She shoves me out of her way and stands up. I don’t know if she’s still in the room or not. All I can do is stare at Dad.
Eventually, more people come, and then the police show up. Someone lifts me from the floor and cradles my face against his chest. At first, I think it’s Alistair, but the scent isn’t his. Max is the one holding me. He steers me out of Dad’s office and back to my room. Then he forces something strong down my throat, making me gag. I cough as the potent liquid turns my veins into fire.
“Chibi, please talk to me.”
“I-I was just outside his office when it happened. If I had come home a few minutes earlier, he’d still be alive.”
“No, you can’t think like that.”
I stare at my cousin through blurred vision. “How can I not say that, Max? It’s the truth.”
A knock on the door interrupts what Max was about to say.
“Who is it?” he asks.
“The police would like to take Chiara’s statement,” Uncle Joe says.
Max turns to me. “Are you okay to do this now?”
I nod, and Max lets my uncle and the officer come in. He doesn’t leave my side, and for that I’m grateful. The officer is kind, and I try to answer his questions to the best of my ability without losing my mind. I think after the initial reaction, I became numb.
The interview doesn’t last long, maybe ten minutes, tops. Max walks out of the room with them to get me some tea, and Mom comes in a second later. Her usually perfect hair is disheveled, and without makeup on, she looks much older. Her eyes are red, but even in this tragic moment, she still finds time to stare at me with loathing.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“Are you happy now?”
I don’t speak for a couple of seconds. “Happy that my father, the only parent who ever loved me, is dead? How dare you ask me that?”
“What did you say to him earlier? I bet you made him feel so guilty that he decided to put a bullet through his head.”
“You’re mad.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “No, I’m not mad. It doesn’t surprise me, considering you’re the devil’s spawn.”
“If you’re referring to yourself, then you’re right,” I seethe.
“Me? You think I’m the devil? I’m talking about your father.”
I stand up with my hands balled into fists at my sides. “How dare you speak ill of him? He’s not even cold yet.”
A deranged glint takes over my mother’s eyes. “Oh, you stupid girl. Your father is very much alive, rotting in jail where he belongs. You wanted to know why I hate you so much? So here it is. Antonio Pesaro, the bastard who spawned your beloved cousin, is your real father.”
Sudden vertigo hits me. I drop to the floor like a sack of potatoes when my legs can no longer hold my weight.
“No, you’re lying.”
“I wish I was. That scum raped me the night I met your father. When I found out I was pregnant, I let Giovanni believe the baby was his. He proposed on the same day. I knew he wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for my pregnancy. That’s why I kept you, but there hasn’t been a day since that seeing your face doesn’t remind me of the worst day of my life.”
Tears stream freely down my face. “So that’s your revenge? To tell me Dad wasn’t my real father on the evening he dies?”
“Yes,” she stares at me coldly.
Suddenly, I snap. I get up and push my mother against the wall. “I never asked to be born. All I ever wanted was for you to love me!”
Ofelia Moretti stares at me with dead eyes, as if I’m nothing but an insect. Ugly sobs rack my body. I can’t stay under the same roof as her for another second. I run out of the room, veering toward the front door. I grab the first set of car keys I see on the foyer table and disappear down the stairs. Once out on the street, I press on the fob like a maniac until I hear the sound of a car beeping.
I have Max’s car keys. Jumping inside the vehicle, I bring the engine to life and peel away from the curb with a loud screech with no destination in mind. I just have to get the hell out of this city.
ALISTAIR
I’m in Enzo’s office, listening with rapt attention as he gives me the latest report about Nadine. She’s finally agreed to give me the divorce and accepted the settlement. She’s not getting a penny from the vineyard. I’ve already signed the divorce papers, and now we’ll just have to wait for her to do the same.
“Also, I spoke with Tessa about Chiara’s expulsion,” Enzo continues. “She convinced the other parents on the board that expelling her is an extreme and unnecessary measure.”
The pressure in my chest eases as relief washes over me. “Thank God. Chiara would have been devastated if she couldn’t return to DuBose.”
I glance at my phone when I feel it vibrate in my hand. It’s Max’s number. I’m worried in an instant. He wouldn’t be calling me if it wasn’t an emergency.
“What happened to Chiara? Is she okay?” I ask without preamble.
“Cazzo, no. Her father committed suicide a few hours ago, and now she’s gone missing.”
I jump out of my chair, body tense like a coiled spring ready to launch. “What do you mean?”
“She had a fight with her mother and bailed. Took my car. I don’t know where she went.”
