The StongWilled Rose

Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mother Knows Best

The drive home took twenty-three minutes.

I made it in fourteen.

Was that legal?

No.

Did I care?

Also no.

My phone rang twice on the way.

Dad.

Ignored.

Then Matteo.

Also ignored.

Then Viktor.

Definitely ignored.

He texted instead.

Viktor: Ignoring me won't make this less dangerous.

I glanced at the notification.

Me: Watch me.

His reply came immediately.

Viktor: You're irritating.

I smiled.

Me: And yet you keep texting me.

Three dots appeared.

I waited.

They disappeared.

Ha.

Finally shut him up.

I pulled through the Bianchi gates and parked directly in front of the house.

The front door opened before I reached it.

Dad stood there.

"Allegra."

"Where is she?"

"Living room."

"Good."

He grabbed my arm as I walked past.

I stopped.

Slowly, I looked at his hand.

He released me.

"What happened?"

"I'll explain inside."

"You're frightening everyone."

"Good."

His expression hardened.

"This isn't a joke."

"I know."

I walked into the living room.

Everyone was there.

Mom.

Brittany.

Matteo.

Marco.

Luca.

Apparently Dad had interpreted don't let her leave as summon the entire Bianchi bloodline.

Perfect.

Mom stood when she saw me.

"Allegra, what happened?"

I stared at her.

For the first time since returning, I wasn't seeing my mother.

I was studying a suspect.

Her posture.

Her breathing.

Her hands.

Everything.

"Sit down."

Her eyebrows rose.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Allegra," Marco warned.

I didn't look at him.

Mom slowly sat.

I walked toward the coffee table.

Then placed the photograph on it.

Nobody spoke.

Dad picked it up first.

His face changed.

"Lucia?"

Brittany leaned closer.

"What is that?"

Dad looked at Mom.

"Why are you with Konstantin Orlov?"

Silence.

Beautiful.

I looked at her.

"Would you like to answer him, or should I?"

Mom stared at the photograph.

All the color disappeared from her face.

That was all the confirmation I needed.

"You know him."

"No."

I laughed.

"Wrong answer."

"I don't."

"Mom, you're literally standing beside him."

"I met him once."

"Interesting. Two seconds ago you didn't know him."

Her eyes snapped toward me.

"I was confused."

"Try again."

"Allegra."

Dad's voice was quiet.

Dangerously quiet.

"Let her answer."

Mom looked at him.

"Enzo—"

"Answer."

She swallowed.

"I met him through a charity event."

I stared at her.

"A charity event?"

"Yes."

"Three days before you framed me?"

Brittany flinched.

Marco looked between us.

"Wait."

He picked up the photograph.

"Who's Konstantin Orlov?"

I answered without looking away from Mom.

"Russian Mafia."

The room died.

Luca whispered, "What?"

"Not just Russian Mafia."

I folded my arms.

"He's connected to the organization that kidnapped me."

Dad's face went completely still.

Matteo stood.

"What did you just say?"

I finally looked at him.

"The man in that photograph belonged to the organization that took me."

Matteo turned toward Mom.

The expression on his face made even me uncomfortable.

"Tell me she is wrong."

Mom stood.

"I didn't know."

"Tell me she's wrong!"

"I didn't know who he was!"

Brittany suddenly spoke.

"Mom?"

Her voice sounded small.

Mom looked at her.

Brittany stared at the photograph.

"You said he was just helping us."

And there it was.

I slowly turned toward her.

"What?"

Brittany froze.

Mom's face transformed.

"Brittany."

"No."

I stepped toward my sister.

"What did you just say?"

"I didn't mean—"

"What. Did. You. Say?"

She backed away.

"Allegra..."

"Brittany."

Dad stood.

"Answer your sister."

Tears filled Brittany's eyes.

Mom grabbed her arm.

"Enough."

I laughed.

"Oh, absolutely not."

"Allegra, this doesn't concern—"

"Doesn't concern me?"

My voice rose for the first time.

"Six years of my life don't concern me?"

Nobody moved.

I pointed at Brittany.

