Page 48 of The Empress

Haven: I miss you so much. I wish we never took this trip. It’s awful.

Kristen: I miss you too. I’m crying my eyes out. At most, you can only stay in Italy for three months. You’ll come back before then, right?

I want to keep Kristen safe, so it has me typing out another lie.

Haven: I don’t know. We might get another visa. I have no idea how things work here.

Kristen: Nooooo. That sucks. You can’t stay there longer than three months. I swear I’ll get on a plane and bring your ass home.

Knowing she doesn’t have enough money for international travel, I don’t worry about her threat. Instead, it warms my heart.

Haven: Yeah, you can kick everyone’s asses and save me. LOL.

Kristen: Well, while you’re stuck there, I discovered a new mafia author. Natalie Kane. I read the sample, and it’s freaking good. We can do a long-distance buddy read.

Oh hell no.

God, Kristen’s going to lose her mind when she finds out I was forced to marry a mafia boss.

Haven: I just started a small town romance. I’m in the mood for light books.

Kristen: Okay. I’m going to read the mafia romance, though. I’ll let you know what I think of it once I’m done.

The water starts to grow cold, and it has me saying goodbye.

Haven: I have to go. Love you!

Kristen: Love you too.

I set the phone down on the floor beside the tub and quickly wash myself before climbing out.

I dry off, and after getting dressed, I grab the box of salted crackers and a soda, then head out onto the balcony to sit by the table.

Time crawls by, and when the sun begins to set, I frown, realizing Leo didn’t call me for lunch or supper.

Is he ignoring me?

Not that I’m complaining that he’s leaving me alone, but I’m hungry for actual food.

I stand up and glance down at the veranda. Not seeing any light spilling from the living room, I wonder if Leo’s still away for work.

I walk into my bedroom, and leaning over the dressing table, I press my ear to the door. When I don’t hear anything, I let out a sigh and struggle to push the table out of the way.

As quietly as possible, I unlock the door and pull it open. I glance up and down the dark hallway, noticing Leo’s bedroom door is closed.

I don’t think he’s home.

I sneak down the stairs and hurry to the kitchen, where I make a sandwich for myself.

While I’m eating, I glance around me, taking a moment to admire how stunning the kitchen is.

Hmm. With Leo gone, I can explore a little.

With my sandwich in hand, I begin to walk through the mansion. I don’t feel bad as I snoop through the drawers and closets I find in a study. It’s decorated with a heavy oak table and leather armchairs, but it doesn’t look like Leo spends a lot of time in here.

Taking the last bite of my sandwich, I head up the stairs and check the other rooms. Not finding anything interesting, I stop in front of Leo’s bedroom. Careful not to make a sound, I try the handle, but the door is locked.

I wonder what he’s hiding in there.