20. Aria

Over the next several days, I feel happier than I"ve ever felt. This is the life I'd expected when I first ran away to be with Luca. When he"s with me, he"s fully present, showering me with affection, never demanding or giving me ultimatums.

But I like to think I"m a little wiser now. While life feels perfect, I understand that complications and messiness are part of it as well. I acknowledge that I"m in a honeymoon phase and that real life will likely bring occasional conflict.

But I"m feeling hopeful that my future is here with Luca. We haven"t talked about marriage again, but I don"t see that as a sign of doom like I might have a week ago. There is no hurry, and I believe that over time, if and when we get married, by then, Niko will have calmed down and he, along with the rest of my Family, will be able to attend.

I wake this morning with Luca sitting on the edge of the bed like he has the last several mornings.

"Did you sleep well?" His hand caresses my thigh.

"Yes."

"I have to go out today for work."

"Is everything alright?"

He smiles. "Fine. Sometimes, a king needs to survey his kingdom."

While I'm not aware of anything specific being wrong, I'm sure there are concerns with Sabini's death that need to be addressed. But since my return, Luca always has a gentle, kind composure around me.

"This came." He hands me an envelope.

"What is this?" I sit up in bed and open the back flap.

"There"s a baby shower for Lucia that they want to invite you to in New York."

My gaze immediately jerks up to his. "You read my mail?"

For a brief moment, there"s a pained expression in his eyes. He shakes his head. "She called me to let me know that it was coming. I believe she was concerned that I wouldn"t give it to you."

There"s a tension in his voice, but I'm not sure if it's because of my knee-jerk accusation or his concern about whether I'll want to go.

"I'm sorry I?—"

"I am late for my meeting, but we can talk about this when I get back."

My eyes narrow. I want to tell him that we don't need a discussion. I can go with or without his permission. But he leans over and gives me a kiss and is out the door before I can express my opinion.

With a sigh, I look at the invitation. I miss my friends, and I really want to celebrate this moment with them. But if I go, will Niko make it difficult to come back? It doesn't matter, I decide. I got to Italy once. I can do it again.

As I shower and dress, I run through my head all the things I want to say to Luca and reasons he should let me go to the baby shower. But then I realize I"m wasting a lot of energy without really knowing what Luca's thoughts are on the situation. So, I push it away and go down for breakfast, where Lia is already waiting for me.

During the morning, I speak Italian, or at least I try with Lia"s tutelage and support. Later in the day, we switch, and she speaks English with my support. At any time, if I need to talk to the staff, Lia translates anything I can't get across or understand. This arrangement has been working, and I feel like my Italian is growing stronger.

That afternoon, I head upstairs planning to send a group text to Niko, Elena, Lucy, and Kate about the shower. Group texts are the best way for me to communicate with Niko since the other ladies, or more specifically, Lucy, will keep his attitude in check when he responds to me. Afterward, I plan to take a nap.

I enter Luca"s bedroom, where I"ve moved back into since I decided to stay. I step in the room, and I stop short when I see my closet doors are open. It"s not a laundry day, so why would someone be in my closet?

"Scusa?"

I hear a bit of a scuffle and then an unknown woman steps out. I don't recall being told about new staff.

"Who are you?" I ask in Italian.

She lifts her chin, looking down her nose at me. Recognition slams into me. This is the woman in the photo Bianca showed me. Luca"s former mistress, Electra.

She presses her hand over her stomach, and I see a small swell. My gaze returns to her face. "What are you doing here?" I ask in English as my Italian seems to have vanished.

"You must be Luca"s new woman. Has he finally tossed you aside? I see you"re not married. But of course, he wouldn"t marry you. After all, he"s going to be a father."

All the blood drains from my brain, making me lightheaded. I scan the recesses of my mind thinking of anything Luca has said or done to make sense of this woman standing in his bedroom.

"Roberta. Lia. Come here quickly," I yell out the door, hoping they're close enough to hear me.

A moment later, Roberta hurries into the room, stopping short when she sees Electra. "Oh,mio Dio."

Lia follows her in, also skidding to a halt. "Oh, mama mia."

I look at the women. "How did she get in here?"

