Page 17 of Giorgio

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“You told her what?” Alfredo glowered at his son.

“She can stay with us, which is the decent thing to do.” He had left her sound asleep, no doubt succumbing to the strong narcotics that were feeding into her vein. And realized how reluctant he was to leave her. She looked so vulnerable and when she asked him to stay, he had felt something clutching at his heart.

“We will ask Isabella to prepare a suite for her and assign her a maid.” Giorgio continued; a set look on his handsome face. “She has lost her memory!” He strode over to the window to stare out at the trees with their leaves blowing in the wind.

It had rained earlier this morning, and the weather had turned even colder. “I have cost her a hell of a lot and I want to do everything within my power to make up for that.”

“By having her move in with us.”

“Yes.” He turned to face his father. “She told me she hates hospital for some reason. I intend to see her as comfortable as possible.”

“You are punishing yourself.”

“And I shouldn’t?” He asked harshly. Dario had left the room to take a business call. It was Saturday and his plans for the day were curtailed. He wasn’t in the mood to see anyone.

“Papa, you don’t have to be here!”

“I have a business luncheon, but I am here for you.”

“You should see the look in her eyes.” He mused. “Like a wounded puppy, making me feel as if I was the heartless bastarda who locked her in a cage.”

“Giorgio…”

“No!” He shook his head, expression pensive. “It’s my mess and I intend to stand by this woman until she gets better. She is going to need round the clock care, possibly therapy.”

“We will make arrangements for it as soon as she is cleared.” Alfredo assured him. “In the meantime, you should go on with your life as usual.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Giorgio, people are going to start noticing the changes…”

“I don’t care.”

“We have functions coming up. You are the face of the stores, the magazines and as such, you have a duty to put in an appearance.”

His jaw tightened. “I am supposed to go on as if nothing has happened?” He spread his hands wide. “As if that woman is not lying in bed, her memory wiped clean because of what I did? How do you expect me to do such a thing?”

“That’s precisely what you are going to do.” Dario came back into the room, a perturbed expression on his face.

“What is it?” Alfredo asked urgently.

“The accident was reported.”

“By whom?”

“I have no idea, still trying to get to the bottom of it. That call that I received is from the Capitano at the station.” He nodded to his friend. “Contributing that amount of money to give the station a facelift has paid off. He is keeping it under wraps.”

“So, once again I have been given a reprieve.”

“No thanks necessary.” Dario told the young man tautly.

“Forgive me for this feeling of – of - total…” his command of the English language was exemplary, but in his distress, he couldn’t find the word. “Frustration.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “I keep thinking about everything that could have gone drastically wrong and all that has, and I am tied up in knots.”

“Then let’s try to put some normalcy on the entire situation.” Dario advised quietly. “We cannot afford to have this leaked to the press. It would only get worse.”

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