Page 33 of Mine Again
And tonight is my chance.
Myonlychance.
But I can’t move yet. Not with so many eyes on me.
I have to wait for the right moment.
And I can’t let it slip through my fingers when it comes.
The night is dragging on like molasses. Father gives his speech, smug, rehearsed. Conti Senior follows, his words equally hollow. They speak of unity, of loyalty, of families bound by purpose.
What they really mean is power. Control. Ambition.
Neither of them will suffer for this union. They’ll walk away richer, stronger.
And Mariella? She’s the collateral.
While the crowd applauds, I don’t clap. I watch.
Uberto sticks close to Mateo the entire time. I keep my eyes on him, heart pounding with the weight of a plan forming too fast to hold.
I need to talk with him before he disappears.
Chapter Eleven
Isabella
“Signor Uberto, how are you?” I ask as I sidle up beside him at the bar.
He has finally stepped away from Mateo and gone straight for a drink. His fingers wrap around a lowball glass of whiskey, the liquid catching the soft ballroom light.
He glances over at me, clearly surprised that I have addressed him. If I need to, I can pass it off as polite hostess behavior. Daughter of the house, making conversation. Nothing more.
But he does not reply. His eyes assess me. They’re cold and unreadable.
He does not want to be here. That much is obvious.
If it weren’t for whatever business forced him to be with Mateo tonight, he wouldn’t have bothered to show up at all. The invitation was pure obligation, and he knows it.
He turns slightly, the gesture subtle but dismissive. He is about to walk away.
I cannot let that happen. He might be the only person who can help me.
“Please. Luca once told me that if I ever needed help, I could turnto you. That I could trust you.” That was before he had to go into hiding, but that’s beside the point.
Uberto’s body stills mid-turn. His jaw tightens. He takes a slow sip of his whiskey, his eyes studying me.
When he finally speaks, his voice is a low murmur, laced with warning.
“Speaking the Caruso name is still as dangerous as it was five years ago.”
“Why? Because you haven’t been able to find him all this time? Despiteallyour efforts?”
Pride stirs in me at how cleverly Luca has covered his tracks. For a heartbeat, I’m tempted to add,Does it make you look bad?
But that won’t get me anywhere, and my challenging tone isn’t helping either. Judging by the cold edge in Uberto’s expression, I need to change my tune, and fast.
I draw a steadying breath and try again.
