Page 84 of Pietro

"I don't expect you to believe anything," she fires back. "But it's the truth. I was trying to start over, not spy for the father who abandoned me."

Her words hang in the air between us. I search her face for lies, for the slightest hint of deception. But all I see is the same fierce honesty that drew me to her from the beginning. Unless this is the face of the liar Nora.

"If I wanted to help my father, why would I have slept with you?" she asks, her voice dropping. "Why would I have let myself—" She stops, shaking her head. "I was running from my past, not working for it."

Lorenzo steps forward. "What about tonight? How did Connor find you at that motel?"

"I have no idea," Nora says. "I called Finn when I escaped the office. He sent someone to pick me up and brought me to the motel. I didn't call Connor. I haven't spoken to him since the night Declan tried to kill me."

The warehouse falls silent as we all process her words.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

NORA

Isit in the metal folding chair, my hands gripping the edges. The warehouse feels like it's closing in on me. Concrete walls, steel beams, and three Sartori brothers deciding my fate.

Nico hasn't stopped glaring at me since I finished speaking. His eyes burn with hatred so intense I can almost feel it scorching my skin. He was suspicious from the very beginning, watching me like a hawk while everyone else accepted my presence. Now he looks vindicated, like he's just waiting for permission to put a bullet in my head.

"This is all very convenient," he says, voice dripping with venom. "A perfect little story to explain everything away."

I don't respond. What's the point? He's already decided I'm guilty.

Lorenzo stands with his arms crossed, his expression thoughtful rather than murderous. Thank God he's here. Without his calming presence, I'm not sure I'd still be breathing.

"We should wait for Finn's call before jumping to conclusions," Lorenzo says, placing a hand on Nico's shoulder. "There are too many missing pieces."

Nico shrugs him off. "She's Connor O'Sullivan's daughter. That's the only piece that matters."

My eyes drift to Pietro, but he refuses to look at me. He stands with his back partially turned, staring at the wall like it holds all the answers he's seeking.

The silence stretches between us, heavy and suffocating. I count the seconds in my head, trying to keep my breathing steady. One minute. Two minutes. Five.

When Pietro's phone finally rings, I nearly jump out of my skin. He pulls it from his pocket, glances at the screen, and puts it on speaker.

"You're on speaker, Finn," Pietro says, his voice cold. "My brothers are here. And your niece."

"Good," Finn's voice crackles through the speaker. "I'm glad you're all together. There's a lot to explain."

"Then start explaining," Pietro demands.

"I will," Finn says. "But first, Nora, I need you to know something. Your mother loved you very much."

I blink, confusion washing over me. "What does my mother have to do with any of this? She's been dead for fifteen years."

"Siobhan was trying to get you both out," Finn continues. "She didn't want that life for you. She was working with?—"

"Stop," I interrupt, my patience snapping like a dry twig. "I don't need some emotional story about my mother's intentions. I need facts, Uncle Finn. I'm sitting in a warehouse with three men who might kill me any minute now, so cut the sentimental bullshit and tell us what's going on."

My voice echoes in the cavernous space. Lorenzo raises an eyebrow, looking almost impressed by my outburst. Nico's glareintensifies. Pietro finally turns to look at me, his expression unreadable.

"You're right," Finn sighs. "Facts first."

I grip the edge of the chair as Finn's voice fills the warehouse.

"Nora, there's something you need to know about your parents," Finn says, his voice heavy with what sounds like years of guilt. "Twenty-six years ago, Connor was supposed to marry Siobhan. It was arranged. Α union between families."

I'd always known my parents' marriage was strategic.