3

The next afternoon, Lillian was obviously distracted.

At first, I didn't pay much attention.

Then I picked up the file on my desk to check the plans for tonight's shipment, and my expression hardened.

"Lillian."

Her head snapped up. She looked nervous but a little hopeful.

"Santina? Did you get the chocolates..."

"Explain this."

I cut her off and set the file in front of her.

Lillian looked down at it, and every bit of color drained from her face.

"You changed the convoy's route without clearing it with the head of security. And then you sent the new schedule to three people who don't have clearance to see it?"

I tapped the desk with one finger.

"Do you know what happens if this gets into enemy hands?"

Lillian's lips trembled.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to do more for you both. I thought..."

"You thought?"

My voice turned cold.

"Lillian, one careless mistake could get the whole transport crew killed."

She looked down, and her eyes went red.

"But I already said I'm sorry."

Right then, Vittorio strode in. His gaze landed on Lillian's red-rimmed eyes.

"What's going on?"

He picked up the file and skimmed it.

He frowned, but a moment later he was back to his usual cool, commanding self.

"It's one mistake. There's still time to fix it. No need to make this ugly."

I stared at him, half convinced I'd heard wrong.

One mistake?

"Vittorio."

I lowered my voice.

"Who taught me that in our world there's no room for mistakes, because one mistake can cost someone their life? Who told me that the people who risk their lives for this family deserve to have their safety taken seriously?"

His jaw went tight.

For a moment, nobody said anything.

Then Lillian let out a muffled sob.

Vittorio turned to her right away and patted her shoulder to calm her.

"That's enough for today," he said, looking at me. "I'll have someone else go over the file again."

With that, he took Lillian and left.

I watched them go, and the whole thing felt absurd.

The man I'd loved for years had become someone I didn't recognize, and I couldn't even tell when it had happened.

By the time I'd sorted out the transport plans, night had fallen over Sicily.

I went up to the rooftop alone to get some air.

The door behind me swung open. I looked back. It was Lillian.

"Vittorio told me you always come up here when something's bothering you."

I stiffened. It was true. Whenever something was eating at me, I came up to the roof and let the wind clear my head.

That was a secret between Vittorio and me.

This place was supposed to belong to just the two of us.

At least, that's what I'd always believed.

Lillian edged closer and stopped a few steps away.

"I know you must hate me right now."

I didn't answer.

"I'm sorry. I really never thought it would turn out like this."

She pressed her lips together, fighting back tears.

"When I was in New York, I was so lonely. My marriage was a nightmare. Every night when I went to sleep, I didn't know if I'd live to see the next morning."

Her voice started to break.

"While you were away, Vittorio was there for me the whole time. He made me feel safe. He made me feel like I finally had someone to lean on. And somewhere along the way, I fell in love with him."

She took a deep breath, and the tears finally spilled over.

"Santina, you have everything. Power, money, status. You've never had to beg anyone to take care of you. You've never needed anybody to survive.

"I'm not like you. I just want someone to love me. Someone who'll choose me."

I almost laughed out loud.

She'd said so much, and none of it answered the one thing I actually wanted to know.

"There are so many men in this world, Lillian."

I looked her straight in the eye.

"Why did it have to be mine?"

Her eyes slid away. After a long moment, she wiped her tears and forced herself to stand up straight.

"Santina, you can hate me. You can blame me. You helped me when I had nowhere else to go, and I'll never forget that. But I don't owe you my whole life. I'm not giving up the life I want just because you saved me once."

I looked at her. For a moment, I honestly didn't know what to say.

I'd never asked her to spend her life making sacrifices for me.

I'd just believed that between the friend I trusted most and the man I loved most, at least one of them wouldn't betray me.

Lillian opened her mouth, then closed it again without a word.

She turned and left the rooftop, one slow step at a time.

I stayed where I was until I couldn't hear her footsteps anymore.