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I can’t stay silent.
I grab my phone, my fingers shaking as I dial Mia. She picks up on the second ring.
“Aria? Are you okay? Girl, I saw your wedding shots all over the net. You couldn’t even let me know you were getting married!”
“I need to see you,” I cut her off. “I need you right now.”
“Of course. What’s going on?”
“Please, Mia. Just come to our usual place.” I hang up before she can ask any more questions.
***
Mia arrives in less than twenty minutes at the restaurant beside my office where we usually hang out, her face etched with concern.
“Aria, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”
“Mia,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “It’s Elio. I found something. Something about Mario.”
Her eyes widen. “What? What did you find?”
I take a deep, shuddering breath and explain everything that transpired this morning. Friedrich’s sudden errand, the DA’s office, the latest discovery about Mario’s death, and mysuspicions of Elio’s involvement. By the time I’m done, Mia looks as pale as I feel.
“Aria, this is… this is insane. Are you sure? Maybe you misread…”
“I didn’t misread anything!” My voice is a notch higher than I intended. My chest rises with air and quickly deflates again as I force myself to calm down, my hands gripping hers. “I saw his lawyer’s name as the person who requested for the case to be sealed. That means he’s a prime suspect. And I have a bad feeling about this. Elio, he’s…dangerous.”
Mia’s face is contorted into a mask of disbelief. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, Mia, I’m pregnant.” I break down as a heavy sob racks my shoulders. Why does my life have to pan out this way? Chasing the truth only to get to a point where I wish I didn’t.
“Fuck, Aria. This is…” she hesitates with a breath, “really serious.”
She rises to envelop me in her warm arms, rubbing a hand over my back until my breath calms.
“You can take your time and think about it until–” Mia starts, but I cut her off.
“No…there’s no thinking to do,” I whisper, taking in a deep breath. “All my life Mia, I’ve waited to bring Mario’s murdererto justice…and I’ll do just that. I have to tell Dad. I know he’d dig further and discover the truth. Whatever happens, it’s justice before love.”
Mia bites her lips and I see the wheels spin in her head until she nods. “You go back to work for now. We’ll see your dad as soon as possible.”
“I’m not at the house right now. We went away for this fancy honeymoon thing, but we’ll be leaving tomorrow…”
“We can wait till then,” Mia interjects, “Just hold on for one more day, Aria.”
With a single nod, I acknowledge her words and stand up. I can’t bring a child into this world and pretend everything is fine. I can’t live a lie. And I can’t let him hurt anyone else.
She stands up, too, squeezing my hand before hugging me. “I’m sorry,” she breathes.
A tear slips past my eyes as I hug her tighter. I’m sorry, too… for myself, for my unborn child… and for Elio. Whether I die trying or not, two things are certain: First, this child I’m carrying will never know their real father, and second, Elio and the entire Marino Empire will crumble to the ground if I confirm that he had a hand in Mario’s death.
Chapter twenty-nine
Elio
The trunk closes with a sharp thud.
Aria’s been edgy like this since she returned from work. She suddenly said she had lost her appetite, refusing to have even a bite of the sandwiches I had benevolently prepared for her. And then she wanted to go on a last walk, alone, to catch some fresh air.