Page 96 of Lorenzo & Lily

“My son, there’s nothing we can do it about the past now. We must move forward.”

Lorenzo shook his head. “How do you suggest we do that?”

“As we’ve always done: we move on as a family.”

“Papa–”

Ethan knocked and entered the room. “Sorry to interrupt.” He stopped and stared at the sight of his mother crying and the tense air in the room. “Should I come back?”

Gabriel continued consoling Genevieve. “What did you need, my son?”

Ethan faced Lily. “Your parents are here.”

A roaring tidal wave of anger engulfed Lorenzo. He’d already been angry, but that had been a low, lapping current of heat. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Lily wrapped her arms around herself, and her wild eyes pinned him. “Lorenzo.”

He rushed to her and put his arms around her. “I’ll take care of it.”

“But–”

He cupped her face. “I’ll take care of it.” He kissed her forehead then turned to Ethan. “How did they get here? I thought security had cordoned off the hospital.”

Ethan nodded. “They had, but her parents started to make noise in front of the reporters camped outside. Said they couldn’t believe we’d keep them from visiting their future son-in-law, and all kinds of bullshit. We thought it best to let them in, rather than fan the flame.”

“Show them in.”

Ethan quirked a brow. “Here?”

“Here. Now.”

Ethan’s eyes flicked to Lily. “I don’t know, Lorenzo.”

“I do. Now.”

Ethan’s eyes flipped back to him, and he waited a beat, then nodded. With a glance to his parents, he left. He returned after a few minutes, this time ushering in Lily’s parents.

Lorenzo had seen them before in pictures. They were a suave Italian couple, with subpar plastic surgery they’d done to make themselves look ten years younger yet, in actuality, made them look even older. Underneath the artificial sheen, he could see elements of Lily – her nose from her father, her lustrous hair from her mother. They were both about Lily’s height – and thus shorter than him – with dark hair and olive skin. Though Liliana looked a lot like Lorenzo, he could now see Brionne features in her as well.

With their stiff faces and entitled air, it was clear that physical features were all his girls received from the Brionnes. The rest of Lily’s goodness was innate in her, and Liliana’s goodness had come from Lily. That thought buoyed him, though he didn’t need the extra confidence to face them.

Lily’s mother, Saskia, curtsied to his parents while her father, Bernardino, bowed. Then they turned to him and did the same. Before he could berate them, Saskia spoke.

“Your Majesties, it is such an honour to see you again.”

Genevieve, now standing beside Gabriel with an impassive expression, smiled lightly. “Is it? I wish we could say the same.”

Saskia, her nose tipped slightly up, stretched her face into a tight smile. “Your Majesty, of course it is. Especially now that our families will be joining.”

Saskia glanced for the first time in Lily’s direction, and gave her a once-over. “Cecilia, you do look rather gaunt. You’ll have to freshen yourself up prior to the wedding. Perhaps a little work around the eyes.”

Bernardino nodded. “Indeed. It wouldn’t do to have my daughter looking as old as you do. You’ve waited too long to get married as it is. We wouldn’t want to draw any further attention to your age.”

Lily paled even further. As she opened her mouth to speak, Genevieve spoke first.

“How dare you?”

Saskia blinked. “Pardon, Your Majesty?”

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