Page 87 of A Seed Of Peril

A familiar pair of Oxfords click-clacked toward the kitchen’s threshold.

I let out the tears I held back.

“Bellissima.” He stood behind me, leaning over and kissing my head, his fingers in my hair. “She’s hurting, just like you, and I wish I could change that.”

“I just want this day to be over,” I confessed, my voice cracking. “Seeing her cry like that…”

“You and me both.” He kissed my head once more. “Why don’t you, too, go wash up. Rest until dinner.”

“I can’t.” I craned my neck to look up at him. “We have to frost the cake. She’ll be upset if I’m not here with her to do it.”

Dominic walked around past me and went over to the cake, inspecting it himself. “Then, at least change out of that outfit into something more comfortable. I’m not forcing anyone to dress up today anyway.”

“What about your mom? I want to go check on her. She seemed just as sad as Katrina was.”

Turning around, Dominic nodded. “She’s in the office.”

“Is she okay?”

“She will be.”

I had to talk to her, convince her Katrina wasn’t mad at her. I knew if I were her right now, I’d be feeling like the biggest scum of the earth.

I grabbed Dominic’s hand and let him help me to my feet.

“Did we do good?” I asked, referring to the cake.

Dominic gave a chef’s kiss. “It’smagnifico.”

I narrowed the gap between us and kissed him on the cheek. He dipped his head as I brought my lips to his outer ear, speaking low enough for only him to hear.

“That’s not the only thing that’smagnificoaround here.”

* * *

Somehow,Dominic convinced Katrina to let him and her frost the cake and make one of Hector’s favorite meals: spaghetti bolognese. The rest of her uncles and even Bianca helped with dinner. Katrina forgave her in the end, to all of our relief.

I squeezed in a nap. Well, as good a nap as I could’ve gotten these days.

Before my nap, I watched the kitchen camera, my heart warming at the sight of Katrina and Dominic specifically. She swiped a little of the chocolate icing Bianca made and pressed it onto the tip of his nose, laughing. He pretended to try taking a bite of the cake much to Katrina’s distress, paying for it in the end when she smeared more frosting on his face as karma. Dino laughed the loudest and hardest, high-fiving her.

It all gave me greater hope and reassurance and a better talking piece to truly prove to Dominic that he and Lorenzowerenever andcouldnever be the same.

Our new butler, Christian Satriano, walked around the dinner table collecting the dishes, eventually leaving the room. We were stuffed from such an amazing meal and exhausted from carb overload.

Or so I had thought.

“I want to talk to Papa,” Katrina said out of the blue, breaking our collective silence.

“You don’t need to ask permission,” Dominic told her. “You can talk to him anytime.”

“Can you go get him?” she asked her uncle. He looked at her in confusion.

“The urn, bro,” Dino explained.

Lifting his chin in understanding, Dominic directed Dino to go get Hector’s urn. Dino set it down near Katrina on the white, lace tablecloth. She reached for the urn, but Dominic held up his hand, stopping her.

“Hold on. I want to say something first.”

---