Page 143 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘As do you,’ Dante pointed out, for usually their conversations were more specific. ‘He struggles with his new phone; though I tried to show him how it worked at Christmas.’

‘How was he then?’

‘Just Gio being Gio,’ Dante said. ‘A bit...’ He turned his mind back a couple of weeks. ‘A bit morose, maybe? He was talking about...’ He hesitated, loath to mention the date the brothers hated most. The one time in the year when they were forced together. ‘He wanted to start making plans for the ten-year memorial. I told him it was months away. He certainly wasn’t vague then.’

Dante’s frown deepened as his brother spoke again. ‘He was alone. Apparently the domestic staff are off for a couple of extra weeks.’

‘Mimi’s there, though?’ Dante checked, because even if most of the household staff were on leave Mimi, his grandfather’s housekeeper, would be there.

‘I’m not so sure,’ Sev said. ‘Dante, he was in his robe and still unshaven at midday.’

‘Gio?’ Dante shook his head. ‘Perhaps he was—’

‘I took a screenshot,’ Sev said.

‘Okay.’

Dante gave the one-word response as he looked at the photo. And Sev, even if they weren’t talking, knew his ways. He stayed silent and let Dante think...

His grandfather was a very formal man. Always up with the birds and immaculately dressed for his morning stroll along the walls. This shot of him unshaven and in a robe meant something was wrong.

Still silent, Dante glanced at Sev. For a brief second he felt his brother’s eyes on the scar that ran through his eyebrow. The scar Sev had put there. He watched as Sev hastily pulled his eyes back to meet his brother’s gaze.

Theyneverdiscussed that time.

‘Delete that photo,’ Sev warned. ‘I’ll do the same.’

‘I’ll go and see him,’ Dante told his brother. ‘I’ll just arrive unannounced.’

‘When?’

He knew he had a packed schedule, and a date tonight, yet he had to think hard to remember her name and none of it really mattered, Dante realised.

‘Now.’

‘It’s just a hunch,’ said Sev. ‘I’m not asking you to drop everything.’

‘It’s Gio,’ Dante responded.

‘Yes...’

‘Hopefully it’s nothing,’ Dante said. ‘I’ll let you know when I’ve seen him.’

‘Thanks.’

There were no goodbyes.

From either of them.

Sev rang off and Dante sat in silence, staring at the image of his grandfather, who seemed to have aged a decade in the past couple of weeks.

He cancelled his date.

Actually, he ended his association with her there and then.

Nothing mattered other than Gio.

He buzzed his PA.