Page 99 of Angelo

Alessandro translated for her.

“No,” came Benedetto’s clipped reply.

The three of them went to the study. Even though tensions were high, Malina wore her usual calm, unbothered expression as she closed the door behind them with a softclick.

To Elyse's surprise, Benedetto dropped his act right off the bat and chose to converse in English, "I was wrong about him."

Without missing a beat, Alessandro feigned surprise. "The fuck! You can speak English? Have I been wasting my breath translating for—"

Benedetto cast him a look of annoyance. "Not now. We do not have time."

Alessandro's mouth snapped shut.

Elyse tried to stay calm.

Did her grandfather know that she’d spilled everything to Alessandro? With a perfect poker face, she stayed on topic and prompted, "Wrong about who?"

"Boris."

"What's going on?"

Her grandfather sighed, "The bastard grows bold. These recent indictments of Messina and Moretti have gone to his head. My sources tell me that he intends to break our agreement and come after me soon."

Alessandro growled, "I thought you had him under your thumb?"

Benedetto murmured, "Not anymore. He has turned the tables on me."

Her husband demanded, "What does Boris have on you?"

"He found out about Isabella."

"You mean—"My mother?Elyse's face grew pale. But she caught herself in time. "Who's Isabella?"

Alessandro had discovered her mother's existence through underhanded methods. As far as Benedetto knew, neither of them were supposed to know that she was alive.

Benedetto's mouth flattened into an unimpressed line. "You may drop the act, Elyse. Isabella told me that she was at your father's funeral."

Had her mother contacted Benedetto after the funeral? Elyse froze slightly. Alessandro tensed up in a similar way. Both Alessandro and Elyse's eyes grew round and wide like two students who’d been caught cheating on a test. This was the first time Benedetto had openly acknowledged Isabella's existence in front of Elyse. Her mind continued to buffer as it struggled to comprehend all the moving parts in play. What did her grandfather know about Isabella? What else was he keeping from her?

She mumbled in a faint voice, "If you knew that Isabella attended my father's funeral, why didn't you bring it up sooner?"

"I was honoring her wishes.”

“Her wishes?”

“I did not lie when I told you that Isabella—no,Gianna—tried to end her life all those years ago," Benedetto explained with somber eyes. "What I failed to mention is that she survived the attempt.Barely."

With a thudding pulse, Elyse dared to ask, "Was is worth it?"

"What?"

Driving her to kill herself. But Elyse held back and, instead, tossed out, "Forcing my mother to abandon the life she wanted."

His eyes filled with remorse. "I should have let her stay in New York. I thought she was being rebellious for no reason."

Instantly, her heart filled with resentment. He became almost unforgivable. "You had the power to give my father and my mother a chance at happiness. But you chose to make them miserable instead."

Benedetto insisted quietly, "My friend's son was a good man. He could have made Gianna happy. If she was not so hung up on your father."

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