They glance at each other and then back at me with a shrug.

"We don"t know," Lia says.

Electra arches a brow. "You don"t think I can get into Luca"s home? The father of my child?"

Lia says something to her mother, which I suspect is a translation of what Electra has just said.

Roberta starts rattling off words in Italian faster than I can understand and hurries out of the room.

"My mama is going to get one of the men. They will escort her off the property."

Noting that Electra speaks English, I say, "You need to leave now or you'll be forcibly removed."

Electra"s nostrils flare in indignation. She starts speaking in Italian, and while I don"t know what she"s saying, I imagine it"s not complementary.

She strides to the exit. "Puttana," she spits as she passes me.

I'm shaken to the core. Lia puts an arm around me and guides me to the bed. My instinct is to pack and run.

I look up at Lia. "I can"t stay?—"

"She is not a good woman, Signorina Aria. Don Conte doesn"t like her. I promise you."

Roberta returns again, her speech too quick for me to comprehend. Lia responds, I suspect telling her that I want to leave.

Roberta looks at me with concern and says something to Lia.

"My mama says just like I told you. Don Conte doesn't like her."

I want to believe it, but is it that part of me that believes in fairytales? Is it wishful thinking?

Lia nods. "We will call Don Conte. He will tell you."

I shake my head because I can"t talk to him. I"m too easily swayed and seduced by him. At the same time, I recognize now, like I hadn"t before, that running away isn't the answer, either. Luca told me Electra is in his past, and I believe him. Finding her in my room could suggest that he lied to me, but to what end? Why keep me here if his plan is to be with Electra?

"I will talk to Luca when he gets home this evening. In the meantime, can you call Bianca and invite her over?" If anybody can tell me what is really going on, it will be her.

Twenty minutes later, I"m back in the sitting room as Bianca sweeps in. "Oh Dio, did she really come here?"

I work to be strong, but I"m not sure I hide the tremble in my lip. "She got into the house. Into his room. My room."

Bianca lets off a string of words in Italian that I suspect would make a sailor blush. "Where is Don Conte?"

"He's working. Somewhere outside of the villa."

She sits next to me on the couch and takes my hand in both of hers, her expression intent on me. "Don Conte does not love this woman. She was his plaything, but he"s been done with her for a long time."

I study her. "That picture that came out last week made it seem like it wasn"t over. You even said all your men have?—"

"Not Don Conte. I saw him when we were here the other day. The way he looks at you. Electra is nothing." She makes a spitting noise.

"She says she"s pregnant with his child." Is that even possible? He said they were over for a long time. What is a long time? Weeks? Months?

"It doesn"t matter. Electra is a crazy one. At one point, she thought Luca and his stepmother, Lucia—you know her, right?"

I nod. "Her sister is married to my brother."

"She thought Luca and Lucia were together. But it was crazy talk. She was devoted to Giuseppe, and he was to her, even if it wasn"t a traditional marriage. And of course, Luca was worried about Lucia when she went to New York."

"She is a fierce woman who can take care of herself."

"I"m sure that is true, but Luca is loyal to his father. He made a vow to him to look out for her." Bianca's brows grow together as if she"s considering something. "You know, she was a dancer for him, but the first time he came back from New York, he promoted her. Put her in charge of all the dancers. I bet he did that to compensate for ending things with her. And that"s when you met him, is that right? When he was in New York?"

I can see the tale that she"s trying to weave, and my heart desperately wants to believe it. Luca ended things with her after meeting me. Didn't he say something like that to me already?

"What if the baby is his?" I ask.

Bianca waves her hand like she"s flicking away a tiresome fly. "How do we even know she really is pregnant? She'd do anything to get Luca."

I think about walking into my room and finding her there combined with Bianca's comment about Electra doing anything to get Luca. How far is anything?

"Do you think I"m in danger from her?"

"Nobody would be dumb enough to take something from Don Conte." But Bianca's expression belies the certainty of her statement.

I know that Luca has enemies all around. I'd just spent a harrowing two days with one. But this enemy could be carrying his child and has the ability to get into the house unnoticed. How far will Electra go to get rid of me so she can have Luca?