Page 125 of Beautiful Desire

Throwing my arms around her, I give her a hug and whisper, “I’m so sorry, Bianca. He’ll always be with me.”

Pulling away, I rub the tears from my eyes and pull myself together as I turn and walk toward the door.

Stopping at the small bedside locker beside the door, I drop the small envelope and say, “If you ever change your mind, everything you need will be here.”

Once again, I quietly open the door and check the hallway before slipping out of the room. I take in a deep breath and silently make my way out the back entrance of the house, sprinting toward the secret spot before running toward my freedom.

CHAPTER38

ELLE

Walking backinto Fabi and Gia’s house, I hold Lily tighter than ever before. Tears of relief spill from my eyes as I take deep inhales of her smell, trying to calm my racing heart. The hours since Lily was taken have been the worst of my life and something I never want to relive ever again. I don’t intend toeverlet her out of my sight again.

The feeling of Dom’s hand on my lower back gains my attention. Uncertainty swirls in my gut as I remember the words he said before he left. What is so important that he has to tell me right now? I felt the urgency of his words as I looked into his eyes.

Using the hand he has on the curve of my back, he guides me into the living area. Fabi, Gia, Melinda, and Marco follow us. I settle myself down on the couch, getting comfy and adjusting Lily to snuggle in tightly. My lips drop down to her head and I press a long, lingering peck on her forehead. Tears still continue to fall down my face, only now they’re tears of joy, relief, and happiness.

Feeling his presence near me, I open my eyes and see Dom kneeling at the side of the couch beside me. Moving his hand, he brings it to gently rest on Lily’s head as he takes her in.

“I’m so sorry I never—” I start to say, hoping to explain exactlywhyI never told him about Lily before.

Instead, he cuts me off, shaking his head. “Don’t. I get it. I wasn’t around.”

Rolling my lips, I try to stop the tears from falling as he continues.

“Elle, what I’m about to tell you isn’t going to be easy to hear. I only ask that you let me explain.”

My eyes bounce over to Gia and Fabi, who sit on the couch across from me. Marco stands in the doorway and Melinda sits in a nearby chair with a nervous look on her face. The energy in the room feels uneasy, and a feeling I’m not familiar with settles in my stomach.

Looking at Dom, I can see the desperation in his eyes as he looks back at me. After keeping him from Lily, I can at least allow him to tell me whatever it is he needs to talk about. Swallowing the lump that’s formed in my throat, I nod in agreement.

Huffing out a tired breath, he stands and paces back and forth. “The man who took Lily…well, he took her to get to me.”

What the hell is he talking about?

My brows furrow in confusion.

“Who was he? Who took her?” I ask as panic wells in my throat.

He hesitates briefly as his eyes flicker to Fabi, then drops his head before saying, “Nero.”

A deafening silence falls over the room as I stare up at him.

Nero? Where have I—

My eyes almost pop out of my head when I register who he’s talking about.

“Yourcousin,Nero? Why the hell would he take Lily? How did he even know about her? This doesn’t make any sense,” I gasp in fear. This is all too much information.

“Elle, I told you before, I’m not the man you think I am.”

My eyes flit back and forth as I watch him, my stomach clenched tight in anticipation.

“What I meant was, I wasn’t born Dominic Lombardi. My birth name is Arturo Bianchi.”

What? Am I dreaming? Is this real? Is this happening?

“What? What do you mean, your name is Arturo Bianchi? Th-that doesn’t make sense,” I reply as panic sweeps through me.

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