Page 273 of Vita Mia

Marietta smiled and nodded.

“Did you know about Jamie? When she died?”

“I knew. Broke my heart that she finally met her soulmate and then died so suddenly.”

“Mine, too,” Marietta said.

“Guess who I ran into in New York six years ago!” Marietta said.

“Who?” Mirabella asked.

“Theodore Tate!” Marietta said.

“Teddy?” Mirabella frowned.

“I thought Giovanni killed him?” Marietta laughed.

“No... he let him go. Wait? I can’t remember. Did he kill him?” Mirabella joked.

Marietta shook her head smiling. “He was at a restaurant. Acted like he didn’t know who I was. But you know I didn’t let that fly.”

“Of course, you didn’t,” Mirabella laughed.

Marietta smiled and they settled into silence.

“Why were you in New York?” Mirabella asked, not sure what else to say.

“Teresa Leone died.”

“Your adoptive mother?” Mirabella asked.

“Yep. Old bitch lived to be ninety-six. Can you believe it? She lives a full life and our mother dies young,” Marietta said bitterly.

“Did you go to the funeral?”

“Took both my kids. Should have seen the look on those Staten Island Italian’s face. They knew who I was. Couldn’t believe that I showed up. I told the kids the truth about me. What happened to our mother, and how I was raised. Everything.”

“Good for you,” Mirabella said.

Marietta glanced over to her and Mirabella smiled that she meant the compliment. “Did you and Lorenza talk yet?”

“I had a chance to pull Lorenza aside,” Mirabella said. “She is such a smart and talented girl. You did good with her.”

“Thank you. Eve is your diva. Isn’t she? She is up there with the best designers in the world. I never even knew she liked fashion?”

“At seven when you last saw her she didn’t. But she studied in France. How can you not fall in love with art and fashion in France?”

“True,” Marietta mumbled.

“Hey?” Marietta said.

Mirabella looked over.

“I’m sorry,” Marietta began. “I’m sorry for some of the things I’ve done. And for not telling Lorenza and Rocco about you. The truth about you. That you loved them. Both of them. Or telling them about the good times we shared. Hell, I remember when I was running the company with you. Sisters. We were sisters once. Weren’t we?”

“Yes, we were,” Mirabella said. “I have given you ownership in the company.”

“Gio took it back,” Marietta laughed.

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