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"I'm fine. It's fine. I just feel guilty talking shit about him when he's been through so much."

"I mean, I know you love your dad, and I love him, too, in my own way. And I understand he was heartbroken when your mom passed—she was the love of his life. But honestly, he could have been a better dad for you. He shouldn’t have left you to do business deals in fucking Italy for most months of the year. Let's be real, he's not been a great dad to you."

"Do you think he blames me for my mom dying?"

"No, why would he? It's not your fault."

"I mean, that doesn't mean he doesn't blame me. Maybe in some sick way, he feels like?—"

"Don’t even go there, Elisabetta. I will go to the airport right now and fly to Trinidad and wherever and find you and make you see reason."

"I love you, Romeo."

"And I love you, too. You know I'm serious here. Whatever you need, I'll be here for you. I'll take care of you."

"I know. Thank you. And the same goes for me, right? You know that, right?"

"I do," he says. "So what you gonna do about this hunk of a man who wants to marry you? You're just gonna give him the silent treatment for the rest of your life?"

"No, I mean, I just?—"

"Speak to him," he says softly. "See if you can come to an understanding. See if you can have fun with it. Shit, get him hard as hell and have him beg you to make it real."

"He doesn't care about me like that."

"Honey, there's a reason he asked you to marry him, and I'm not sure you really know why yet."

Chapter Twenty-Four

Liam

I wake up at five o'clock in the morning, and I'm still incredibly tired. I feel sad that Elisabetta has been giving me the silent treatment, but I understand why. I heard her whispering on the phone half the night, and I’m not sure who she was talking to. I don’t know if she was calling her dad to try to get him to change his mind or stop the wedding. For some reason, that irritates me.

I grab my phone and call Lucinda.

"Good morning, sir. How can I help you?"

"I just wanna know if there's been any updates from Franco."

"I mean, other than the signed contract, no," she says. "Everything's a go as far as I know. Why?"

"Elisabetta knows."

"Elisabetta?" She sounds confused. "Oh, the daughter, Elisabetta Franco."

"Yes, the daughter."

"She knows what? The truth about her father?"

"That I'm gonna marry her."

"Oh. How does she know that? Did her dad tell her?"

"I told her."

"But why would you do that, sir?"

"I… I just needed to tell her. There was something she said that made me feel especially guilty, and I didn't feel comfortable."