"Let her speak."

Mom stared at me.

"No."

That one word told me everything.

I smiled.

"You're scared."

"I'm not scared of you."

"I didn't say you were."

Her expression faltered.

I stepped closer.

"You're scared of what she's going to say."

Mom went silent.

Brittany started crying.

"I didn't know."

I looked at her.

"Know what?"

"Any of it."

"Brittany."

Mom's voice carried a warning.

Brittany shook her head.

"No."

She pulled away from Mom.

"You said she'd only be gone for a little while."

My heart stopped.

Dad whispered, "Lucia..."

Mom closed her eyes.

I couldn't breathe.

Not because I was scared.

Because suddenly the room felt too small.

I looked at Brittany.

"She told you I was coming back?"

Brittany wiped her face.

"I thought..."

"What?"

"I thought they'd send you somewhere else."

"The orphanage?"

She nodded.

"And?"

"I didn't know anyone was going to take you."

I stared at her.

"So you helped frame me because you wanted me sent away."

She started crying harder.

"I was eleven!"

"So was I!"

My voice cracked across the room.

Everyone froze.

I hated that my hands were shaking.

I clenched them.

"You were eleven, Brittany?"

I laughed bitterly.

"So was I."

She looked down.

"You were jealous?"

No answer.

"You wanted everyone to yourself?"

"Allegra..."

"And Mom helped you?"

"I didn't understand!"

"But you understood enough to hurt yourself."

Her eyes snapped toward mine.

Silence.

Marco looked confused.

"What does that mean?"

Brittany went pale.

I smiled without humor.

"She didn't tell you?"

"Tell us what?"

I looked at my sister.

"Go ahead."

She shook her head.

"Brittany injured herself that night."

Marco frowned.

"We knew that."

"No."

I stepped closer.

"She did it herself."

Luca's mouth fell open.

Matteo closed his eyes.

Dad looked like someone had punched him.

Marco stared at Brittany.

"Is that true?"

She couldn't answer.

He stepped backward.

"Jesus Christ."

Mom moved toward her.

Dad blocked her.

"No."

"Enzo."

"No."

I'd never heard him speak to her like that.

"You're going to tell me everything."

Mom stared at him.

"You won't understand."

"Then make me understand."

"I was protecting this family."

I laughed.

Everyone looked at me.

"Sorry."

I covered my mouth.

"That was just genuinely hilarious."

Mom glared at me.

"You think you know everything."

"No."

I picked up the photograph.

"That's why we're having this conversation."

She looked at the picture.

Then at me.

For one second, something changed in her expression.

Not guilt.

Fear.

Real fear.

She whispered, "You need to stop looking into this."

The room went silent.

I tilted my head.

"Why?"

"Because you don't know what you're dealing with."

"I know exactly what I'm dealing with."

"No, Allegra."

She stepped closer.

"For once in your life, listen to me."

I smiled.

"You lost the right to tell me what to do six years ago."

"Konstantin isn't working alone."

That caught my attention.

"Who is he working with?"

She immediately looked away.

I grabbed the photograph.

"Mom."

Nothing.

"Who?"

"I can't tell you."

Dad stared at her.

"Can't?"

She looked at him.

"Or won't?"

Still nothing.

My phone buzzed.

I pulled it out.

Viktor.

A photograph loaded.

I frowned.

It showed a black car outside the Bianchi estate.

Taken seconds ago.

Then his message appeared.

Viktor: Don't go outside.

My stomach dropped.

Another message.

Viktor: Orlov's men followed you home.

I looked toward the windows.

Matteo noticed.

"What?"

I slipped my phone away.

"Everyone stay inside."

Dad frowned.

"Why?"

I looked at Mom.

She already knew.

I could see it on her face.

And suddenly, I understood something terrifying.

Whatever my mother had done six years ago...

It hadn't ended when I disappeared.

I stared at her.

"You've been keeping another secret."

She said nothing.

"What's outside, Mom?"

Her lips trembled.

Then she whispered,

"The reason I wanted you gone."

And just like that, nobody in the room remembered how to breathe.