Page 104 of Diavolo

A small smile tilted Elyse's lips. "Words only feel hollow if you sit on your ass and do nothing."

"Now I feel insulted."

"I'm simply letting you know that we don't have to accept the bare minimum. We can fight for our fair share."

"Ahaja!You are a funny one."

"Why are you laughing?"

Abruptly, Mariposa's harsh laughter died down. Her youthful face became old and worn. "Because you believe that change is possible. Such ideals are adorable. But hopeless. What I deserve does not matter. What I want does not matter, either. I do what I am told. I do what is expected of me. Family is everything. Duty is everything. The moment I step out of line, I lose what little power my father has granted me."

These words resonated with Elyse. Her heart grew heavy. She confessed to the younger woman, "I admit, your way of life is new to me. I'm still learning the ropes. Maybe it's ignorance that allows me to believe in what you think is impossible. But I'm no stranger to adversity. Or carrying the weight that comes with family and duty. For years, I've been trying to unfuck my father's fuck ups. You're not alone in your frustration. I've never felt free, either."

"What did your father do?"

"He borrowed money from the wrong people."

"And you had to pay it back?"

"Something like that."

"Do you hate him for it?"

Elyse nodded. "The love is always there. But there are moments when the hate is stronger. He's hurt me so many times, and I resent the fact that he'll never give me the apologies I deserve."

"Oddly enough, when you say that," Mariposa observed, "I think youdounderstand me."

"Most days," Elyse added, "fighting for the life I want feels like a lost cause. But I'm too stubborn to give up."

"I predict that you will crash and burn," murmured Mariposa, "But I hope I am wrong. If you succeed, maybe I will change my mind and start believing in the impossible."

Elyse smirked. "Now Imustsucceed. Just to piss you off."

Mariposa laughed again. This time, though, with more sincerity. A flicker of understanding passed between the two women. It couldn't be categorized as friendship, not yet, but a frail bond had been forged. Hesitantly, Elyse asked the younger woman, "How's Ms. Berlusconi doing, by the way?"

Mariposa rolled her eyes. "Uffa!Cara will not stop bitching about her near-death experience. She has made it her entire personality at this point. It is insufferable. I may kill her myself if she does not shut up."

Elyse released a soft chuckle. "Glad to hear she made a swift recovery."

A shrewd gleam entered Mariposa's brown eyes. "Cara owes her life to you, Elyse. It is a fact she resents every fucking minute of the day."

"Sorry to hear she feels that way," Elyse hummed.

Mariposa wrinkled her nose. "To be honest, something that has been bothering me about the night you saved Cara. If yourroles were reversed, she would have let you die. Why did you choose to be the bigger person? It is annoying."

Puta, eres molesta. Bitch, you're annoying.Unlike Mariposa, however, Elyse keptherannoyance under wraps and responded like a seasoned diplomat, "I am a physician. Well, Iwasa physician. I couldn't let the woman suffer when I possessed the skills to stabilize her condition."

Mariposa snorted. "Does it ever get heavy?"

"What?"

"Walking around with that big, shiny halo on your head. It is blinding me."

"If you look closer, you'll see that I'm not a fucking saint," Elyse countered calmly. "It's my duty to help my husband's allies.No matter what. That's the reason why I saved Cara. You said so yourself.Duty is everything. Family is everything.Right?"

Amusement flitted across Mariposa's face. "Touché, Elyse. You found a way to use my own bullshit against me."

Elyse smiled. "You know, I never got a chance to thank you properly for your help that night. I don't know if I could've convinced Carmen to back down without you and your men."

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