Chapter 16

Antonia flopped down into the chair opposite me in the library. "So I let Alessio fuck me in the ass last night."

My cello bow rattled as I dropped it and it fell against the base of my cello before hitting the floor. Bending over to pick it up, I frowned at her before checking to see there was no one in the doorway. "What the hell, Toni! You shouldn't say things like that."

She let out a dramatic sigh as she pulled the gum in her mouth past her lips in a long strand before sucking it back in. "God, Ella, don't be such a whiny nerd. All the girls do anal nowadays. It's what men expect. You'd know that if you weren't such a prissy little virgin."

My cheeks warmed. For the first time since it happened, I didn't regret what Id done with Matteo on his boat. I had to bite my tongue from firing back at my sister with, oh yeah? Would a prissy nerd allow herself to be whipped with a riding crop as part of a sex game?' But I didn't.

I adjusted my bow and continued to practice my cello. I had a class next week, and I wanted to be prepared. Father thought a university education was a waste for females. His exact words had been you don't need to go to school to learn how to spread your legs and cook pasta.

Thankfully, I convinced him that advanced music lessons counted as a legitimate feminine pursuit and playing an instrument would be a desirable skill in a wife who would be expected to entertain her husband's guests. It was a disgusting throwback argument, but it got me what I wanted.

After a few bars, Toni interrupted me again. "Why are you in here with that thing and not in the gazebo, like usual?"

Leave it to my sister to finally notice something outside of her own selfish sphere when I least wanted her to. I continued to play and kept my gaze averted. "It was cold and damp in there. It's not good for my cello."

It had nothing to do with the fact that Matteo, her fiancé, passionately kissed me in that same gazebo not all that many hours ago.

"What is that song you're playing? It sounds familiar. Not like that posh crap you usually play."

My bow hand paused. I hadn't even realized it. I should have been practicing Cello Suite No. 1 in D Major by Bach as a warmup.

Instead, I had absentmindedly been playing Someone to Watch Over Me while my mind drifted to thoughts of Matteo and last night.

I adjusted my grip on the fingerboard and fiddled with the position of my fingers over the strings. "Nothing. Just an exercise. Did Alessio agree to marry you, so you don't have to marry Matteo?"

There was a strange pressure in my chest at just the thought of her marrying Matteo. Before, I was against it because my father was being boorish and unfair.

Now?

I gave myself a mental shake. There was no point in dwelling on how my reasons may have changed. The point was, our endgame remained the same.

She laughed as she adjusted the chain on the necklace she was wearing. "Why on earth would Alessio marry me?"

My mouth dropped open. "He refused? I thought he was your boyfriend, and you were in love. Doesn't he understand he could lose you to another man if he doesn't?"

"My boyfriend? He wishes. Alessio isn't my boyfriend."

I closed my eyes and tried for calm. "Don't tell me… he's just another guy you fool around with."

She smiled. "Exactly."

"Have you at least talked to your boyfriend about it?"

She looked at her nails. "Not yet. He's been?—"

"Don't tell me. Busy?"

Antonia wrinkled her nose. "Something like that."

"Toni, you need to talk to him before?—"

My father's bellow interrupted us. "Antonia! Get in here."

With a groan, she rose from her chair. "Coming, Father."

I kissed your fiancé!

I wondered if calling it out only in my head counted?

Not that I was worried about telling her, not exactly.

I knew my sister really well.

Toni would honestly not give a damn that I kissed Matteo. Unfortunately, that didn't mean she wouldn't relentlessly tease me about it and, worse, dangle it over my head like a ghoulish cat toy whenever she wanted something from me.

It was bad enough I was always bailing her out of one mess or another against my better judgment. The last thing I needed was to give her more firepower against me.

As I prepared to play again, there was a tap at the window.

I turned to see Fino's head just peeking up over the sill.

My eyes widened as I turned my head to check the doorway so quickly, I got a crick in my neck. Racing over to the door, I closed it before running to the window. After checking the room again, just in case some phantom person suddenly appeared in the tiny library, I threw up the sash.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I needed to speak to you, urgently," he said.

"Here? Now? If we get caught?—"

I stopped mid-sentence. If it was urgent, that could mean he was about to arrest my father. Judge Marzio Delluci must have finally looked over all the evidence I had been secretly collecting and finally approved a prosecution. My heart hammered in my chest.

Although there was no direct evidence my father murdered my mother, at least this could open the door for a new investigation. This time by police officers who weren't in my father's pocket.

I leaned closer to the open window and tried to keep my voice low despite my growing excitement. "You have no idea how relieved I am, Fino! This is amazing. You are cutting it very close but better late than never. Trust me, I'm not complaining! I'm just so happy my father is finally going to see justice. This is the best news you could have given me!" I rambled.

