Chapter 46
Bianca Ferricci
Rosa remained silent beside me, as she always did. I knew asking her anything would be useless; Rosa knew nothing about me that could shed light on what I was looking for.
Alessandro, on the other hand, kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror. His eyes studied me as if he already knew exactly what I was going to look for at my father’s house.
“Ma’am, we’ve arrived at your friend’s house,” Alessandro said through the rearview mirror.
“Of course, we almost drove right past it,” I murmured, realizing that was exactly what he wanted me to do.
The driver stopped the car, and I got out, feeling Alessandro’s gaze burning into my back. Before I could react, he approached and whispered in my ear:
“We need to talk, Bianca.”
We entered the house, a simple but tidy place. My curiosity grew with every detail I took in, while Rosa remained close, as though she could protect me.
“What is this place?” I asked, turning toward Alessandro.
“I’ve been staying here for a while,” he replied casually.
“Your house, then?”
“You could say that.”
“And what did you bring me here for?” I asked, trying to understand where he was going with this.
Alessandro took a step forward, staring at me.
“I watched my family burn to death. There were four of us: two legitimate children and the two of us, the bastards. I already told you, I was spared because I was useful as a man. You, on the other hand, were discarded by Mrs. Bellini as if you were worthless. Left to die alongside our mother.”
My hands trembled as I tried to process what he was saying. My voice came out shaky:
“What are you talking about? I’m a Ferrucci.”
He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head.
“Ferrucci probably didn’t have the courage to kill you, so he decided to raise you as his daughter. Or rather, almost as one.”
“That’s not true.”
“Of course it is,” he shot back. “And Giulia knows it.”
“What does she have to do with any of this?”
Alessandro sighed, almost impatiently.
“Your adoptive father was paid to take care of you. And do you know who paid him? One of our father’s trusted men.
He died, but before he did, he told me about you.
Giulia found out by accident and started digging.
That’s when she found me. At first, I don’t think she knew what it all meant, but now she knows everything. ”
My thoughts were a mess. Tiziano. He was the first thing on my mind.
“Tiziano... She’s going to tell him,” I whispered, terrified.
Alessandro smiled contemptuously.
“She’ll think very carefully before she does that. After all, your adoptive parents were being paid to take care of you. The Ferruccis could become targets for Tiziano.”
“My husband loves me. He’ll overlook this,” I argued, though I wasn’t nearly as confident as I wanted to be.
Alessandro let out a cold laugh.
“He hates anyone carrying that blood, Bianca. You don’t understand who he is.”
I swallowed hard, the knot in my throat tightening.
“We need to leave before he finds out. Once you’re safe, I’ll come back and finish him. I’ll destroy that cursed bloodline and put an end to this persecution.” He placed a hand on my shoulder, but I recoiled in horror.
The pieces were falling into place, but the puzzle revealed an image I had never wanted to see.
“Tiziano will listen to me. You said yourself the Bellinis didn’t want us. We owe them nothing.”
“We don’t, but your husband won’t see it that way. To him, what matters is the blood running through our veins, and that blood alone is enough reason for him to hate us.”
“I need to hear this directly from my father,” I replied quickly.
Alessandro let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as he walked toward the window.
“Your father?” He turned to face me. “You think he’s going to tell you anything?
Ant?nio Ferrucci is just as much of a liar as the Bellinis.
He took care of you because he was profiting from it, Bianca.
You think he’s loyal to you? You think he’s going to admit anything now? He’s always been a coward.”
“He may be all of those things, but I want to hear it from him. I need to understand how all of this fits together.”
“Fine,” Alessandro finally said with a shrug. “But remember one thing: whatever the truth is, Tiziano won’t forgive it. No matter how much you think he cares about you, he hates the Bellinis more than anything.”
“And you?” I asked, crossing my arms. “Why are you so willing to protect me?”
“Because you’re my sister. I watched our mother die, Bianca. She died trying to protect us. I’m not going to let something like that happen to you.”
Part of me wanted to trust him, but another part couldn’t ignore the fact that Alessandro was also a Bellini and, somehow, he might be trying to use me as a weapon against Tiziano.
“I’m going to talk to my father,” I insisted. “And then I’ll decide what to do.”
He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated, but nodded.
“Do whatever you want, Bianca. But do it quickly. Giulia won’t stay quiet for long, and when Tiziano finds out, things will get worse.”
I knew he was right, that she wouldn’t miss the chance to use that information against me.
“I need time,” I whispered.
Alessandro stepped forward, gripping my shoulders.
“Time is one thing you don’t have. You need to get out of here, Bianca. And fast.”
I walked toward the car, feeling Alessandro following closely behind me. I got into the vehicle and firmly closed the door, trying to control the emotions threatening to suffocate me. For a moment, I stared out the window, watching the scenery while my mind spun with questions and fears.
“Please, take me to my parents’ house,” I asked the driver. Without hesitation, he started the car.