CHAPTER 18

ELIX

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Grace continued. “She’s been under a lot of stress.”

I nodded once. “It’s fine. Accidents happen.”

“Come, I’ll attend to that.” Grace gave May a worried look and gently guided her away, still apologizing, completely unaware of how close she had been to witnessing something far worse in her clean little hallway.

When they were gone, I stood there alone for a moment, staring at the wet floor, the broken cups, and the phone lying cracked near the wall.

Zaria was… cleverer than I thought. She had managed to evade the women I had placed at strategic points around the airport.

The foolish girl had nearly ruined my plans with her forwardness. But the day of exposure would come soon. That would be the day of reckoning… when Zaria would stand alone in the courtroom. Delight filled me at the thought of her frightened face, standing there with no one beside her.

Would she be crying on the witness stand? And what role would I play that day? The role of a doting wife… or the role of someone vindictive, someone who truly cared for Renzo?

I snorted.

My phone vibrated immediately.

I narrowed my eyes at it, shocked to see Papa’s name on the screen. Why were the heavens so annoying today?

What sort of manipulation was this, trying to ruin my mood?

Still, I plastered a small smile on my face as I swiped to answer. I would never reject my father’s call, not after the lengths he had gone to indulge my obsession.

“Papa?”

“My little daughter.” Papa’s gruff voice reached my ears, scratching places I didn’t want it to.

As much as I hated to admit it, I loved hearing his voice.

“How are you? I hope you’re familiarising yourself with Lorenzo’s house. He’s given you full control.”

My ears twitched. I could practically hear him trying to suppress a smile. What a psychopath. Unfortunately for the world, he had raised one too.

“He is Renzo, Papa. It says Renzo on his birth certificate. And stop with the dark humour…” I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my lips anyway.

Ugh. Papa and his bad influence.

“You are avoiding the subject, my princess.”

“I am twenty-three, Papa. I am hardly your princess.”

“And she does it again.”

“Just stop.” I gritted my teeth, irritated that he was trying to drag the real me out. Why couldn’t he just accept the honeyed princess for once?

“I feel better now that the tone is gone.” Papa’s voice hardened instantly, slipping into the thick Italian accent I had come to hate… so fucking much. That was when I knew he was done playing.

That was always his pattern anyway: call, annoy me until I wanted to slam my head into a wall, then talk business while I was already in a foul mood.

“Have you found her? I gave you enough resources, Elix. Why do I taste disappointment on the tip of my tongue?” he growled, making me flinch despite the distance.

“Papa…”

“I supported your little games as long as you knew where she was twenty-four hours a day. We could have killed her at our leisure then. So tell me why she slipped through your fingers. And look at you, Elizabetta, turning to Renzo’s people for help. You know how much I hate dealing with that prick, Riccardo.”

I shivered.

Papa loved reshaping English names to fit his Italian tongue. Renzo became Lorenzo, Richard became Riccardo, and my name… Elix became Elisabetta…

I tightened my grip on the phone. How fucking… unpleasant. There was no other word I could think of. Oh, here one: Disgusting. Absolutely Disgusting. He had better snap out of that old school perspective and see that everyone has moved into the new.

“Papa,” My throat felt dry at my father's silence. “I aligned with Renzo's men to find Zaria. They all pledged their loyalty because they believed it was all for Renzo. That's a big move, Papa.”

I was even proud of myself…

“You sound tired,” he said at last. “That tells me you’re slipping.”

“I am not slipping,” I snapped before I could stop myself. “Things didn’t go exactly as planned, that’s all. But as I said, that's all…”

A low chuckle rumbled through the line, yet Papa didn't sound amused. “That’s what people say right before they lose control.”

I turned away from the hallway and walked toward the window. The city lights outside were calm, orderly… nothing like the irritation crawling under my skin.

“You’re enjoying this,” I said. “You always do.”

“Of course I am,” Papa replied smoothly. “Pressure reveals character. And right now, Elisabetta, your character is shouting instead of thinking. I taught you better than this.”

“Don’t use my full name like that,” I hissed. “You only do that when you’re trying to remind me who you think I am.”

“Who are you?,” he corrected. “My daughter and my investment.”

That earned him a curse under my breath. “I am not an investment.”

“You are when you’re sitting in another man’s house, begging his workers to worship you like a salivating bitch,” Papa snarled. “Tell me, has Zaria ever done that? Renzo's men fucking adored her! She is called the Mafia queen for a reason. Does Renzo even know how close you came to losing everything today?”

I swallowed. “Renzo trusts me.”

Papa laughed softly. “Men like Renzo don’t trust, they tolerate. Learn the difference, my dear… I am sure that man is hiding something from you.”

I pressed my palm to my forehead, feeling the beginning of a headache. “Zaria will be found. She’s running, not hiding, and that always leaves tracks.”

“She already slipped past you once,” Papa said. “What does that say about your grip?”

“That she got lucky,” I shot back. “and her luck will run out eventually.”

“How foolish.”

My nails dug into my palm. “Watch your mouth. Your connections could only get to Brazil, but you fucking missed her!”