Page 81 of Lost Prince

I nod. "Yes, I'll be fine." My worry now is how I’ll be received at the mansion. I can already hear Lana blaming me for all this. Why was Lazaro here in the first place? What was Peter’s ultimate goal?

I consider just going home, but I know the D'Amato mansion is where news of Lazaro's situation will be sent first. So I head there.

I pull up to the mansion, and before I can even get out of my car, the front door flies open and Lana rushes out. Her face is overcome with worry and fear. I’ve never seen her look so discomposed. It shows the depth of her love for her family.

"Diana! Thank God you're here." Lana grabs my arm, practically dragging me into the house. "We’ve heard what's happening. Tell me everything."

As we enter the foyer, I see Piper waiting anxiously. Her eyes are wide with concern, and she wrings her hands nervously.

“Do you need a drink? Fucking hell, I nearly had to drink myself into a stupor after being in the presence of Peter Hartley,” Lana says.

“Water might be nice,” I admit, remembering Peter saying he wanted to do to me what he'd done to Lana. It must have been bad to shake her so much.

We enter the living area, and Piper pours me a glass of water from a pitcher already in the room.

I take a sip. “I… ah… I was on a job interview but it was Peter… I guess. I don’t know. It’s all so crazy. Lazaro came in, and he seemed to know him. Like he remembered.”

“His memory is back?” Piper asks.

“I don’t know about all of it, but I think he remembers when he was kidnapped. Peter says Lazaro killed his father, but Lazaro remembered everything when he saw Peter. He didn't do it."

Lana's face pales, and she exchanges a worried glance with Piper. "What else?"

I take a deep breath, steeling myself to deliver the devastating news. "Peter confessed to killing your parents. He responded to the car accident… and he killed them."

Lana staggers back as if I've physically struck her. Piper rushes to her side, supporting her as she sinks into a nearby chair.

I watch as the normally unflappable Lana crumples before my eyes. She buries her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

“He told Lazaro he wanted to do to me what he did to you… Lana, I can’t imagine the pain he put you through," I say.

"This is my fault," Lana says after a moment. "I should have let Elio or Matteo take care of Peter when we had the chance. But I… I gave in to Henry. He wanted the law to handle it."

Piper kneels beside Lana, taking her hand. "That wasn’t wrong, Lana. Henry is a good man. The law might have failed?—”

“I failed Lazaro.”

I look at Lana, confusion washing over me. "Was Lazaro at the cafe to take care of Peter?"

Lana's brow furrows. "No. Lazaro was there to find you, Diana. I asked Henry to locate you for him."

“What?" I breathe, not sure I understand her correctly.

Lana gaze meets mine, and I see regret on her face. "I… I owe you an apology. I've been unfair to you."

I glance at Piper, wondering what’s happening.

“Come sit,” Piper says, motioning me to a chair.

I sit and sip my water, trying to steady my nerves.

"The truth is, I was jealous," Lana starts. "I saw how Lazaro was with you, how you seemed to understand him in a way none of us could. How you calmed him. It should have been me helping him. It felt like I was losing my brother all over again."

All this time, I thought Lana hated me, that she saw me as a threat to her family. But now, I realize there was so much more beneath the surface.

"That's why I was so rude to you," Lana continues, her voice thick with emotion. "I pushed you away because I was afraid. I didn't want to admit that maybe, just maybe, you were exactly what Lazaro needed."

"Thank you. I… I never meant to come between you and Lazaro."