Chapter 4

Matteo didn’t answer right away. He took a clean cloth from a side table and pressed it against my palm.

“Can you stand?”

“Yes.” I caught his sleeve. “Stay with me.”

He helped me up, keeping his hand beneath my injured one. Only when I was steady did he look at Marco.

“Her boyfriend.”

Marco’s gaze dropped to the keys in Matteo’s hand. The leather loop matched mine, the silver E clearly visible.

“What’s she paying you? Name your price. This performance has to be worth something.”

“I’m not explaining my relationship to you.” My voice shook, but I kept looking at him. “I told you I didn’t break the seal. You hit me before I could say anything else.”

Bianca clutched his arm. “If you’ve got somebody else, why ruin my wedding? Do I have to give Marco up before you’ll leave me alone?”

“I haven’t asked you to give him up.”

“I’m not finished with her.” Marco stepped in front of Bianca. “Hand her over.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Matteo stayed beside me. A second man blocked the guards before they could move.

“Watch yourselves. You’re speaking to Mr. De Luca.”

The room went quiet. I finally connected the name to the stories. New York’s new boss rarely appeared in public. Dad had mentioned that Marco’s branch of the Vitale family had been trying to discuss East Coast shipping routes with him for months. They hadn’t even received a reply.

Marco’s expression changed. Matteo was still watching the guards, keeping them away while I held the cloth against my hand.

My parents arrived a moment later. Mom saw my swollen cheek, then the blood soaking through the cloth.

“Who touched you?”

Bianca broke into fresh sobs. “I should never have come between them. That seal belonged to Marco’s grandfather. No matter how upset she was, she couldn’t just…”

Dad stepped past her.

“Elena, tell me what happened. Nobody’s touching you again.”

For a moment, I could barely get the words out. Matteo supported my injured hand and waited. Mom stood close enough for me to lean against her.

“I didn’t break anything. Marco took Bianca’s word for it. He hit me, then had his men force me onto my knees and tried to make me sign that confession.”

Dad picked up the paper.

“Keep it,” I said. “I want his family to see what he tried to make me sign.”

As Dad read, his expression hardened.

“Confess to sabotaging the alliance and renounce your family’s protection?” He looked at Marco. “You had your men put my daughter on the floor for this?”

Marco lifted his chin. “Better than letting the rest of our council deal with her.”

“You don’t get to call that protection,” I said. “I refused to sign. Your men held me down anyway.”

Dad stayed beside me, the confession in his hand.

“Where’s your proof?”

“Her earring’s here. The camera footage has conveniently been deleted. Who else would’ve done it?”

Bianca glanced at me. The smugness she didn’t quite manage to hide made my stomach turn.

Matteo accepted a tablet from his man.

“Your grandfather asked me for an independent security review. He dealt directly with me, without involving your branch of the family. My people keep an off-site copy of the recordings.”

He turned the screen toward me first.

“Elena?”

“Play it. All of it.”

Bianca let go of Marco’s arm.

A familiar doorway appeared on the screen, the timestamp just before her scream. Matteo turned up the volume and faced her.

“Shall we hear what you said in there, too?”