Page 50 of Bound By The Italian’s 'I Do'

She shook her head violently. ‘No. Never.’

‘She lied to you. You know it in your heart.’

‘No! She wouldn’t! And even if she did, she would have had her reasons. Oh... You don’t understand!’

‘Then make me. Tell me. Tell why you are so ready to throw us away.’

‘I don’t want to throw us away! I want to be with you but it’s impossible.’

‘Explain it to me. You owe me that much.’

‘Gianni... You said I don’t hold bitterness and anger towards my mother, and that I learned to understand and forgive her and help her...none of that came easy. There were times Ihatedmy mum for what she was doing to herself but I never let myself fall into despair because through it all, I had my sister. I have looked up to her my entire life, even when I was a brat to her in the days when I believed everything was perfect. Amelia’s the one who held what was left of our family together and held me together. She’s the one who helped Mum, not me; I only helped Amelia help her. She’s the one who protected me from the bullies at the horrid school we were sent to after Dad...’ She cut herself off and took a long breath before looking him squarely in the eye. ‘I know dad ripped you off. I believe you. If you say he ripped off other companies and people too then I believe you. And if you say Amelia lied to me about finding proof of corruption against you then I believe that too.’

Oh, but ithurtto finally admit that, and Issy had to wipe away more tears before adding, ‘I believe you, Gianni. She lied to me.’

God help her, she was taking Gianni’s word over her own sister’s. But she knew it. From the moment he’d denied it, she’d known in her heart, just as he’d said, that he was telling the truth. It was a truth she’d locked away from herself in the beautiful days they’d just shared, burying it because she’d fallen madly in love and had selfishly wanted to have this time with him, because he was right about that too—what she felt for him would never be replicated.

All along though, she’d known it would have to end. What she hadn’t known was how much it would hurt.

‘You believe me?’ He grabbed the back of his neck and sucked air in.

‘It doesn’t change anything. She hates you and your cousin too much. Her lie must have been born out of desperation, there’s no other explanation for it. You should have seen her in the days leading up to my leaving for the Caribbean; she was so tense at the thought our time was finally coming that I thought she would snap. That we’ve failed will be destroying her. I can’t add to that. I just can’t. I can’t betray her.’

‘You already have,’ he stated flatly.

‘I know.’ God, she was going to cry again. ‘But this...here...what we’ve shared...soon it will be just a memory. For me to leave her and make a life with you... It would devastate her. She would never forgive me.’

‘Do you not think it is the same for me?’

Taken aback at the tightness in his voice, Issy met his stare. The coldness shining from his eyes made her quail.

‘Do you not think Alessandro will think I have betrayed him? Me, the one person in this world he trusts, falling in love with one of the women who set out to destroy us?’ The more he spoke, the more the ice-like fury that had been building in Gianni while Issy had been making all her excuses spread. ‘Me, falling in love with Thomas Seymore’s daughter and wanting to build a life with her? Do you not think that will land like a kick in the teeth to him? And do not forget, Alessandro is as much of a victim in this whole charade as I am. More so. While you and I have been having fun here in the Caribbean, he’s been fighting for the very existence of our company. Don’t you think I know what the consequences could be? Exactly the same as what you fear. The difference is I love you enough that I’m willing to lose everything to be with you. I would walk on hot coals for you, but you...’ He laced his voice with all the contempt he could inject into it. ‘You’re a coward. You won’t even try, and you’re using your sister as an excuse.’

She looked like he’d slapped her. ‘How can you say that? You know what we’ve been through and what we mean to each other.’

‘That’s my whole point,’ he spat. ‘If your sister loves you as much as you love her then she will want the best for you. She will want you to be happy. If you wanted it enough, you would convince her. I don’t deny she will be angry and betrayed but in time she would come round. Maybe she would never accept me as a brother-in-law but she sure as hell wouldn’t want to lose you, but we will never know, will we? And I will never know if Alessandro would forgive me because you’re so scared that I’ll end up abandoning you as your parents did through their addictions that you’d rather cling to your sister’s skirt and use her as an excuse than take the leap of faith with me.’

‘I’m not scared,’ she whispered.

‘Liar.’ Rising to his feet, he dusted the sand from his hands. ‘And so much for trusting me.’

Unable to bear looking at her stricken, cowardly face a moment longer, Gianni turned on his heel and walked away from her.

‘Where are you going?’ Issy scrambled to her feet, panic suddenly clawing at her.

‘To call Captain Caville. ThePalazzo delle Feste’s moored on an island fifty kilometres away. It will not take long to reach us. I suggest you start packing.’

She had to practically run to catch him. ‘What, we’re leaving?’

‘I have no wish to stay here another minute longer than necessary.’

‘But we’re not expected back in London for a couple more days.’

‘Our time here is over.’

‘Please, Gianni, don’t let it end like this.’

He came to an abrupt halt and spun around to face her. ‘What the hell do you expect? A few more days offuntogether? No, you have made your decision and I have made mine. We will sail to the nearest island with an airport that flies to the UK and I will buy you a ticket for the first flight home.’

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