Page 69 of The Consequence of You
“How did he come to be working for us?”
“Earlier in the year, his father came to me and asked me to reconsider. He said Carlo was keen on a life in England, and that he would make you a good husband. I told him I would not agree to the marriage, but I could offer his son a role with us. Teach him the business, with a view to setting himself up over here.” The arranged marriage system is antiquated, classist, and sexist. But itmakes me understand a little about Carlo’s state of mind. I almost feel bad for him until I recall how callously he held that knife to my throat. How close he was to hurting Asher, and any sympathy dissipates.
“I understand he was pissed off, but it seems extreme to try to kidnap me.”
Rossi shrugs opposite me.
“There have been wars started for less, Miss Callie.”
Papa swallows down the rest of his drink before nodding in affirmation.
“The heart wants what the heart wants.” An image of Asher flashes into my mind. Of the strength of the feelings he invokes in me. But I quickly shake it off. This is not the same thing.
“That’s bullshit. We’d probably had a handful of conversations before Carlo moved here. He barely even spoke to me, even when he was working for us. I just don’t understand it. I must have done something to him.”
The three men look at me with pity, like I don’t understand the world. I stand up and slam my hand on the table.
“No. I need to understand. I need to know what was going through his mind. What I could have done differently.”
Papa catches my hand in his. “Why does it matter so much?”
“Because how do we prevent it happening again if we don’t know what I did to cause it?
“Mia cara, you didn’tdoanything.” He seems convinced of it, but I know better than that.
“But-”
“But nothing,” Luca interjects firmly. “Things happen.Shit happens. It’s not always someone’s fault.” He helps himself to my untouched brandy. “This is not on you.”
I face him. “You say that, but how do you know? How do you know something I said years ago didn’t give him the wrong idea? How do you know something I did, didn’t make him believe something else was happening between us?”
“You were a child! And because, even if you said something ordidsomething, that doesn’t mean you were responsible for everything that followed. None of this was preventable. That just isn’t how life works, Sorellina. Surely you know that?”
“But-”
“Enough, Callie! You are NOT responsible for this,” my father barks vehemently.
I hear his words, and I understand his reasoning, but he’s wrong.
We can prevent hurt; we can prevent bad things happening if we’re careful, can’t we?
The last few years I have controlled all my actions, second guessed every decision, been honest to a fault, and when I couldn’t be, I stayed silent.
And yet…
Another person can just do whatever the hell they like and undo all my efforts. Endanger the people I care about.
The people I love.
The person I love.
In that case, what was it all for? Why had I cut off Nico? Why had I stopped looking for friendships?Stopped living, as Asher so succinctly put it when I saw him last.
Pulling my hand from my father’s, I flee to my room, my heart racing and my head whirling.
I throw on a pair of boots and snatch up my purse andphone. Taking the staff staircase, I use their exit to slip out. The timings of the security staff’s patrols haven’t changed for years, so I easily find an opportune moment to sneak out of the iron gates.
I order an Uber to collect me from the end of the road before turning the location off on my phone. Within minutes, I’m speeding away from my home, and much like that night four years ago, the consequences of my actions are the furthest thing from my mind.
