Page 97 of Lorenzo & Lily

Genevieve fisted her hands at her sides. “No, I don’t believe I will. How dare you insult Cecilia? How dare you come see her at all?”

Bernardino spluttered. “Your Majesty, she is our daughter, of course–”

Genevieve was having none of it. “She was your daughter five years ago when she became pregnant and you abandoned her.”

Bernardino sucked in a breath. “Well,Your Majesty, wasn’t ityour sonwho abandonedher? It’s not our fault he didn’t live up to his responsibilities.”

Gabriel’s eyes flashed. “How dare you speak about my son in such a manner? How dare you speak to us this way at all? We are the king and queen!”

“You are not my king and queen. We owe you no deference unless we are in public.”

Gabriel’s voice went dangerously low. “Is that so? Well, then. Perhaps we will make the entire situation easier for you. You need not show us any deference at all, particularly since, after today, you will never be allowed to see your daughter, granddaughter, or any of us.”

“What–”

“Nor will you be allowed in Valleria or near any of our family ever again.”

Bernardino gasped. “You would not dare keep us from our daughter.”

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest. “Try me.”

Bernardino’s nostrils flared and he pointed at Lily. “We are the only chance that troublesome girl of ours has to become something. If we don’t act now, her daughter could become as worthless as her.”

Lorenzo’s head was about to explode. How dare that son of a bitch call his daughter worthless and Lily useless? Lorenzo stepped forward to respond, but rage turned his attack physical rather than verbal.

He punched Bernardino in the face.

Bernardino cried out, his hands covering his now bloody nose. “You punched me! My God. What kind of prince are you?”

Lorenzo unclenched his fist and shook his hand out. The ache he felt in his knuckles was a welcome one. “One that protects his family. Lily and Liliana are ours now. We will make that clear to the press and public. You will not come near us, as my father said. You will never see either of them, nor any of us, after today.”

He stepped forward again and felt a thrill when both Saskia and Bernardino took a step back. Good; he wanted Lily’s parents to be afraid of him. “Do not even think about testing us on this. Do you understand me?”

Saskia puffed up her chest. “I want to see my granddaughter.”

“You didn’t want to see her four years ago when she was born,” Lily said, and all eyes turned to her. “You didn’t care about my child when I called you from my hospital room after a complicated birth.”

Lily stepped forward. “You didn’t care when I told you I was pregnant and asked for your help. You didn’t care when you cut me off financially, leaving me practically penniless with a baby on the way.”

Saskia sneered. “You were a disgrace. All of society was talking about it. We had to publicly disavow you.”

“Yet it didn’t stop there, did it? For five years you have not cared about me, or my child. And I just have two words for you.”

Saskia gasped. “Cecilia.”

“Thank you.”

Her parents blinked.

Lily face twisted into a forced smile. “That’s right. Thank you. Though the last several years have been difficult, they would have been much more so with both of you around. You constantly demean me, and you’d have done the same to Liliana.

“If she’d been around you, she wouldn’t be the happy, confident, beautiful–” Lily’s voice broke and she cleared her throat. “Beautiful little girl she is. I’ll do anything to protect her, even if that means I never see you again.”

Bernardino frowned, his hands still holding his nose, while Saskia gaped. “We are your parents!”

Lily snorted. “Only biologically. You didn’t do much for me beyond that.”

Saskia pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. “What about your brother? If you refuse to see us, we won’t let you see your brother, either.”

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