Page 18 of Borrowed Bride

“Is it?” Emilia looks at me with sad eyes. “For years, you have blamed yourself for that night when you were only a kid. Just like me. You have protected me with your entire life and now this? There could have been another way.”

“There was none,” I say softly. “If not Gianna then it would have been someone else. Someone less fucking nosy for sure.”

“Oh stop.” Emilia releases my hand to slap my wrist. “Gianna, my dear. Despite my brute brother’s reaction, I hope you understand that his anger comes from a place of protectiveness, not malice.”

Gianna shoots me a small glare, not looking like she believes that at all.

“I have a small team here that helps me, a trusted team. You’re the first new person I’ve met in…oh, twenty years?” Emilia chuckles. “But I am glad we got to meet.”

“I’m so sorry,” Gianna says weakly. “I had…I had absolutely no idea. I swear I won’t tell anyone. I will forget this place even exists!”

“Don’t you dare,” Emilia laughs. “I would very much like for us to have tea. Maybe without the ogre.”

“Ha ha,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.

“You will be looked after here,” Emilia says and she leans forward, placing one frail hand on top of Gianna’s. “I promise that you are safe. Not everything here is as it seems. You need to remember that.”

Gianna nods silently and her eyes drop to the table. She looks stunned and pale. My anger calms slightly.

If there’s more to say, we don’t get a chance because my phone blares to life. I answer immediately and Anton’s panicked voice floods my ear.

“Boss!” he yells. “Gianna is gone! We’ve looked everywhere but we can’t find her and?—”

I hang up immediately and stand. “They’ve finally noticed you’re missing,” I say flatly. “Time to go. Emilia.” I lean down and gently kiss her forehead. “Take your medicine. I will come and visit again soon.”

“Please do,” she croaks. “And you, Gianna. Come and see me too.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I sigh tightly. “I love you.”

“Love you too.” Emilia settles back into her chair and I send the alert to her team to return. Gianna rises and smiles at Emilia.

“I will come back, if I can. Thank you, and again, I am so sorry.”

“Don’t worry, dear,” Emilia says. “It’s just like Marco to find someone as curious as him.”

As soon as we walk around the plants, I grab Gianna by the arm and shove her up against the wall. Her eyes widen and she grips my wrist, staring into my eyes as the anger swells in my heart.

“If you breathe a word of this, or even a hint to anyone—anyone—or endanger my sister in any way, I will make youwishyou were dead. Are we clear?”

7

GIANNA

“Can I get you anything?” Tara asks from her spot in the doorway. “You’ve been in here for two days justcleaning.”

“It’s therapeutic,” I reply from my spot on the floor. “Marco said I could have this room for whatever I want, decorate it how I want and stuff. There’s just a lot to clear out, but I like doing it.”

Plus, as I clean, it gives me time to process everything I learned about Marco and his sister.

“Okay.” Tara nods. “Well, I will bring your dinner here later.”

“Thank you!”

With a wave, Tara is gone and I’m alone once more. Anton and Ben learned pretty quickly that I wanted to do this myself and have spent most of their time outside the door, guarding me against anyone who might want to disturb me.

I’ve cleaned out all the dressers, had all the seating removed because it’s not to my taste, and relocated all the books from the shelves to be cleaned and brought back in later.

As I work, my mind runs on a constant loop.

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