Page 33 of Broken Princess

Those four words send my entire world grinding to a halt on its axis, and it feels like I'm going to go flying off along with everything else.

I linger by the door for a moment, hugging myself, before I walk back over to the chair and sit down. My thoughts are pure chaos, and I refuse to look at or even acknowledge him.

He sits back down, too, and silence lingers in the room for what feels like forever, even though it can't have been more than a minute or two.

"How?" I finally croak. The word sounds as crackly as brittle stone, and that's exactly how I feel right now.

"How did I find out?" he says calmly, even though I could hardly be referring to anything else. "I received a notice through my insurance for a local clinic, and at the time, I didn't think anything of it. When you went missing, I went digging, and I found out the truth."

"That's not possible!" I cry. "I didn't even use my insurance card. And they wouldn't have told you about my medical information."

"No, but when you went to the pharmacy, they billed the prescription automatically," he answers. "From there, it was just a matter of following the paperwork. As for your right to privacy, do you really think that's going to hold up around here?"

My hands clench in my lap again, and I can hardly see through my spinning vision.

Of course not.

All he would have to do is show up and say his name, and no matter how professional the doctor is, unless they’re suicidal, they would give him whatever he wanted. They wouldtellhim whatever he wanted.

"Nothing to say to that?" he asks.

"What am I supposed to say?" I counter, tears slipping down my cheeks. "You've already made up your mind, haven't you? I already know what you think of me, and in your mind, this just confirms it."

His expression falters, as if he wasn't expecting that response. For a moment, he says nothing. When he finally does speak, his voice is low and full of censure.

"For God's sake, Amelia. Lorenzo Rossi? You're smarter than that."

I'm not expecting that, either. Or the fact that my response is to feel insulted on Lorenzo's behalf, not even my own. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means," he growls. "Honestly, what were you thinking?"

I purse my lips, fighting back more tears of frustration. The truth is, I wasn't thinking. Thought isn't what got me into this mess, but he already knows that and I'm not going to give him more fodder.

He finally seems to realize I'm not going to respond and shakes his head in disappointment. That's the one emotion he's never been shy about showing.

"I know you think he cares about you. Hell, given the way he came storming into my office when he realized you were gone, he's probably got himself halfway convinced of that, too, but he doesn't. Men like Lorenzo don't care about anyone or anything but themselves, and the sooner you realize that, the better. He's certainly not ready to be a father."

"Men like Lorenzo," I scoff. "Are you sure you don't mean men like you?"

"Maybe I do," he says, shrugging when I finally look at him again. "Maybe I recognize myself in him. Which is all the more reason for you to listen to me for once in your fucking life."

I'm startled by his words, since he usually doesn't curse in front of women, but more by the frustration in his tone. If I didn't know better, I'd actually think he gave a damn. Logically, I know Lorenzo doesn't. I'm not as much of a fool as he thinks, but that means I also know better than to believe Dad cares any more than Lorenzo does.

"He's Kayleigh's fiancé," I remind him, even though it's pure torture to get the words out. "Why aren't you trying to talk her out of it, too?"

"Because Kayleigh has already made up her mind, and the surest way to push her even further into his arms would be to disapprove of it," he mutters. "And considering the other fools she's brought home before him, it's an upgrade. It's different with you."

"How?" I press.

He sets his jaw in irritation and watches me for a few moments more. Long enough that I think he's not going to answer when he finally does. "You're smart, for one thing. Too smart to lose your head over a damn Rossi, this recent escapade aside."

Those words take me by surprise even more. I think mostly because it's the first time he's ever said anything positive about me in recent memory, but also because I'm starting to wonder if the rivalry between the Rossis and Carillos is really as far under the bridge as he wants people to think.

"Dad..."

"Does he know?" he asks, ignoring me.

I hesitate. "Does Lorenzo know about the baby?" His pointed silence is enough affirmation, so I reply, "Yes. He knows."

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