Page 196 of Niccolo

Allof them happened a matter of hours after the wire transfers that had drained our accounts.

I stared at the screen and wondered,Sofia… what the fuck have you done?

However, it didn’t make sense.

Sofia had a certain ruthlessness to her –

But if she reallywasa monster, I was sure her mask would have slipped at some point.

I had a good radar for psychopaths and monsters, and she hadn’t triggered it.

You missed your uncle,a little voice reminded me.

But that was just it: these deaths were far more likely to be Fausto’s doing.

He actuallywasa monster; my father’s murder proved it.

And what was it she’d said at the casino about the bank transfers?

Actually, that one was more Fausto than me. He’s the one who arranged everything. I just suggested it.

So it was Fausto’s doing, not hers.

I had to wonder if my attraction for her was clouding my judgment…

But I didn’t think it was.

At least, I hoped it wasn’t.

Prayedit wasn’t.

Shortly after I finished my research, Roberto called.

After I informed him what was going on back home, he asked for a favor.

“I need you to overnight a case of our 2008 Brunello di Montalcino to the address I’m about to text you,”he said.

Our vineyard’s 2008 Brunello di Montalcino had won awards in European wine-tasting competitions.

It was also over a thousand euros a bottle…

And he wanted me to send somebody a dozen of them.

“What the fuck are you doing over there?!” I asked, incensed.

“Just have the winery overnight it, alright?”

Annoying little prick.

I went about the rest of my morning – although since Lars still had everyone on lockdown, I worked in one of the mansion’s studies.

Then, shortly before noon, I got a call.

It was a Rome area code. It wasn’t a number I recognized, and there was no caller ID. Thinking it might be theCosa Nostrafamily that ran Rome,I answered it. “Hello?”

“Ciao, bello,”Sofia replied.

Hi, handsome.

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