Page 52 of Diavolo

Mierda. Elyse's cheeks turned slightly pink. Had Malina and Marcello heard them last night? She closed her eyes, briefly, in mortification. It was entirely possible. Elyse had been so overwhelmed by Alessandro's return that she, like a hormonal, emotional idiot, had forgotten that they weren't alone in the flat.This could never happen again.She struggled to formulate a halfway dignified response under such awkward circumstances. Speech eluded her. Frantically, Elyse busied herself with the task at hand, taking Marcello's temperature, blood pressure, and pulse while praying that Malina would leave well enough alone.

Once Elyse finished up with Marcello, he closed his eyes and pretended to go back to sleep. Tactful boy. She wouldn't forgetthis small kindness. In a hurry, Elyse exited the living room. She went to the kitchen to fix herself some breakfast. Much to Elyse's chagrin, Malina followed her. The housekeeper smiled warmly.

She didn't seem willing to drop the subject. "I am happy for you both, Dr. Romero. You will have a blessed union."

Elyse coughed as she reached for some bread to make toast. "Thanks."

The older woman paused as though she had something more to say. She coughed. "Dr. Romero?"

Elyse started buttering her bread. "Yes, Malina?"

"If I may..."

She put the bread in the toaster. "Go on."

"I do not wish to overstep..."

"Nothing you say will offend me," Elyse assured her even though her nerves were now on edge.

Malina confessed quietly, "I like you, Dr. Romero. I have observed you closely these past few months. You are a strong woman. Smart. Kind as well. A worthy match forSignor Vitale."

She didn't know quite how to respond to Malina's praise. "Um, thank you?"

The housekeeper continued, "I have worked for the Vitale family for decades now, and I had the privilege of watchingSignor Vitalegrow from a boy to a man. He has always been a free spirit, as good of a man as his circumstances will allow, but much has changed these past few years. It troubles me to seeSignor Vitalelose his shine."

Elyse didn't know where Malina was trying to steer this conversation when the older woman asked, "Did you know?Signor Vitalehad three older brothers."

Had?

"What… happened to them?"

"Dario was the eldest. He was in line to inherit the family business. The younger two, Giacomo and Nero, were not happyabout it. They schemed to have Dario—removed. Then, they killed each other in pursuit to becomecapo."

"So… Mr. Vitale is the last one standing?"

Grimacing, Malina confirmed her question with a nod. "From a young age,Signor Vitalewas clever enough to present himself as a non-threat. By shirking his duties. Playing the fool, so to speak. And purposely losing their father's favor in the process. It was the only way he managed to escape the carnage. His brothers would have turned on him, too, if he showed any interest in challenging them for their father's empire."

Elyse's heart dropped. "Oh,Dios…"

No wonder Alessandro was so adept at masking his emotions. He always seemed to know which carrots to dangle and the exact words to use around others. This killer instinct permitted him to turn every piece on the chessboard into his pawns. Elyse was still pissed at Alessandro for using his talents to entrap her, but she resented him a little less since, apparently, becoming a master manipulator had been paramount to his survival.

She glanced at the housekeeper. "Sounds like you have a soft spot for Mr. Vitale."

"If I seem protective of him, it is because Alessandro has always been the only Vitale who treats me with kindness and respect."

All of a sudden, it hit Elyse. This chat felt very much like a discussion that might occur between a bride-to-be and her future mother-in-law.Mierda.It was a bit uncomfortable. But she managed to paste a smile on her face. Elyse promised, "Don't worry, Malina, I'll treat Mr. Vitale with every ounce of kindness and respect that hedeserves."

Malina went on to advise, "Do not be so hard on him, Dr. Romero. The dutiesSignor Vitalehas been forced to carry would have broken a lesser man."

"What do you mean?"

The housekeeper gave a subdued pause before answering, "There was a time, many years ago, when Alessandro's father struggled with expanding thecosca'sinfluence to the upper rungs of European society. Millions of euros were at stake, but elites refused to do business with Vincenzo Vitale because they did not trust him. It was also around this time Vincenzo made the abrupt decision to send Alessandro away. To the UK."

"But why?"

"Because of the St. Francis School. Followed by Oxford. His father shoved him into the very institutions that have produced countless world leaders and corporate billionaires."

What a cold and calculated move, Elyse realized then, that Vincenzo had played on his own flesh and blood. Clearly, he wanted his son to rub elbows with sons of the very men who'd turned their backs on him. In order to, possibly, use Alessandro build a bridge with the new generation for his agenda.