Page 25 of Angelo

In hasty strides, Matilde led Elyse and Alessandro, through the entryway, down several more hallways. They walked by a small parlor room. Elyse peered inside for the briefest of moments. A vintage-looking baby grand sat inside the room. Goosebumps rose on her skin as though she'd seen a ghost. The exquisite instrument was colored in dark walnut with ornate gold leaf trim running along its three legs. At first glance, the piano was quite stunning. Upon closer inspection, though, some of the stain was fading and the wood was slightly chipped.

Suddenly, Elyse realized why she'd been feeling so unwell. She was in Benedetto Graviano's home.But she was also in Gianna Graviano's home. It felt surreal to be standing in the place that her mother had lived in as a girl.

Elyse couldn't help remarking, "That's a b-beautiful piano."

A tremor of emotion betrayed her voice.Papáwas the only family Elyse had ever known. It would've been nice to grow up with a mother, too. Benedetto told her that Gianna had loved music. She'd also been a talented pianist. The heaviness inside morphed into longing. If only the black and white ivory keys on the piano could share the stories they had seen.

Matilde grunted, "Thatcosa fastidiosaonly takes up space, gathering dust."Troublesome thing.

"What a shame," Elyse whispered.

The housekeeper continued, grumbling, "No one plays it anymore."

A lump formed in her throat. Elyse felt almost certain that the piano had belonged to her mother. Alessandro cast another questioning glimpse in her direction as Matilde ushered them into her grandfather's study. Elyse smiled at her husband again, reassuringly, even though she felt restless. Alessandro didn't look convinced by her act. The weight of his gaze followed her everywhere. But he kept quiet, seemingly willing to let it slide for now.

When they entered the room, Benedetto was already sitting behind his desk, awaiting their arrival.

Elyse glanced around the cramped, cluttered room. The air smelled slightly musty. It was a mix of old books and cigar smoke and aged leather. Green eyes darted toward the corner. Beside one of the bookshelves, a mahogany and rosewood chess set had been laid out on a small round table between two leather armchairs. It looked picturesque. The scene seemed to be drenched in nostalgia.

An unexpected pang of sadness ripped through her. There was so much she wanted to learn about her family. Her mind began to spiral. Was this the very same room where her grandfather had played chess with her mother? How did Benedetto feel about Gianna's death? Was her grandfather still grieving? All of these dissipating thoughts were followed by one final question. Most importantly, how did Gianna die? Elyse's eyes narrowed by a fraction as they locked onto her grandfather's wizened face. Did she die in the same way Alessandro's grandfather had killed Renata?

Benedetto waved Matilde away and greeted Elyse and Alessandro. "Benvenuti."

"Grazie," replied Alessandro.

Her grandfather rose from his chair and strode over to the chess set. Benedetto took the seat by the black pieces. He then glanced at Elyse and gestured to the other armchair. "Per favore. Siediti."Please. Sit.

She sat down beside the white pieces.

Alessandro moved over as well to stand next to her like a loyal watchdog while leaning over every other minute to murmur translations of her grandfather's Italian into her ear.

Benedetto grunted, "Cominciamo. È la tua mossa."Let us begin. It's your move.

They started to play.

Elyse moved one of her pawns forward. Her grandfather countered by moving one of his own. Elyse understood the rules of the game, but she hadn't gotten a chance to study strategy or gameplay tactics. She felt anxious playing against her grandfather. Elyse couldn't shake the feeling that he was using this game to judge her.

As the game stretched on, Alessandro started conversing with Benedetto in Italian. He directed at her grandfather, "Come ti sta trattando la vita?"How's life treating you?

Benedetto replied, "Potrebbe essere migliore, ma non posso lamentarmi."Could be better, but I can't complain.

Then, he added, "Mi dispiace per la tua perdita. Tuo padre era una leggenda."I'm sorry for your loss. Your father was a legend.

Alessandro's jaw grew tight, but he accepted Benedetto's condolences with grace.

Elyse understood most of their small talk, but she still struggled to understand certain words or phrases. She kept her expression unresponsive and detached, though, when the men's' chat swerved toward the funeral and their agenda against the other clans.

Her grandfather inquired, "Non consideri più Aberto un alleato?"You no longer consider Aberto to be an ally?

Alessandro shook his head. "No."

"Ma intendi usarlo, ancora?"But you intend to use him, still?

Alessandro nodded. "Sì."

Their talk dragged into the more finite details while Elyse waged war against her grandfather on a battlefield of light and dark squares. It was a bloodlessmassacre. Elyse was forced to sacrifice her bishop and rook within the first five minutes. Elyse lost her first match against Benedetto eight minutes later. She was checkmated during the second one in ten. Before her husband concluded his chat with her grandfather, she lost two more times.

When her grandfather started setting up the pieces for another round, Elyse requested Alessandro to translate for her. She implored, "No more for today."

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