Of course, the man she’d married was a workaholic.
The sound came again. With a sigh, Alex got out of the bed and looked around. After several tries, she located the sleek cell phone in a drawer under a laptop.
And frowned. This wasn’t V’s usual cell phone.
The number on the screen amplified her confusion.
She knew that number. It was Massimo’s.
Why was Massimo Brunetti calling Vincenzo? How would he even know him?
* * *
Ever since Greta Brunetti, the matriarch of the Brunetti dynasty, had welcomed Alex with open arms almost thirteen years ago as a teenager—after discovering her much-younger second husband had an illegitimate daughter from a previous fling—the Brunettis had become her adopted family, including Greta’s grandsons, sired by the son from her first marriage. Despite being no blood relation to Alex, Leonardo and Massimo Brunetti had nevertheless embraced her, generously sharing their home and hearts with her.
But of course, Massimo was worried about her. They all were. Guilt assailed Alex as she thought of the last few weeks. She’d never planned to stay away from Milan for so long. She’d only meant to spend some time in Bali after her latest photoshoot getting her head on straight about her career, about where she wanted her life to go. She’d even turned her phone off, wanting a complete break from social media and endless phone calls.
Instead of focusing on her future, she’d met Vincenzo. And married him in secret.
And had postponed telling the Brunettis, because Massimo and Leo, and especially Greta, deserved better than to be told her momentous news in a voice message or via an impulsive text.
But now… Somehow, the technical genius that was Massimo had discovered that she was holed up with Vincenzo. How was that even possible? Why hadn’t Vincenzo mentioned that he knew the Brunettis?
Alex finally hit Answer on the screen and scrunched her face. “Hey, Massimo.”
“Alex, cara, is that you? What are you doing with Vincenzo Cavalli’s phone?”
Alex bit her lip. Massimo sounded different. Something was wrong here. “Why are you calling his number, Massimo? How do you know him?”
A sense of urgency filled Massimo’s voice. “Cara, listen to me. Vincenzo is…he’s the one responsible for all the trouble we’ve been facing at Brunetti Finances. He’s the one who launched the hacker attack on the cyber arm. He’s the one who’s been goading board members into getting rid of Leo. He’s a…a very dangerous man, bella. He’s been hitting us from all sides for almost a year now. Concerted attacks on all of us—me, Leo, Greta. He’s even achieved ownership of Father’s stock somehow.”
All of us… Massimo, Leo, Greta.
And her? Was she some kind of target too?
Alex felt as if the ground was being stolen from under her. She sank to the bed, her knees shaking, her belly swooping in a series of never-ending somersaults. “Massimo, I don’t understand. But why…how…”
“Leo’s been trying to reach you for some time, bella, but you seem to have been incommunicado. We learned that this Cavalli was also in Bali, and we wanted to make sure you stayed clear of him. Finally, Natalie, who used to work for him, had the idea to call his old number to try and talk to him. We were running out of other options.”
Alex was numb with shock and betrayal.
“Cristo, Alex! What are you doing with him? Why—?”
“I…if I organize a taxi out to the airport, can you get me out of here, Massimo?” Alex cut him off. God, she needed to get out of here. Now. Before Vincenzo came back. Before he charmed her again with his sweet words and addictive lovemaking.
“Of course. I’ll… Alex, is everything okay?”
“Just…please, get me out of here. Now.”
“Okay, bella. Just sit tight. Give me a few minutes to organize you a flight. Alex, whatever it is, Leo and I will fix it. We’re here for you.”
Alex ended the call before she started bawling on the phone. Before…
What had she done?
Why hadn’t Vincenzo even mentioned the Brunettis? Why was he attacking them like this? There was no chance it could be a mistake. Massimo and Leo had been having troubles at the company for more than a year now. Even Alex had been peripherally aware of it.
And now the man she’d fallen for so hard, the man she’d married so quickly, far from being the romantic prince she’d thought him, was in truth the enemy.
But even hours later, as she flew home to Milan, without having even breathed a word to Vincenzo, Alex couldn’t help wishing it was all a mistake.
That Vincenzo was not the man who had been wreaking destruction on her adopted family.
That he was not the man who remained a serious threat to Leonardo’s CEO position on the BFI board.
That he was not the man who had been unerringly finding weak spots in one of the most powerful families in Milan and hitting them where it hurt the most.
CHAPTER TWO
VINCENZO STARED UP at the villa on the shores of Lake Como. The villa that had been the seat of the Brunettis’ power for nearly two centuries.
He walked up the very marble steps where his mother had stood and begged Greta Brunetti to believe that her son, Vincenzo, was the old woman’s grandson, sired by Silvio Brunetti.
Greta’s own flesh and blood.
But two decades later, as he walked up the same steps again, there was no fear or doubt in him. Soon this would all be his. Power and confidence surged through him as he walked in through the huge archway into the lounge.
Of course, his sweet wife, Alessandra, had hastened his arrival by running away and hiding here. He didn’t quite mind the acceleration in his plans though.
He enjoyed walking into the lounge to see them all assembled there—the matriarch, Greta Brunetti; her grandsons, Leonardo and Massimo Brunetti; their wives, Neha and Natalie, and, amidst them, sitting on the chaise longue, was Alessandra.
She looked up as he entered. And he found his pulse started racing, like a schoolboy’s. Instead of the anger he
