Page 137 of Massimo

"If you're calling me, then my assumptions about Nova Mancini must be correct."

Massimo's hand wraps around my hip, his strong fingers drawing a small circle. "Assumptions are dangerous, Mr. Kessler."

He harrumphs. "Please call me Nathaniel. I'd like us to be friends."

"And why is that?"

Nathaniel sighs softly. "Because I only want what is best for Miriana's daughter."

I straighten at the wistful sadness in his voice, but Massimo shakes his head, warning me not to speak yet.

"And what is that?" Massimo asks.

"To get her away from that monster Silvestro Mancini."

"And why would you want that?"

"Because I loved Miriana deeply. She was trying to get to me when she ran with Nova to escape."

My mouth opens in shock, but I remain quiet, waiting with bated breath, hoping he'll tell me more.

"But Mancini caught her and killed her for it." Massimo's voice may be cold and stoic, but his face conveys the compassion and love those words lack.

"Yes," Nathaniel croaks out, then clears his throat.

"Is Nova your child?"

My eyes fly to Massimo; I had never considered that.

"Sadly, no. Nova was seven when I met her mother. But I would have loved her as my own if Miriana and I had been successful. Ever since she was murdered, I've been trying to get to Nova, but Mancini kept her locked away.

"When I found out he had allowed her to go to Lake Como without him, I rushed my men there. But by the time they arrived, Nova was gone—either she ran, or she was taken. Word is, you had every reason to take her."

"And how does the CEO of a pharmaceutical company know about the happenings in the criminal underworld, Mr. Kessler?"

"Nathaniel," he asserts. "And some lines blur and cross, Massimo."

"Such as Mancini having designs on getting a portion of the profits for your upcoming wonder drug, Glucoaid-X."

"That is because of Nova."

Massimo's jaw clenches. "Explain."

"Even though you have yet to give me reason to trust you, I will give you my trust in this."

"That's not a wise thing to give blindly."

Nathaniel chuckles, though the sound is dark rather than jovial. "I am not a guppy swimming amongst the sharks, Massimo. Iama shark. I might be a white-collared, gentrified version, and the son of a biomedical genius, but I am a shark, nonetheless. One who has killer instincts and who can smell blood in the water. That blood is Mancini's, and I want to see him devoured and erased from this earth."

"Now we're getting somewhere," Massimo murmurs.

"Speaking your language, hmm?" He clears his throat. "Miriana knew the risks of trying to escape Mancini; she knew she wouldn't survive ifshe was caught, but she also knew he wouldn't kill Nova. Not because of any love he had for her, but because she was his ticket to forging alliances. Miriana loved Nova deeply and wanted her to have leverage over her father to try and barter for her freedom."

Emotions rush at me, hearing all this, but Massimo’s hand moving gently over my hip grounds me.

"Before her death, Miriana bought shares in Synovex Biotech. Specifically, she bought heavily in a specialized development bond for Glucoaid-X. All those shares are in Nova's name. Miriana placed them in a trust with me as the trustee until Nova could take control of them."

"Miriana must've trusted you deeply."

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