Chapter 6
Luca did not ask immediately.
That surprised Alessandra.
He looked at Tobin.
Then away.
As though the question had suddenly become too dangerous to touch.
Vanessa laughed.
“Perfect.”
She looked around the room.
“Of course.”
Her eyes returned to Alessandra.
“You kept the final little surprise in your pocket.”
Alessandra ignored her.
Ethan did not.
He smiled.
“You hear that, Luca?”
“Maybe she was sleeping around before she left.”
Luca turned.
“Enough.”
Ethan raised his hands.
“What?”
“Somebody has to say it.”
Tobin frowned.
“Sleeping?”
Alessandra’s face hardened.
Luca’s voice became lethal.
“Ethan.”
Ethan only smirked.
“Fine.”
Then he looked directly at Alessandra.
“Which man?”
Alessandra’s eyes narrowed.
“Excuse me?”
“You want us to believe the impossible?”
He laughed.
“Name the father.”
Tobin clutched the paper lion tighter.
Alessandra looked down.
That ended her patience.
She stepped toward Ethan.
He stood straighter.
Still arrogant.
Still waiting for violence.
She gave him none.
“He’s not your business.”
Ethan smiled.
“That means you don’t know.”
Luca moved between them.
“No.”
Ethan’s brow lifted.
Luca looked at Alessandra.
“When did you learn you were pregnant?”
“Seventeen days after I left Chicago.”
His face changed.
“And you knew the timing?”
“Yes.”
A long silence.
Luca’s throat moved.
“Did you try to tell me?”
Alessandra looked at Vanessa.
Then Ethan.
Vanessa’s expression hardened.
Luca followed the look.
“What?”
Alessandra answered.
“I called your private number.”
Vanessa froze.
“Three times.”
Luca stared.
“I never got those calls.”
“I know.”
Vanessa looked away.
That was enough.
Luca’s voice dropped.
“You answered?”
Vanessa exhaled.
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
The word came with irritation, not shame.
Luca stared.
“What did you tell her?”
Vanessa’s chin lifted.
“That you didn’t want to speak to her.”
Alessandra’s eyes did not leave hers.
“And?”
Vanessa smiled.
“You really want the exact words?”
Luca’s face hardened.
“Yes.”
She looked toward Alessandra.
Then deliberately toward Tobin.
“I told her you said if she suddenly showed up pregnant, she should save herself the embarrassment.”
Silence.
Tobin looked up.
Alessandra’s hand moved immediately to his shoulder.
Vanessa continued.
“I told her you would assume she found another man fast enough to make herself feel like a woman again.”
Luca went pale.
Alessandra’s capos shifted.
Vanessa saw them.
“Sit down.”
Nobody did.
Her mouth tightened.
Luca stared at her.
“You told her that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you were done.”
“You didn’t know that.”
“I knew enough.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“You spent weeks calling Alessandra defective behind closed doors.”
Luca froze.
Alessandra looked at him.
There.
Another wound.
“You did?”
His face changed.
“Alessandra—”
“No.”
Her voice stayed calm.
“Did you?”
He looked away.
That was the answer.
Vanessa smiled cruelly.
“See?”
She looked at Alessandra.
“I didn’t invent him.”
“I just stopped protecting you from hearing him.”
Alessandra’s face remained still.
But Tobin tugged her sleeve.
“Mom?”
She looked down.
“Can I give him the lion now?”
The room went quiet.
Luca’s eyes filled with something he tried to hide.
Alessandra crouched.
“Why?”
Tobin whispered:
“Because he looks sadder.”
That broke the tension in a different way.
Luca looked away.
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
“Jesus Christ.”
Alessandra stood.
Luca asked:
“Did you try again?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“In person.”
Ethan’s face changed.
Luca turned toward him.
Alessandra continued.
“I came to Chicago.”
“When?”
“Three weeks later.”
Luca stared.
“I never saw you.”
“No.”
Her gaze moved to Ethan.
“Because he met me at the garage.”
Ethan smiled.
No fear.
Only contempt.
Luca’s eyes hardened.
“What did you do?”
Ethan adjusted his cuff.
“Exactly what you asked.”
Silence.
Luca stared.
“I never asked you to stop her.”
Ethan’s smile widened.
“No?”
Then he leaned closer.
“You might want to remember what you said the night she left.”
Luca went still.
May you like
Ethan had not invented the authority he used.
Somewhere in Luca’s own words was the permission that kept Alessandra away.
