Page 68 of Lost Prince

"Lazaro, what are you?—”

"Diana. She's gone. What did you do?"

She looks at me with confusion, but I refuse to buy it. “I didn’t do anything.”

"Bullshit," I snarl. "You've been trying to get rid of her since day one."

"I swear, Lazaro. I don’t know where she is. I didn’t know she was even gone. I saw her this afternoon?—”

“When?”

“She prepared the tray for your visit with Ava.” Lana’s eyes soften in the way they do when she’s trying to lessen the blow of her next words. “Maybe she realized she didn't belong here."

The words hit me like a slap. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She sighs. “You know exactly what it means. You met Ava today. Did you really think Diana would stick around for that?"

I flinch. Fuck. Did she leave because I took the time to meet Ava? "I was just doing what the family wanted." Surely, Diana realized that.

"Were you?" Lana challenges. "Or were you trying to have it both ways?"

“Lana.” Henry puts his hands on her shoulders. I’ve been round them both enough to know he’s trying to rein her in. She can be one mean woman when she wants to be.

She blows out a breath. “I didn’t fire her or send her away. I promise you that. If she’s left, it’s of her own accord. Maybe she did it for you, Lazaro. So you can take your place in the family… marry Ava. She’s a nice woman, don’t you think?” Lana puts herleft hand on my chest. Looking down on it, I see a ring I hadn’t noticed before.

I lift my gaze to hers. “You’re engaged?”

Her smile is so bright, so happy, that for a moment, that twin thing kicks in and I’m happy for her. But it quickly dissipates. “So you and Elio can marry for love, but me, I have to marry for family.” I shake my head and turn to leave.

“Lazaro,” Lana calls after me, but I slam the door behind me and head down to my car.

I drive mindlessly. The streets blur past, my mind racing faster than the car. How could Diana just leave? Without a word? Was it because of Ava? If that was the case, she would have told me, I’m sure of it. Hadn’t she done that the other night? She’d waited for me to tell me she was leaving after hearing about the arrangement. I’d convinced her to stay. I’d shown her how much I needed her. How much I loved her.

Is that why she left? Was my need for her too intense? Did it make her feel tied down? A woman who lives a nomadic life doesn’t want to be tethered to a single place or person. That explanation made as much sense as her leaving because of Ava. It also explained why she left without a word. She knew I'd try to make her stay, but clearly, she wanted to leave me.

25

DIANA

Isit on the floor of my new furnished studio apartment, sunlight streaming through the bare windows. The golden rays highlight the sparse furnishings, a secondhand rollaway couch, a small table, and a single chair. It's not much, but it's mine. For now.

Exhaustion weighs heavily on my bones as I sit on the lumpy couch and survey the small space. I've done this so many times before, starting over in a new place. But this time feels different. The emotional toll of leaving Lazaro has left me drained in a way I've never experienced.

I close my eyes, trying to summon the optimism that I've always lived by. But it's a struggle. The memories of my time with Lazaro keep intruding. I remind myself that I knew nothing would come of my time with him. I’d known that I was never meant to be a part of that world. Still, the ache in my chest persists.

Opening my eyes, I survey the room again. The sunlight creates an odd atmosphere, one of both possibility and stagnation. It's as if the apartment is waiting for me to decidewhich path to take. Do I embrace this new beginning, or do I wallow in what I've left behind?

I really thought settling in my new home would help push me forward out of this sadness and exhaustion. Right after I left the D’Amato mansion, I stayed in an efficiency hotel until I found a job as a waitress in a busy diner. The tips have been good, and I was able to get this studio apartment that’s tired but clean and not far from work.

But I’m still feeling lost. In the past, moving on came with the sense of adventure, that I was moving toward something new and exciting. But this time is different. This time, it feels like I'm running from something, or I suppose, from someone.

Lazaro's face flashes in my mind, and I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the image away. I came here for a fresh start, to leave behind the whirlwind of emotions and complications that surrounded my time with the D'Amatos.

It’s been two weeks since I left and I’m no closer to regaining my usual sunny attitude and energy. I’ve attributed this exhaustion to sadness, to the grief of leaving behind what felt like the closest thing to a family I've ever known. But now, I’m forced to consider that it’s something else.

My gaze falls on the small plastic stick lying on the table in front of me. With trembling hands, I pick it up. The pink letters stare back at me.

PREGNANT