He frowned. "We're not arresting your father."

I returned his frown. "You're not? Then why are you here?"

"The Cavalieris."

My heart sank. "What about them?"

"I got approval from Judge Delluci to open a covert investigation. Strictly off the books. You need to collect any evidence you can of their organized crime ties and any crimes you might uncover while you are at Cavalieri Winery."

I whispered harshly, "I already told you I wouldn't do that."

He shrugged as he lit a cigarette with a wooden match. "Do it or any hope of an investigation into your mother's disappearance and your father's business goes poof." With that, he blew out the match.

"You would seriously ignore all that evidence about the murders he orchestrated and the high-ranking officials he's bribed and the construction contracts he's manipulated?"

He took a drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke in my face. "Poof."

"Vaffanculo," I spat out.

He shrugged and pointed at me with his cigarette hand. "Any other murders your father commits will be on your conscience, not mine."

"Va eccati!" I flipped the backs of my fingers under my chin. "Go throw yourself in the sea."

"Your choice."

I placed my hands on my hips. "What if the marriage doesn't go through? What then?"

He stamped out his cigarette. "I guess you better make sure it does."

"Fino, you can't?—"

"Ella! Ella!"

With my sister screaming for me, I slammed the window shut and turned just as she threw open the library door. "Help me!"

I ran over to her. "What's happened?"

"He's here! He's fucking here now! Maria just let him into Father's office."

"Who?"

"Matteo Cavalieri."

I shook my head. "So? He was here last night."

She paced away from me and turned. "This time he brought a freaking doctor with him."

"A doctor? Why?"

She crossed her arms over her middle. "Father says I need to take a blood test. Do you believe that?"

Yes.

"No!"

"I know! He says Matteo is taking one to prove he's"—she raised her arms to do air quotes—"safe, and now I have to, as well."

A very reasonable and smart request given her known reputation.

"What a jerk! How dare he!"

Warming up to the subject, she leaned forward. "It gets worse! He told Father it was to prove I wasn't pregnant with another man's baby before the wedding."

Again, super smart.

I gasped. "How insulting!"

She rushed over and grabbed my shoulders. "I need you to take the test for me."

I twisted my shoulders to break her grasp and backed up, placing a chair between us. "Me? Why?"

She paced away and turned back to me again, throwing her arms up in the air. "Don't be such a stupid prude, Ella."

My gaze narrowed. "Toni, why do you need me to take the test?"

While I often wished her actions would have consequences, I never wanted any serious harm to come to my sister. Oh, God! What if she was sick?

She crossed her arms again. "It's not that!"

"I didn't say anything."

She smirked. "But you were thinking it."

Fair enough.

"So if it's not that, then what is it?"

She huffed and turned to play with the spine of a book on a nearby shelf.

I tapped my foot. "I will not help you if you don't tell me."

"Fine!" She murmured the next below her breath so I couldn't hear her. "Im pregnant."

I tilted my head so my ear was facing her, certain I hadn't heard her correctly. "You're what?"

She tossed her arms up in the air again and shouted. "Pregnant! Okay, is your stick up the ass nerdy little soul happy now? I'm pregnant."

I ran over to her and covered her mouth with my palm. "Not so loud! They'll hear."

It was pointless to ask her who was the baby's father. She refused to tell me the name of her boyfriend and there was a decent chance it wasn't even his.

Focu ‘ranni. What a freaking mess.

Her eyes widened as she mumbled something unintelligible against my hand.

I pulled my hand away.

"Does that mean you're going to help me?"

Fuck no.

"Yes."

What choice did I have? She was still my sister. Our father could literally murder her if he found out she disgraced the family by getting pregnant out of wedlock. Not to mention the embarrassment he would suffer after having to call off his daughter's wedding to the powerful Cavalieri family. There would be gossip as to why.

Plus, that asshole Fino implied he wouldn't continue to pursue my mother's murder if the wedding was called off.

Antonia hugged me. "You're my favorite sister! You are the best! I love you to death for this. I'll totally owe you one!"

"I'm your only sister," I grumbled as she dragged me out of the library and upstairs to her bedroom.

She turned her back on me and gestured over her shoulder. "Hurry up. We have to switch clothes. They're waiting."

I lowered the zipper to her dress. "Do you always have to wear such tight, short dresses?"

As she shimmied out of her dress and left me to get out of my own, she fired back. "God, you're such a fucking prude, Ella. Hurry up so I can put some makeup on you and tease your hair. They'll never believe you are me if you walk in looking like a pale nun."

So much for her showing me love and gratitude.