It was one time when I was twenty-four, damn it. Why can’t you let it go?” Nico’s voice was loud above Luca’s.
Luca tutted. “You think I’m too old to remember that you were twenty-six? You hired her to act in your film—that I fully funded—only to pay me back by cheating on my daughter.”
“It happened only once, and I came to my senses,” Nico said, his voice losing steam.
Luca snorted. “You honestly think I don’t know the real number of times? Mandy told me everything.”
“Huh? Yeah, well, it wasn’t as she remembers, and I told her like I’m telling you, the affair was the biggest mistake of my life, and I regret it every day.”
“You regret getting caught. You can’t change history. Damn it, I had to cover your disgrace.”
“You didn’t. You stepped in after I cut it off. I love Olivia very much, and I devoted my life to her.”
Luca smirked. “You lived well. Much better than you deserved. So, what do you want? More money? That’s all I ever hear from you.” His tone was full of disgust.
Nico emerged from behind the desk, a shadow of the polished man I remembered. His hair was stuck out in wild tufts, and a scrap of tissue clung to a nick in his beard. His rumpled clothes looked as if he’d slept in them.
Luca let out a groan. “You reek like a sewer.”
Nico seemed to ignore him and raised his hands together as if in prayer. “Why can’t you forgive me?”
Luca huffed. “Not this again. I’ve told you before, forgiveness isn’t mine to give.”
“It most certainly is. You act like it was easy for me. I was a kid.”
Luca clicked his tongue. “A kid at twenty-six? At your age, I was raising a child and holding down a job—”
“Because it was given to you,” Nico said in a flat tone.
“Nothing was handed to me,” Luca snapped. “Unlike you, I earned my place at Marini Corporate. I pulled strings to get you those movie contracts, and you repaid me by betraying my daughter.”
Nico blew out a breath and rubbed his eyelids. “I…It just happened.”
“It happened because you’re weak,” Luca sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
“I was, and I devoted my life to making Olivia happy. She’s fine, and we love each other; you can’t deny that. We even had the twins—”
“At great risk to her and later than expected. I warned you that the Marinis’ legacy depended on children who learned the importance of their family history and responsibilities.
The older generation’s duty is to shape the younger one, and you agreed to do your part.
But, of course, you didn’t. You left Rocco to fend for himself. ”
“You took over Rocco. Made him think of me as not good enough.”
“That’s your curse. You have a weakness in mind and spirit. Marinis aren’t raised to think like that. So, why are you here? What do you want from me now?”
“I…I want you to keep your promise.”
“What promise did I make you?” Luca mocked irritably.
“That you’ll never tell Rocco about the affair. I don’t want him to hate me.”
Luca’s mouth curled into a scowl. “I’ll do what’s best for my family. Hurting Rocco serves no one. If you want his trust, tell him the truth yourself.”
Nico jerked his head and rubbed his jaw. “In my time. Good. Uh, thanks. He’s good at producing movies. You should help him instead of forcing him to do a job he never wanted.”
“Is this about you again? If you want to direct, then direct. Put in the work.”
Nico scoffed. “A born billionaire has the nerve to tell me to work. I work, still do, but because I lack success, it’s not good enough for you. Olivia and the kids are happy, but even that’s not enough. I came to help Rocco.”
“What help does Rocco need from you?” Luca said in a condescending tone.
“Don’t punish him for what I did.”
“I didn’t punish you, and you already know I love my grandkids. That’s the one thing you managed not to mess up.”
“You know what? Olivia forgives me.” Nico turned his back on Luca.
“When did you tell her?” Luca asked in a shocked tone.
“I haven’t, but I bet she knows. She always knows everything, and she still loves me. I love her, Luca. She’s my rock.”
Luca huffed. “I’m busy right now. Can you get to your point?”
Nico’s brows lowered. “What are you doing?”
“Making a gift for my new granddaughter for her wedding.” He gestured toward the laptop.
He glared at him. “Are you filming?”
“I am.”
Nico snorted. “You’re going to delete that—”
“You think I want to risk my dear ones knowing what kind of man you are?” Luca snapped.
Nico closed his mouth and ran his fingers back through his hair. “Okay…uh, yeah. Please delete me from your video. Okay. Thank you…And the will?”
“You’re still in the will,” Luca blew out.
Nico’s shoulders dropped, and a weak smile appeared on his lips. “Thank you.”
Knock knock.
Magda appeared. “Rocco and Adelina are driving up to the estate.”
Luca smiled at her. “Thank you. Please show Nico out the back. I don’t want them to see you. Make sure they don’t.”
Nico bobbed his head. “I’m parked down by the winery. Uhm, can you please delete the video now? Just in case it gets mixed up?”
Luca glared at him and crossed his arms. “Get the hell out of here now.”
Nico finally left, and Luca smiled as he recentered himself before the screen. “You and Rocco are here, and I’ll restart this video after dinner. See you soon.”
The screen went black for a moment, leaving me frozen in shock at Nico’s betrayal. He strutted around like he was above it all, but he was nothing more than a cheating scumbag.
He’d gambled everything to snatch that video, terrified I might spill his secret to Rocco. Maybe I still could, but the fallout would hurt everyone. Maybe that was why Luca had kept it hidden. Still, why leave it in the video? Did he expect me to do something about it?
No. Luca ran out of time. However…
A chill ran through me, and I thought about the irresponsible way I’d handled my birth control lately, especially since I knew Rocco didn’t want a child right now.
All my complaining to Olivia about forcing us, and I was no better.
Am I doomed to repeat the past? Would I face the same heartbreak with Rocco if I’m pregnant?
“Adelina.”
I turned to find Rocco in the doorway, his face pinched.
I tensed. Rocco always smiled or came to kiss me whenever we were together. “Uhm, are you okay?”
Rocco walked into the office and stood next to the chair but didn’t touch me. He glanced at the dark screen. “What’s going on?”
I quickly closed the laptop’s lid. “Uh, Luca left a video message for me. He gave me papers that I think you should take a look at.” I removed the USB and put it in the pocket of my jeans.
“Oh, I will, but I’d like to talk to you about something else first.” His tone was abrupt. Something was wrong.
I was still on the seat, though my pulse raced, and I could feel sweat break across my body. “Are you upset about something?”
Rocco reached inside his pocket, pulled out my birth control pill packet, and placed it down on the desk in front of me.
“Tell me why.”