91 • The New Tomassini Heir

Florence, Italy

◆ LORENZIO ◆

Rain pelted on the windows as I sat next to my brother's loveseat in the middle of his spacious living room. Gray clouds hid the mid-afternoon sun, and the house, which once held memories of private and carefree moments, now felt like a comfortable prison. To me at least.

This used to be my brother's favorite vacation house: a 4000-square meter countryside property with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an expensive fireplace, a huge yard, and a wide pool Leandro actually designed himself.

Now that he was behind bars for violating his house arrest, he phoned and practically begged me to take his ex and their baby here. To keep them safe and away from unwanted media attention, he said.

I supposed he just wanted to make sure that Rafa wouldn't be my nephew's stepdad anytime soon. The situation felt peculiar, to say the least. But I just couldn't say no to his request.

An innocent child was involved. A clueless, helpless newborn. Leandro and Alodia's baby