Page 98 of Fight Me Little Pearl

“Trust me, Francesca, I’m as shocked as you to see the man he has become because of you.”

I frown. “What are you talking about?”

“Valentino respects you enough to not cheat on you, even though in our world, it’s something we expect of men. Men can cheat on their wives all they want, and no one bats an eyelid. Valentino has been faithful to you.”

“I saw the video,” I snap.

“And Federico set it all up.”

I stare at him. “Look. Federico is your brother, Roberto. You don’t have to throw him under the bus because you want to support the boss.”

Roberto smiles. “Federico is my brother; that’s why you should believe me when I say this. Federico is an ass and Valentino is innocent.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let me tell you exactly what happened,” Roberto says and dives into a recount of everything that happened that led to the video I watched. I stumble onto one of the chairs and drop my head into my hands.

Now I see why Valentino is so furious with me. He’s innocent, and once again, I didn’t honor his words. How can I ever fix this?

“Valentino completely rejected Rosalia,” Roberto says. “He didn’t even react to her. It was Federico who had sex with her that night.”

“What?” My head snaps up. To think I actually liked Federico.

“Yes. That’s the truth.”

My heart burns with hate for Federico, and I suddenly wish Vance had done more than put a knife to his neck and spit on him that day. “Why would Federico do such a mean thing to me and Valentino?”

Roberto shrugs. “Valentino’s devotion to you irritates him. And there’s been tension between them since Valentino and Matteo fell out.”

“Now that I’ve learned the extent Federico can go, it makes me wonder whether I could ever look at Federico and feel anything but distrust.”

At that very moment, Vance barges into the foyer. He looks murderous as he stares at Roberto.

“Get out,” he says. “Now.”

Roberto nods and walks toward the exit. “Goodbye, Signora Barone.”

When he disappears, I look at Vance. “That was rude.”

“I don’t care about being rude,” he says. “I’m only following my Boss’s instructions from now on. Roberto or Federico is not allowed in this house.”

“Why?”

He shrugs. “I’m just following instructions.” Then he clears his throat. “Are you ready to go, La Signora Barone?”

“Excuse me?”

“The Boss said you’re going out. I’m here to drive you and keep you safe.”

Despite my aversion to having a bodyguard, Vance’s words make me smile. Maybe Valentino still cares for me. It’s up to me to find a way to make things right.

Chapter Forty-Two

FRANCESCA

“Oh, you messed up,” Louisa groans. “You didn’t even give him a chance to explain.”

I’ve just told Louisa and my mom what happened with me and Valentino, and the disappointment on their faces is evident, especially from my mama. I understand her because we’ve recently talked about this when Nina happened.

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