Page 14 of Valentino

“Has something happened?”

“I need to discuss this in the office with you in private,” Lorenzo replies.

“Where’s Francesca?” Giuliano snaps. “Is she alright?”

“She’s fine.”

Lorenzo takes his arm. “Let’s go.”

He snatches it out of his grip. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on,” he snaps.

“Enrico and his fiancée Olivia have been killed,” she whispers.

What?

“They were murdered. The yacht they were on was bombed.”

Oh my God.

“Murdered?”

“It is a very dark day for Ferrara,” Lorenzo whispers as he grabs Giuliano’s arm. “And we need to go now.”

“Go where?”

“To the office.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Giuliano snaps.

His mother breaks into full-blown sobs.

“Your life will never be the same, Giuliano.” Lorenzo sighs.

“I didn’t do it, I know nothing about this death, I promise,” Giuliano splutters.

“He’s telling the truth,” Alex says.

“We wouldn’t know how to make a bomb, this is the first we’ve heard of it, I swear to you,” I tell them.

“I know, I know.” He pulls Giuliano into a hug and kisses both his cheeks. “You are safe and we know that you had nothing to do with it, but right now we need you to come down to the office to talk.”

There’s no way in hell they’re taking him away. “We’re coming,” I demand. “We go where he goes.”

“This is a private matter,” Lorenzo replies.

“I tell them everything, we have no secrets,” Giuliano snaps. “I’m not going to the office without them.”

“Very well,” Lorenzo replies. “As you wish.”

Giuliano’s mother pulls him in for a hug, she holds his face in her hands and looks lovingly down at him. “Giuliano, I love you so much,” she tells him. “Promise me that nothing will change between us.”

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I don’t know what’s going on here, but it can’t be good.

We are ushered out the front door into the back of black cars and two hours later we arrive in Milan. We park in the underground parking lot and travel to the top floor of the Ferrara building. There are six men with us, old, big and burly, and I have no idea what is going on. Once we arrive on the top floor we walk through a grand foyer and into a large office reception and waiting area.

“You boys wait here,” Lorenzo instructs us.