Chapter Six

Valentina

"Is she the one?"

Surprise crossed his face when he saw me.

"Hey! Did you wow him...."

His sentence was cut off when I closed the distance and wrapped my hand around his arm. I had learned to read subtle cues in his body language, and tonight, he was on high alert.

I didn't need him for anything else than to provide a front for which I would find my sister. He had no right to cheat on me so easily.

"Valentina, meet Sophia," Matteo said, his voice taking a softer tone that I rarely heard. "My half sister."

She looked nothing like him. Her raven black hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, framing a pale face with sharp, striking features.

Sophia’s eyes met mine, and for a split second, I saw something flicker in them. Recognition, maybe. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Valentina," Sophia said, her voice smooth as velvet. "Matteo has told me so much about you. And so did your sister."

I kept my features plain to hide the shock I felt.

Sophia knew Isabella, yet Isabella never mentioned anything about her.

"Likewise," I replied, offering a polite smile. "Matteo told me all about you too, yet he missed out one detail...

"And what would that be?" Sophia chuckled, the sound almost musical.

"He didn't tell me you were this gorgeous."

Flattery was a way to a woman's heart. Especially women who came to events like this and were part of this crowd.

A brief look of surprise crossed Sophia’s face before she composed herself. "Well, I never expected him to talk about me."

The truth.

Caterina was the one who filled me on about the Nevarro's family tree. The half siblings he was forced to grow with. His rivalry with his half brother.

Sophia turned to Matteo, studying him. Her dark eyes narrowed slightly. "You're playing a dangerous game, Matteo. One wrong move, and you'll lose everything."

I had no idea what they were talking about now.

But Matteo's expression remained impassive. "I'm well aware of the risks."

"I would be fine with you losing everything," Sophia continued, a resigned sigh escaping her lips.

As she prepared to leave, her eyes turned back to mine. "She never would have left, you know."

"Sophia," Matteo's warning was loud enough for all to get.

But Sophia ignored him, her attention focused on me. "She loved... him even if he wasn't perfect. She never would have left."

There was something in her tone that sent a shiver down my spine. Isabella had loved Matteo as much as he loved her? Did she know something?

"Was someone after her?" I asked, my tone laced with urgency.

Sophia opened her mouth to speak, but Matteo cut her off. "That's enough, Sophia. Run along now."

"Is my big brother scared?" She teased, but she said nothing about the situation again. Just turned and walked away.

My grip on Matteo's arm lessened, and I walked away from him. Tension radiated off him in waves, and I didn't want to be there when he exploded.

"You shouldn't believe a word Sophia says."

I chuckled darkly. "Because she wants to help me find the woman you love?" I spat the words angrily.

Matteo's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed as he held unto my arm, bringing me closer. "She helps herself only, and sometimes her brothers. Don't be so much of a fool to think she won't discard you once she's done."

"At least she helps." I spoke slowly like I was talking to a child.

But that only seemed to make him angrier. "Stay out of businesses that doesn’t concern you, and focus on those that do."

"Matteo, does she know where Isabella is?" I asked, my voice trembling with the weight of the question.

I let out a little gasp when he backed me against the wall, away from prying eyes and listening ears.

"If she does and she can help us..." I bit unto my bottom lip, desperate for anything that would make him understand.

"Damn my sister. Damn her help."

He stared down at me like he wanted to rip my head off at that very moment.

"What I want...." He pressed his thumb against the flutter at the base of my neck. "..is for you to stay away from things that don't concern you. To be safe. There are terrible people in this place, people who would lie to you if they knew what you want, Tesoro. So next time, leave the conversations to me."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Tesoro?"

He didn't answer, and I didn't ask again.

"Would you help me then?" I asked, sighing softly because I knew what his answer would be.

"No, I won't because she wasn't kidnapped."

A tiny shiver rippled through me. "Because you don't want to go through the effort of finding a third sister?"

"Because I don't want to give the person who lays a hand on you a quick death. I want something slow."

His lips widened in a smile when I stared at him after he said those words. I had no idea Matteo cared about me enough to be willing to kill someone for me.

He pushed himself off the wall and away from me, adjusting his cufflinks to make sure it was still in place.

"It's time to return to the party," He said, returning to his normal icy self. "Shall we?"

The party continued, with guests laughing and drinking, oblivious to the pain in my heart.

I played my part for the most part, smiling with the husbands, engaging in polite conversations with the wives, while my mind raced with possibilities.

Perhaps this wasn't the best place to hunt for clues about Isabella. Perhaps this wasn't the best place for someone like me to come to.

But I was here, and Isabella could have been a friend to any one of them.

If Matteo didn't watch me like a hawk, I knew I would have asked.