Page 44 of Secret Baby for the Mafia Don

“Gabriella!” Elena chastises. “You don’t really believe that, do you?” Her eyes narrow. “Did the FBI contact you? Is that why you’re asking about him?”

Damn it, I’m still saying too much. “I just wonder about Marco’s attention toward my father lately. He seems overly involved.”

Elena bites her lip. “Well, there are concerns about your father. Dominic mentioned your father seems more forgetful lately. He says your father struggled to remember something at the monthly financial review and couldn’t remember approving a shipment through Naples.” She lowers her voice.

My stomach tightens.

“My father has expressed concern about your father as well. But they don’t talk about it at La Corona meetings out of respect,” Isabella shares.

“Maybe Marco sees it too and is helping him. They’re close,” Elena says reassuringly.

Isabella nods. "Roman has mentioned wishing Luca would return as he’s worried about your father as well."

Elena's face darkens immediately. "Luca." She practically spits the name. "He has no interest in family responsibility. He's perfectly content playing prince in Italy while others handle the hard work."

The vehemence in her voice startles me.

There's clearly history there I'm not privy to.

"You know what's ridiculous?" Elena continues. "You're just as smart and capable as he is. More so, even. If the old men weren't so stuck in their patriarchal ways, you'd be the obvious choice to take over."

It’s a sentiment I’ve held many times.

But as I learned yesterday, my actions to help my father have made him look weak, whereas no one would think twice about Luca doing them.

"She's right." Isabella nods. "Roman says you're the only one who caught a discrepancy in the Vancouver contract last week."

I sit back, something shifting inside me.

While I've been focused on Marco as a threat to my father, I may have missed the bigger picture.

More people suspect my father is failing than I realized.

It means more possible suspects in trying to take advantage of that, especially if Marco really is looking out for my father.

There really could be a wider conspiracy against La Corona.

And I'm wasting time fighting the one person who might actually be helping.

It speaks to why I need to stay and not be shipped or married off.

“You asked about the FBI. He hasn’t reached out to you, has he?” Isabella asks. “Because I’m not sure they can be trusted. When I was being fed misinformation about Marco's family, I was socertain I knew the truth. But sometimes, the real threat isn't who you think it is."

I nod as I begin to form a plan.

I need to get closer to Marco.

Not just to ensure he’s helping, not hindering, my father’s business, but also to uncover who's really targeting my family if it’s not him.

9

MARCO

I toss another file onto the growing stack on my desk, checking my watch for the third time in twenty minutes.

Two days down, one to go before Antonio makes his decision about Gabriella.

I should have given him forty-eight hours, not seventy-two.