Page 110 of Burning Caine

But then my eyes caught something behind her.

Vibrant blue background.

“Oh!” she said, following my gaze.

Vase of red and yellow flowers on the right side.

“My Dom bought it for me a few months ago.”

Two floating heads in the top left.

“He’d been trying to buy it for over a year.”

Table, bowl of fruit, violin.

“It’s by—”

“Chagall,” I whispered, and my legs gave out. She steadied me as I lowered to the round couch in the middle of the room.

“Yes.” She sat next to me, concerned.

In my mind, I was ten years old again, looking at it for the first time. Thirty and staring at photographs of it with Antonio. But my reality? Standing in front of it with his mother.

“Are you alright?”

My heart had stopped, and I couldn’t fill my lungs. “No, I don’t feel well. Could you get Antonio for me, please?” My fingers were already numb.

“Yes, sweetheart, you sit here for a minute. I’ll be right back.” She patted my hand and headed out of the room at a clip.

All originals, she’d said. They’d bought it a few months ago. The first day in the studio with Antonio, he’d paused and rushed out to Sofia when I told him the name of the burned painting I’d brought to him. He’d known all along.

Well, at least one mystery was solved—I knew where the real Chagall was.

I got out my phone and made a quick call.

A couple of minutes later, two sets of footsteps approached, and I heard her voice first. “I thought you would be happy. We were bonding over the art.”

Then his worried voice. “Mamma, family only, you know that!”

He came into the room and immediately knelt in front of me, grabbing my hands folded in my lap.

“Is she pregnant?” whispered Valentina.

“Mamma, no, please.” The worry was thick in his voice, and he waved her away.

As soon as her footsteps faded, I pulled my hands away from his. He touched my knees, and I bristled, clenching my fists against my need to hit him. “Don’t touch me.”

“Bella, please, let me—”

“Explain? Is that what you were going to say?” I tried to stay steady, knowing my voice was shaking. My whole body was shaking. “It’s been a lie, this whole time. From the second I told you the name of that painting, you knew the truth! And you’ve been playing me for a fool this whole time!”

“No, please, let me—”

“I want to go home.”

“Please, bella—”

“I already called Nathan. He’s picking me up in town. I don’t want to embarrass you on your big night, so make whatever excuses you need.”