Page 37 of Playing the Sicilian's Game of Revenge

Or so her therapist had told her.

The limo joined a line of cars in front of the museum. The wealthy and elite glittered as they got out of their cars and made their way up the lighted walk to the museum.

Before the limo came to a full stop at the dropping-off point, Teo took her hand.

Every time he touched her, her heart still leaped. She still hoped. But that didn’t make her a fool. She wouldn’t let it. She would not fall into the trap of believing love was inconsequential any more than she would allow herself to treat it like a drug.

As she’d once told Teo, it required trust and respect. She would not settle for love without it. But that didn’t mean she had to abandon all hope she could help him, open his eyes, find the heart of him.

He took the ring he’d once given her and moved it from the pointer finger to her left ring finger. “Tonight there will be no doubt.”

Her breath caught, too many things fighting for purchase in her gut. It wasn’t real. But, oh, this ring and his serious expression made that easy to forget. “But I’ve just told my family we’re dating. I can hardly—”

“The timetable has moved up.” He got out of the car before she could mount an argument.

She inhaled deeply, let it out. She wouldn’t scramble after him. She wouldn’t be predictable. How would an emotionally mature person handle this? She got out of the car when he opened her door, took his offered hand.

When she got to her feet, she met his gaze with a bland, calm one of her own. “I don’t have to do this, Teo.”

“Then don’t.”

Calling each other’s bluffs. But the time for bluffs was over. The time for careful and tiptoeing and plans was over.

He tucked her arm into his, smiled at someone who greeted him, and pulled her forward. She went, not wanting to make a scene, but once again, she chose to see this as a good thing. Proof he was rattled.

“Why did we move up our timetable?” she asked, plastering a social smile on her face as they moved forward into the museum.

“You accused me of wasting time. Well, perhaps you were right. Perhaps I was being too careful. Now we’ll move. Full steam ahead, because that is my plan, and my plan is the only one that matters.”

“You seem very adamant about that. So angrily sure that it’s all you could possibly want or care about.”

“Almost as if I have been crystal clear about that for a while now, bedda.” He moved them toward a man with a tray, handed her a flute of champagne. “Why not find some of your little friends who love to gossip about Parisi?” he said dismissively. “Make sure to flash that ring about.”

Saverina thought about being difficult, but doing it here wouldn’t suit their revenge narrative. As much as she thought Teo needed to understand there was more to life, more to him than this revenge, she also wanted to see Dante pay.

Especially if her theory that he’d attacked his own son turned out to be true. So for the next few hours, she would play her role. After the event, she would try to poke at Teo again.

She found a few of the biggest office gossips, started up a conversation, until they inevitably noticed her ring. Some just got wide-eyed and didn’t mention it, though they’d no doubt take it back to their friends who might care about such things.

However, Nevi, one of Saverina’s least favorite people at Parisi, immediately grasped her hand. “Oh, my! Look at that!” She looked up at Saverina, eyes all wide...but calculating. “Who?” Nevi demanded.

Saverina found that a little odd. She knew it was all over the office she and Teo were dating now. Their lunches had done that. For Nevi to act like she didn’t know who Saverina might be engaged to was a bit suspicious.

“Teo, naturally,” she said, tugging her hand free of Nevi’s.

“Teo LaRosa! But...he’s so handsome.”

As if that meant he wouldn’t be interested in Saverina? She tried not to scowl, but this was exactly why she didn’t like Nevi. She was the queen of trying to make everyone else feel small. “That he is.”

Nevi chewed on her bottom lip, leaned forward as if they were confidants. “Aren’t you worried?”

“About what?”

“Well, we all know who your brother is. This was a bit whirlwind. Aren’t you worried he’s just using you to get to your brother?”

Saverina looked at the woman a full, silent minute until a faint blush began to creep into Nevi’s cheeks.

“Sorry. I guess that was insensitive.”

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