Page 47 of Dark Masquerade
He kissed her hand. “Another reason is that Aldo probably knows about it.”
Elli’s smile faded. “We’re never going to be able to stop running, are we? Maybe we should end this once and for all.”
Indio’s eyebrows shot up. “How?”
Elli gazed at him for a long moment before saying it. “Entrapment.”
It took Indio a second to realize what she was saying. “Listen to me, Elliana Moretti Navaro. If you ever, ever,eversuggest using yourself as bait again, then I’ll ….god, Elli… He will slaughter you. Do you understand? You saw what he did to Yvetta, and she wasn’t even part of his great revenge plan. She only said no to him. Can you imagine what he’ll do to you now that he probably knows we’re married—that you deceived him and married his enemy? That he had you and you slipped through his fingers?”
“Exactly,” Eli said calmly. “He’ll get riled up, especially if the magazine runs some op-eds about him—imagine it. One year on from his exclusive interview, we do a follow-up and see where he is now.”
“It’ll be written off as a bitter woman’s clap back after she’s dumped by him. I’m just saying, that’s the way he’ll spin it.”
“Let him. It’ll still get to him, especially if we intimate about his ‘connections’ in Russia. We only have to drop one name—someone already in jail for sex trafficking—and he’ll flip out. I saw him on that plane, Indio, when that stuff about the alleged gun running came out. He was insane with rage and that wasn’t even true.”
“Still making yourself bait,” he shook his head, and Elli sighed.
“Okay, what if it’s not my magazine that does it? We can send it out to …”
Indio’s voice was hard. “No, Elli. Just no. I don’t want to be the control freak here, but no. No risk, no bait.”
It turned out a day later that Aldo had made the first move anyway. Indio called Elli into the kitchen, then handed her his iPad. Elli read through the newspaper article.
Constanza Sells Up: ‘It’s Time for A New Life, Somewhere Else,’ Says Heartbroken Billionaire.
Elli rolled her eyes at that, then went back to reading.
Aldo Constanza, 42, billionaire philanthropist and businessman, is leaving Venice just a year after relocating from Rome. Reports say he has put his seven-million-euro home in Mira up for sale and has emptied his office in the city, laying off a number of staff. Business insiders are somewhat confused, as Constanza had told them only recently that Venice was where his life was now, but perhaps his very recent break-up with journalist Elliana Moretti might have swayed his decision to leave the city. Ms. Moretti, 29, was with the billionaire for just over a year, but in the few weeks since Constanza ended the relationship, has moved on to another billionaire, architect and property mogul, Indio Navaro, 38. We have confirmation, indeed, that Moretti and Navaro were married only last week in a small, private ceremony. In a strange twist, not only did Navaro design and build Constanza’s Mira home, but was also once briefly a suspect in the murder of Constanza’s fiancée, Yvetta Lima, three years ago.
We have reached out to Mr. Constanza, who briefly told us that he ‘wished the couple every happiness’ and that it was time he ‘started a new life somewhere else.’
“Well,” Elli said. “Apart from being labelled a gold-digging whore again—don’t worry, I’m getting used to it—that is a bunch of B.S. You and I both know …Aldo won’t just leave us be.”
“Agreed.” Indio sighed. “I have an idea.”
“What?”
Indio smiled a strange smile at her. “I’m going to see him.”
Elli gaped at him. “What? Why the hell would you do that?”
“To threaten him, of course. To tell him ‘congratulations on the move’ and that if he wants his life to remain the same, he’ll go and never come back.”
“You’re going to call his bluff?”
“Yep.”
Elli sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know what good it will do.”
“It can’t hurt and it’s better than you using yourself for bait.”
Elli looked away from his gaze. “You already said no to that.” She sighed and went into Indio’s arms. “Let’s just get tonight out of the way, then we can talk again.” She smiled up at her husband. “Are you looking forward to it?”
Indio rolled his eyes, grinning shyly. Venice was bestowing an award on Indio tonight at a gala held in his honor, celebrating his work. It coincided with the Masquerade Ball, but Elli had balked at that. “No more masks,” she said, and Indio agreed.
“Actually,” he said now. “I have a surprise for you. After the gala tonight, we’re flying to a private island in the Med.”
He laughed as she bugged at him. “You’re kidding?”
