Page 68 of Angelo

Confusion twined with suspicion. What did Alessandro need from Valentina? Was the blonde referring to her connections with Célia's family? Her marriage to Gaspare? Or had there been some other agreement Valentina struck up with Alessandro on the sly?

Elyse's confidence wavered for a second before she found her voice, "I doubt it."

Valentina shot her a pitying look, unnerving Elyse once more, as she stated, "There is so much you do not know, Dr. Romero."

Elyse couldn't tell if Valentina was bullshitting or not. The woman was intoxicated and naturally vindictive. Elyse understood that everything the blonde said needed to be taken with a grain of salt, but unease still scoured her senses.

"A revolution is coming," Valentina continued cryptically.

Elyse prayed this was the champagne’s faut. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"All opposition must be removed. Sandro and I need a clear path to the future."

Chills rattled Elyse's blood. Valentina didn't sound that drunk anymore. She sounded very much like a dictator in the making.

"Our main obstacleshavebeen removed," argued Elyse, "Aberto, Domenico, and Carlo are gone. We don't need more dead bodies."

Valentina tittered in amusement "Relax, we are not planning to kill anyone. Not any time soon, anyway."

No violence? Then, how were they planning to remove the opposition?Echoes of Alessandro's voice clashed into her consciousness.

If needed, I will take the fall.

Elyse's thoughts began to spiral.

Take the fall?

Something clicked within her. An image of Renata's necklace rose from the recesses of her mind. Was Alessandro planning to follow in his mother's footsteps? To leak evidence to authorities and set up their opposition in some kind of trap?

Mierda.

If this was the case, it felt risky as fuck, and the whole setup could backfire on Alessandro in a big way.Omertàwas the mafia's code of silence. Malina had told her about it. Nomafiosocould offer up evidence of their criminal activities to authorities and expect to live long.

After all that has happened to us, don’t you want to escape this hell?

Suddenly, the car couldn't seem to drive fast enough.

I am your fool in every way, Elyse.

Elyse's desire to find Alessandro and get to the bottom of this madness far outweighed everything else.

I love you, I love you, I love you.

Elyse didn't know what her husband was planning to do, precisely, but she sure as hell wasn't ready to part from him in any fucking way, shape, or form.

14

As the vehicle slowedto a full stop, Elyse barely prevented herself from shoving her blonde stepsister-in-law out the car door. In a clipped voice, she relayed her final instructions to Valentina, "Find Father Boselli for me, and I'll talk to Alessandro about Carmen."

Valentina wobbled slightly on the skinny heels of her stilettos, still affected by the alcohol, and cooed, "I will be in touch.Alla prossima!" Until the next time we meet!

"See you around," Elyse muttered in distracted tones.

As Valentina stumbled away toward her villa, Elyse instructed Monte to drive home as fast as traffic would allow. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Elyse glanced at the caller ID. It was an unknown number, though, she recognized the area code to be from New York. She ignored it. Alessandro was more important right now. Her entire focus was locked on him, still.

Once she arrived back at the palazzo, Elyse searched their home for her husband. Alessandro wasn't in his study. He wasn't in their bedroom, either. Her phone vibrated in her pocket once more. She let the call go to voicemail. In time, Elyse found Alessandro in one of the hallways that led to their living room.

Her voice echoed through the corridor like thunder. "Alessio!"

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