I couldn’t move.
The phone was still pressed against my ear, even though the call had already ended.
Your father.
Those two words kept replaying in my mind.
My father.
Not Gabriel.
Not Vittorio.
Adrian Vale.
The man I had never met.
The man everyone claimed was dead.
The man who had just called me.
“Elena?”
Damiano’s voice finally broke through my thoughts.
I lowered the phone.
“He said he’s my father.”
Amelia stared at me.
“Adrian?”
I nodded.
Damiano’s expression was unreadable.
“Did he say where he was?”
“No.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“Just my name.”
He looked at my phone.
“Call him back.”
I tried.
The number was unavailable.
I tried again.
Nothing.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach.
“He’s gone.”
Damiano took a slow breath.
“Then he wanted you to
