Chapter 3

I looked Elio dead in the eye and said coldly, "Your visitor?"

Elio never let outsiders into the house.

Unless he gave the nod, there was no way Fiona could set foot on the Moretti estate.

He took a step back, came to stand shoulder to shoulder with Fiona, and avoided my eyes.

"I've figured out why you're upset. I asked her here so she could explain."

"Fiona isn't the kind of person you think she is..."

That made me laugh in spite of myself.

"Someone called her Donna and she didn't deny it. Go on, then. Tell me what kind of person she is."

Two weeks ago, Elio took me to a family gathering, and Fiona came along.

The whole night she stayed pressed close to his side.

The two of them traded whispers and laughed out loud together, thick as thieves.

One of the new men got the wrong idea, kissed Fiona's hand, and said.

"Donna Moretti, I had no idea you'd be so young and beautiful."

Fiona looked at him with a smile and didn't deny it.

If it weren't for Elio's standing, I'd have slapped her across the face on the spot.

Elio never pursued it afterward, and in the end it all blew over.

"Donna, you can't bully me just because I'm beneath you."

"The one who slipped up was that new man, not me..."

She bit her lip and bowed to me, the very picture of hurt.

"But you're the Donna. If you say it was my fault, then let it be my fault."

"Please don't make things hard on the Don over me. I apologize to you."

Elio looked at her as if it pained him.

"Let's not bring up what's past. That new man will pay for his mistake."

"You and Danielle just need to get along. There's no reason for you to suffer on my account."

That night I'd been livid, white in the face, and to him it was just something "past."

Fiona put on her pitiful little act, and he was right there telling her not to suffer over it.

Elio turned to me and made his suggestion sound like nothing at all.

"You shouldn't be blaming Fiona for this. You apologize to her too, and we'll call it even."

Something in me clenched hard.

And then everything went hollow.

I held his gaze, calm now, and said it slow and deliberate.

"I'll say this one last time. I want a divorce, which means you have no right to give me orders."

"I will never apologize to her. It isn't fair."

Fiona flinched, and tears spilled down like a broken string of pearls.

She hid behind Elio and gripped the hem of his jacket with both hands, like a frightened little girl.

Elio narrowed his eyes, and his look slowly turned cold.

"Danielle, you're my Donna. Don't say things in anger that you don't mean."

"That's enough. It was never a big deal to begin with. I'll give you an hour to calm down."

"In an hour, you apologize to Fiona, and this is over."

With that, he left, and took Fiona with him.

I sank onto the couch, drained of all strength.

With shaking hands, I called my father.

"Dad. I want to come home."

"All right." He paused. "Did something happen?"

"I'm divorcing Elio. I want to stay home for a while."

Silence for a moment, then his voice came back. "All right. I'll be waiting for you."

He didn't even ask why.

My throat went tight. "Dad, I love you."

"I love you too, Danielle."

I hung up, choking on the words.

Once I'd steadied myself, I got up to pack.

When I was done, I took one last look at the house where I'd spent seven years.

Then I turned and left it behind without a shred of regret.

At the front gate, the family's advisor stopped me.

His face was grave. "Donna, an order just came down from the Don. You can't leave. You're to attend a family tribunal."

"What tribunal? I'm not going to any tribunal."

"You have to attend. Because..."

His face darkened, and he forced the rest out through his teeth.

"The tribunal is for you."