Page 180 of Breaking Rosalind
My jaw drops. “What the hell?”
Then there’s a flurry of messages:
Thank U Rosa!
It’s followed by a barrage of hearts and smiling face emoji wearing sunglasses.
My shoulders sag. When did Cesare organize these gifts? That amount of junk food will be detrimental to her health, but I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.
After taking a gun with a few clips, I lock up the cabinet and return to the armchair to exchange messages with Miranda. Thanks to her new stash of chocolate, she’s already made friends with the girl next door, who will give her a tour of the school and its grounds.
I chat with Miranda for the rest of her free period, which is something I couldn’t do while at the Moirai. When out on the field, I had to focus on the mission. I also couldn’t exchange messages with her inside HQ because all communications were monitored.
Fucking Cesare. The moment I start thinking he’s still an asshole, he surprises me with something thoughtful. He didn’t even try to take credit for the gifts because the notes attached said they were from me. Warmth fills my chest and I continue texting my little girl. It’s hard to deny that his presence has brought us closer together.
When Miranda’s lessons start, I make a breakfast of some protein bars from the minibar, wash them down with water, and continue my exploration.
Cesare’s bathroom has an oval tub that’s large enough for two, along with a separate shower with no sign of chains or hooks. By the looks of things, he doesn’t bring women into his private space. At least not the ones he likes to torture.
I run myself a bath, making sure to pour lots of lavender oil in the tub, before immersing myself in the warm, soothing water. All the tightness in my muscles melts away, but I don’t think that’s because of the bath.
Miranda is happy and safe in her new academy. Cesare and I made sure nobody followed us to Helsing Island, and I’m only days away from getting my freedom from the Moirai.
I close my eyes and luxuriate in the bath, letting the water lap against my skin. The space fills with the scent of lavender, adding to my relaxation.
We’re a good team. I have the knowledge to take down my employer and Cesare has the resources. We need weapons, manpower, surveillance, and armored trucks, all of which the Montesano family has in abundance.
Some of the tension I’ve carried since my demotion releases in a long sigh, and I sink further into the warm water. For the first time in years, I can finally envisage a happy future. It’s murky because I’m still Cesare’s prisoner, but he’s the lesser of all the threats hanging over our necks.
About an hour later, the bedroom door unlocks, and he walks into the bathroom. I glance up to find him shirtless, his features held in a scowl.
I sit up. “Something go wrong?”
“Your plan worked perfectly,” he mutters. “We got six more hostages.”
I wait for him to continue, but he sits at the edge of the tub and runs a hand through his hair.
“Then what’s the problem?” I ask.
“Matty Galliano attacked Sofia.”
I stiffen, a sharp breath whistling through my teeth as I picture the family’s middle-aged housekeeper. “Did she survive?”
He rises, his hands bunching into fists. “She shot him.”
My heart pounds, and I hold on to the edge of the tub. “Is he dead?”
“Don’t know. She didn’t look back.”
“Oh.”
The bastard is probably still alive because he’s a cockroach. He survived the grenade I launched at him the day I took back my daughter. I’m sure he’ll survive a bullet.
He punches his palm. “We need to do something about him, now.”
I stare at his broad back, my excitement mounting. Gunther kept me on a short leash after I was demoted for wasting company resources. There wasn’t enough time to devote to researching the Galliano family or their latest hideouts.
When I was his stepdaughter, Matteo used to split his time between multiple houses, making him difficult to track. If Cesare can help me hunt him down, that will bring me one step closer to securing Miranda’s freedom.