Page 87 of The Lies We Tell

Matteo stepped into the doorway, leaning his shoulder against the frame as he watched her.

“You look perfect.”

She took in the A-line dress with its modest neckline and long sleeves one more time. Slipping into a pair of black wedge pumps, she looked at him in the mirror.

“Are you sure you really want to do this?”

He moved to stand at her back, trailing his fingertips down her arm and lacing their fingers together. “I’m sure.”

“What if no one believes me?”

Pressing a kiss to her shoulder and then to the side of her neck, he led her from the closet and turned off the light. “They believed you at the funeral. Your performance was excellent.”

She hadn’t asked for details about how her father died. She knew only what they printed in the paper about the accident that was so horrible they needed to have a closed casket service. His suffering was all that mattered to her, and Alexei assured her Salvatore Antonetti died weeping and begging for mercy. Hopefully he was enjoying his time in hell.

Playing the part of the grieving daughter had been a struggle, but Carina’s tips and the ability to hide behind a lace mourning veil helped. She would not feel sorry for her father’s death or the part she played in it. No matter how many people apologized for the loss.

“The funeral was a little different,” she reminded him, letting him take her hand and following him into the hall. “I just had to stand there and look sad. This is something else entirely.”

“It’s a small statement to the press about the sale, your father’s wishes for the company’s future. You’ll be fine. And we’ll be with you.”

They stopped at the elevator, where the rest of the family already waited in their own somber black clothes. The men in suits, the women in dresses with high necklines and long hems.

Tessa had spent a lot of time in the month since her father’s death earning their trust. Whatever hoops she had to jump through, whatever tests they wanted to dish out, she would do them all. Whatever it took to prove she was with them and not against.

They were slow to warm, but they seemed to be coming around. Just last week, Carina asked Tessa about her opinion on linens for the wedding. It was nice to be included among the Bianchi women to plan a celebration, even for something as small as the color of the napkins and size of the tablecloths.

The only one who seemed less than willing to give her a second chance was Luca. It didn’t matter how hard she tried; the man wouldn’t make eye contact with her, let alone have a conversation.

Sienna swore he’d come around eventually, but Tessa wasn’t so sure. And she didn’t want to think about what the future might be like if she’d irreparably damaged the relationship between Matteo and his brother.

Matteo gave her hand a squeeze and pushed the button to call the elevator. They’d flown into Rome the day before and stayed in her father’s flagship hotel for this press conference Matteo had arranged. Camera crews and reporters gathered in the lobby’s soaring atrium. A perfect backdrop for a grieving daughter to talk about the future.

Then Matteo and Laurent would sign some paperwork, shake hands, and Antonetti Hotel Group would belong to the Bianchi Corporation. Simple as that.

The elevator doors opened on a lobby already buzzing with noise and the whirring click of camera shutters. Tessa swallowed around the lump in her throat, fingers tight on the elevator’s railing and Matteo’s hand.

“Come on, piccola,” Matteo murmured, peeling her fingers free from the metal bar. “You can do this. Just read the prepared remarks and take a few questions.”

“You should do it,” she said, hating the tremble in her voice.

Matteo chuckled in her ear and brushed his lips over her temple. “It’ll make more sense coming from you.”

Tessa peeked around the corner, her heart thundering in her chest. “I don’t think I can go out there alone.”

“You’re not alone,” Carina said from behind them. “We’re all here standing with you.”

“It’ll be easier than you think,” Sienna assured her. “And over before you know it.”

With a nod and a fortifying breath, Tessa stepped around Matteo, grateful for his firm hand on the small of her back, and crossed the expanse of marble to the podium set up with microphones. Cameras flashed, and reporters mumbled into digital recorders.

“Thank you all for coming today. As many of you know, my father, Salvatore Antonetti, was killed in a terrible accident a few weeks ago. He died before he could finish a deal he was very excited about.”

Catching Matteo’s eye, she took a deep, steadying breath at his reassuring nod. “The Antonetti Hotel Group was my father’s life’s work, but he was ready to move on to other adventures in his retirement. Sadly, the adventures he shared with me will only live on in my memories, but I can honor his other wish. The sale of Antonetti Hotel Group to Matteo Bianchi and the Bianchi Corporation.”

She waited for Matteo to step up next to her at the podium, smiling at Laurent, who also watched from the sidelines. “I am proud to place my father’s legacy into such capable hands. And I’m excited to see the future of Antonetti Hotel Group take shape under new leadership.”

Hands shot up, and she pointed to the people Matteo had strategically placed in the media pool to ask the questions he wanted asked and stay away from the ones he didn’t. Like why Tomaso wasn’t here.

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