Page 27 of Sinfully Loved

"It makes me wonder why he offered to sacrifice himself in the first place."

Fiero looked at me seriously. "You'd better ask him that. But I can tell you that he doesn't mean any harm, nor does he have any strange intentions. It was primarily meant to offer you some security after your father took it from you and keep him from harming Emilio."

No one had explained it to me before. I had put it together from the individual pieces of the puzzle that I had found, but hearing it out loud was a little different.

So my father not only demanded things but, in a sense, forced him to do them. He used me as a pawn in this chess game – I could be sacrificed without giving it a second thought.

Perhaps he did not realize it, but he had automatically made me queen by selling me to the black king. I just had to find a way to lure said king out of hiding.

Perhaps I could become friends with Vincenzo in the same way I had made friends with Emilio? This would benefit both of us and, in the end, ensure that my father had no chance.

At least in theory. In practice, I didn't know a damn thing about chess and couldn't even defend myself properly against a kidnapping.

"It would probably have been easier if we had already been acquainted over the last few years."

"Emilio was always careful to protect your identity. Only he, Carlotta, and Dario really knew about you. They kept Natale and me in the dark as well. But it's really nice to chat with the clever mind behind it all."

Amused, I laughed. "The smart one is and remains Emilio. I'm just helping him do his job."

"You tracked down Gia, and in a way, you saved Flavia, too."

Only, I had not been able to save myself when it came down to it. If I had tried to escape, I wouldn't be sitting here today. Only the question remained whether I would be free somewhere or at the bottom of the sea because my father had finally had enough of my shenanigans.

"Vincenzo, by the way, said you're not much of a talker."

Fiero tilted his head with a grin. "I adapt to my audience. Enzo is very secretive, so I am too when I spend time with him."

"Do you see each other often?"

"As needed."

Whatever that was supposed to mean.

"And do you feel like doing anything exciting with me?"

"As long as it's here in the house." He looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"We can do it however you prefer."

9

Vincenzo

With my arms folded, I leaned against the rose trellis and waited for Emilio to finally join me. I didn't feel like festering in his office, where his greeting had disturbed my quite good mood.

The simple question of how it felt to be married again had caused a short-circuit reaction inside me, and now I couldn't wait to get back to Tramonti and put as much distance as possible between Emilio, this villa, and me.

Sometimes my brother was like a bull in a china shop. This house was full of memories of Rina. Every inch was paved with them; after all, we had lived here for many years as a large family. Rina and I, Emilio, Dario, my sister and at times even Fiero and Natale. The villa was always full of life, like a large shared apartment.

Some days I wanted to believe that her spirit lived on within these walls and that she saw everything happening with us and shook her head at us more than once. However, it made me uncomfortable to imagine that she was also aware of the latest developments.

Rina had been the woman I had wanted by my side for the rest of my life. She was dead. I was alive. And even though it was only marriage on paper, it felt strange, like a betrayal.

Rina had never been the jealous type, and surely it would disgust her that I had been tormenting myself since her death. Unfortunately, nothing changed the fact that it was anything but easy to come to terms with a loss of this kind.

Emilio appeared at the other end of the garden and strolled in my direction, his hands buried in his pockets. Lately, he didn't seem quite so stressed, and I suspected that it had something to do with our last real problem being several months ago.

I scowled and wondered if there was anything I had to say to him. Apart from mauling him for his previous comment, I could not think of anything.