Page 197 of The One
I lift my hand to knock but freeze at what I hear…
Chapter Seventy-Four
Mariella
“I’ve done what you asked. Gualtiero De Marco is taken care of. He’s as good as dead.”
The air leaves my lungs.
My hand falls to my side, fingers trembling. My mind races, trying to make sense of what I just heard.
Taken care of?
Does he know who shot Tiero?
Merda!Was he involved?
I take a slow, shaky step closer, pressing my back to the wall just beside the doorframe. My heart is a wild thing, slamming against my ribs, but I force myself to listen.
“No, I assure you. They won’t be able to find a donor lung in time.”
I clap a hand over my mouth. He doesn’t know about Tiero’s decision to save Ella, not that it will make any difference to the outcome. But it makes me happy that we’ve been able to keep it totally secret.
“And even if they did, I’ll make sure it never reaches him.”
Oh my god.
I feel sharply and violently nauseous. The sun streaming in through the tall windows feels wrong, too bright, too indifferent, while my entire world tilts beneath me.
Then his next words strike me like a lightning bolt.
“Mateo? Are you kidding me? He won’t be a problem.”
No!
No, no, no. My knees threaten to give out.
What has he planned for Teo?
But my father’s voice drops into something even more alarming.
“Just remember our deal. If you try to cross me, I’ll make sure it blows up in your face.”
Rage and horror collide inside me, and suddenly I can’t hold back. My trembling hands shove the door open. It swings inward with a sharpcrackagainst the wall.
Father’s head snaps up, his icy eyes locking onto mine.
But he doesn’t move, doesn’t flinch.
Then, still staring at me, he carries on as if nothing happened.
“Yes,” he says smoothly. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I have news.”
He ends the call.
The silence that follows is unbearable.
“Are you behind Gualtiero’s shooting?” My voice trembles, barely more than a whisper.
