I heard the shuffling of feet, the waft of Aida’s rose scent, and then she was sitting next to me. I gritted my teeth, trying to tell myself to act in a certain way, but it was hard when all my head was focused on was a stranger sitting at the table. I didn’t know her—I didn’t want to know her.
“What would you like for breakfast, Mrs. Beretta?” the housekeeper, Mrs. Larson, asked, her gaze downcast. She’d been working here for twenty years, and I could count on one hand the number of times she’d actually looked any of us in the eyes.
“Erm…” My nostrils flared at the sound of Aida’s voice. “I don’t usually eat breakfast.”
“It’s the most important meal of the day,” Sofia supplied, her tone mocking. I stared at her, willing her with my eyes to look my way, but she was too focused on Aida. “Right, Ma?”
“Oh. Well.” Aida cleared her throat. “We don’t usually sit and eat breakfast together as a family. It’s more of a grab-and-go type situation.”
“You don’t eat together?” Sofia asked, bringing a spoonful of oatmeal to her lips. “That’s…weird.” Her eyes widened. “I don’t mean it’s bad. Just…something we don’t do. I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be silly.” Aida laughed. “I get it.” My gaze drifted to her, but my head stayed in exactly the same position. “We’re all just so busy at home.” Her eyes lit up and her lips lifted into a smile I hadn’t seen on her face before. “Dad is normally out on deliveries, and Ma is working in the shop. Noemi is at her second job, which just leaves Vida and me.”
“Vida?” Ma asked, engrossed in what Aida was saying. Part of me wished she’d sat down silently like I’d wanted her to do, but the other part of me was intrigued.
“She’s my niece.” Aida leaned forward, her hands planted on the solid oak table. “She was here yesterday.”
“Oh! Yes.” Ma laughed. “I remember her. Such a little beauty.”
“She is.” Aida sighed. “So yeah, it’s normally just us two. I help Noemi out by taking her to school some mornings if she’s not back from her job in time. If I’m not doing that, then I’m heading to college.”
“College?” Ma asked. “I didn’t realize you were in college.”
“Yeah. I’m in my second year. I’m there on scholarship.”
“That’s amazing,” Sofia said, her tone wistful. “I always wanted to go to college, but school just wasn’t my strength.”
“It’s not for everyone,” Aida said, winning over Sofia in a single sentence. “I’m sure you have other awesome talents.”
“I do.” Sofia leaned forward, fully into the conversation now. “I love to draw. And paint. Anything artsy. I have part of my bedroom converted into an art studio upstairs. Maybe you can come and—”
I pushed my chair back and stared at my half-finished breakfast sitting on the table. “I have a meeting.” All conversation stopped at my words, but I didn’t look at any of them. I needed to get out of here. I needed to get away. I needed to not be reminded of what I’d done yesterday—what I’d committed to.
“I’ll see you later, Ma.” I spun on my heels, not acknowledging anyone else, and headed straight for my office.
I hadn’t been in there since it was officially mine. For weeks I’d waited to make it my own, haunted by the memories inside the four walls. But now, I was able to do whatever I wanted to it, and I had the perfect person in mind who could help.
Grinning, I pulled my cell out and shot off an email to Veev. She’d not only get the job done, but she’d be able to distract me from everything else.
The perfect combination.
AIDA
“You don’t understand,” I groaned. “It’s like I’m constantly walking on eggshells.”
Noemi laughed as she rang up another customer, clicking the numbers on the screen with her fake nails. “I don’t understand?” She raised her brow and turned her head so she could make eye contact with me. “You’re right, Aida. I don’t understand. I don’t understand what it’s like to live in a freaking mansion.”
She turned back to the customer. “Fifteen dollars and fifty-eight cents.” The guy placed a twenty in her palm, and I watched as my sister grabbed his change from the drawer and handed it to him.
“It’s not about the mansion,” I snapped as soon as the bell over the door rang, signaling there was no one in the store but Noemi and me. “It’s been four days, and he hasn’t said a single word to me.”
“He’s adjusting.”
“Or maybe he’s just an asshole.” I ground my teeth together and sloped forward. “Why did I agree to this?”
“Because you wanted to live in a fancy mansion?” Noemi asked, laughing so loud it ricocheted off the walls. “Listen”—she put her hand on my shoulder—“it’s been four days, give it some time.” She shrugged. “Get to know each other. Find out what he likes and what he doesn’t like. Cook him dinner. Just get to know him.”
I let out a breath, knowing she was right. Lorenzo and I didn’t know each other, not really. “Fine.” I stood and glanced around the store. “I suppose I could take the ingredients to make Ma’s spaghetti.”
Noemi moaned and rubbed her stomach. “Yes. There’s no way he’d turn down spaghetti.” She wagged her finger in my face. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
I laughed at her words, but I agreed with her. We needed to get to know each other. We needed to not be strangers living in the same home. So instead of sitting here for another two hours moaning about how much Lorenzo was ignoring me, I decided to do something about it. It wasn’t as if he was going to come to me, so that meant I had to go to him.
It was already nearing five, and I knew the housekeeper would have dinner ready for seven, so if I got a taxi back to the mansion, I could make it there in time to cook.
I gathered everything I needed, told Noemi to put it on Lorenzo’s tab, and hightailed it out of there. Luck was on my side because as soon as I held my hand out for a taxi, one pulled over. It was almost as if destiny was trying to work her magic because not one red light stopped us from the store to the mansion.
“Thanks!” I handed the taxi driver some cash and pushed out of the back, then headed toward the gates. I’d already managed to forget the code to get inside, so I pressed the buzzer, waiting for someone to answer, but after a couple of minutes of silence, I started to get antsy.
Standing outside the Beretta family mansion on my own was asking for someone to put a target on my back. I’d been warned by Lorenzo’s ma to always watch my back and to be aware of everything going on around me, so the more I waited out here, the more on edge I became.
“Trying to get in?” a deep, gravelly voice asked.
I squealed, my heart jumping into my throat. “Fuck.” I slammed my hand onto my chest, my eyes widening as a tall man sauntered toward me, but the closer he got, the more I recognized him as Dante, Lorenzo’s brother. Thank God for that.