“What?” He shrugged. “I’m hungry.”
Her smile widened, and she said, “I’ll get the table ready and let you know when dinner is served.”
She exited the room, and I turned my gaze toward Alphonse. Something made him stop playing. I could see the tension coiling in his shoulders, and he clenched the top of the piano like it was his only anchor. He was a king, yet today, he was grappling with the brutal truths that had shattered his world: the murderof his first love and the revelation of a daughter he never knew existed, now seemingly lost to him.
“I’m going to check in at home,” Luca said, pulling out his phone.
I nodded.
We quietly slipped out into the hallway, where we ran into an older gentleman.
“Excuse me. Where can I make a phone call?” Luca asked.
“Ah, this way, signore,” the butler replied smoothly, gesturing for Luca to follow him down the corridor.
Just then, Dante’s voice drifted from the living room, and as I turned the corner, I found him deep in conversation on the phone.
I cleared my throat, and Dante looked up.
“I’ll check in later, Liam,” he said and hung up.
Dante motioned for me to sit on the couch, and I complied, my ass sinking into the cushions. He settled onto the couch opposite me, his posture coiled tight as he leaned forward.
The atmosphere was so intense that it would have set the room on fire if I’d lit a match.
“I remember the times Angelica would sneak out of the house to come here,” he finally said, breaking the stillness. “She was never good at hiding it from me.”
“Let me guess,” I said. “You were protecting her from her father.”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Why didn’t you stop it then, knowing their relationship was forbidden? Why risk it?”
“It wouldn’t matter what I said to Angelica. She had her own mind and wasn’t afraid to use it.”
A grin spread across my face. Sounded like Gigi. My angel. And soon to be my queen.
He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping as he turned away for a moment. When he looked back at me, a haunting shadow of regret flickering in his eyes. “But now, I wished I would’ve have said something. She might still be alive if I had.”
“Then Gigi would never have existed,” I remarked.
He let out a soft sigh. “Just spending time with her at Thanksgiving felt so natural. She captured my heart the way her mother had,” he proclaimed with heartfelt admiration.
My smile widened. “She is amazing. A hard worker, kind, selfless, loyal, fierce as fuck.”
That made him chuckle.
“But she’s also a magnificent violinist,” I added. “And she’s full of love. A love that will last a lifetime. A love that will make you want to be a better man, to do right by her and give her all she deserves and more.”
He watched me closely. “I can see how much you loved her.”
“Love,” I insisted. “I still love her. And I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to bring her home.”
“Don’t make false promises,” Alphonse shot back, a sneer curling his lips as he stepped into the living room.
I reclined in my seat and studied Alphonse as he watched me intently. “It’s not false. I'm bringing my girl home.”
“Your incompetence cost me my daughter. I should kill you now.”
