Page 67 of His Two Hidden Masks

Auntie Aurora inhaled as if this explanation was the answer she had been looking for. “I see now,” she squinted through the glass window of her door. “There is something about him that is different from the other one.”

“I hope so,” I said. “I just met with Papa. He has forbidden me to see Dylan, and he is ordering me to shut down Bella Baci. James let Papa know that Dylan and I had dinner together last night. I am furious. He had no right.”

“Amore, no,” Auntie said, reaching out to grasp my arm. She and her husband had never had children, and I knew she thought of me as a daughter.

“Oh, yes,” I said. “And I’m going to have to do it. I have no choice.”

“Stop seeing that man?” my aunt said. “Are you mad? Look at him.” Her eyes widened. “When did you meet him?”

“No,” I said. “I’m not telling you that.” I knew exactly where she was going with this line of questioning.

“Did you meet him in the moonlight?” She squinted at me, a slow smile creeping across her face. “His name begins with a D.”

“I know it does, and Auntie, I can’t think about this right now.”

“Ah, I know I’m right,” she said, grasping her hands beneath her chin with unbridled joy. “The beauty is, you don’t have to think about it. You don’t have to do anything.

If he’s the one my cards predicted all those years ago, there is nothing you can do to stop your love. It’s destined.”

My family was killing me. Could they possibly be more divided in their opinions and advice? No. The answer was a resounding no.

“I don’t want to stop seeing him,” I said, biting my lip. “But, Auntie, he is a tourist, and he will end up leaving, anyway.”

“Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. I don’t think you should let anyone interfere if your heart is telling you to go forward.”

“Why isn’t everyone in the family like you?”

“I don’t know love,” she said. “And your business? It’s just as important. What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“Yes, you do. You know the answer. The question is, will you listen to your heart?”

“I don’t want to shut down Bella Baci forever,” I said, tears flooding my eyes. It felt good to share my disappointment with a sympathetic ear.

“Then don’t. Forever, is a long time.”

I nodded and bit my lip, managing to keep the tears from spilling over. “I do think I have to stop today, but I will make a plan. I will find a way to make this work. I have to.”

Auntie did a small, adorable, fist bump into the air. “I love your fire.”

My mind spun as I thought about what it truly meant to defy my father. “First, I need to untangle myself from this kitchen, from my parents. I need to do this on my own, which means I need to secure funding, which takes time. Papa wants me to go to Milan.”

Auntie Aurora shook her head. “None of your dreams are in Milan, Bella.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know,” she said. She reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from my forehead. “Not yet, Bella. Not quite yet.”

When we opened the door, Andrea had stopped prepping chicken breasts, and Vincenzo stood transfixed, tapping his foot in time with the music.

“All right, all right,” Auntie Aurora said. “You may listen to this man’s beautiful music, but back to work. Dinner will not prepare itself.”

I stood in front of Dylan, leaving space between us. “So,” I said, crossing my arms, “I thought you had retired.”

“It was the craziest thing,” he said, his fingers plucking the strings. “I woke up and wanted to play music today. Can you imagine that?”

“You had a guitar with you?”

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