Page 55 of Giorgio
His lips quirked slightly. She knew all the household staff names and took an interest in what was going with them.” His expression sobered. “He is making arrangements to leave for an extended period.”
“What?” She did not believe him. He had to be lying. It was a low-down trick to get rid of her because he did not approve of her. “No, he wouldn’t…”
“Our yacht will be taking a cruise along the coastline and my son is going to be on the trip.” Sliding forward, he took her hands. “I am sure he cares deeply for you, but Giorgio had always been afraid of commitment.
When he lost his mother, he fragmented. He believed that giving one’s heart is too much of an imposition, the pain of losing someone is too great. He will be giving you some money, to do whatever you want. Open up your own publishing company- “
“No.” She shook her head, her anguish so acute, she felt as if she was being cut in half. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I keep hoping that things were different.” He smiled sadly. “You would have been great for him. You make him steady, and I have seen the way he looks at you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I would never lie to you.”
Chapter 12
“You had no bloody right!’
“I had every right!” Alfredo shouted back; eyes blazing. “You had that poor girl hoping that you were going to offer something more, when all along you are planning to leave her. When were you going to tell her?”
Spinning away from the desk, Giorgio strode towards the window to stare out at the bleak skyline. Very soon it would be Christmas and along with it would come the usual frenzy of excitement. He had stopped celebrating the holiday a long time ago. Ever since he lost his mother. He had stopped celebrating a lot of things since she died.
“I was going to write her a letter.”
Alfredo stared at his son’s tensed frame in disbelief.
“I had no idea you young people know how to accomplish that. It is a dying art.”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“I just think you are a coward.”
That had him wheeling around in anger.
“Think anything you bloody well like.”
“She is in love with you.”
“She’ll get over it.”
“And I think you are in love with her.”
His eyes flared. “Love is an emotion people write about in order for books and songs to be sold. It doesn’t exist and even if it does, it’s a very destructive emotion. Look what it did to you.”
Alfredo felt his heart breaking as he stared at his only son. He knew that losing his mother had broken him and in retrospect, he should have insisted on him getting therapy, but now he was wondering if it was too late.
“I would never regret loving her. My quality of life changed because we loved each other.” He commented. “Our love culminated in producing you.” He leaned forward. “Son, I have seen how different you are since Juliana came into your life.
You are animated, caring, interested in what is happening in the company. You laugh, genuinely laugh and you look forward to spending time with her. Are you going to just let her leave?”
“Yes.” He bit out, his emotions making him feel as if he was on a rollercoaster ride. “I almost killed her with my recklessness, and I promised myself that I would never allow anyone to hurt her again, especially not me.” He rubbed his forehead wearily.
“She was crying, a few nights when I went inside her room, she was crying as if her heart was breaking. She just got her memory back and it came to her that she lost her dad, who was her hero. She told me he stopped living when he lost his wife, and it fortified what I always knew.”
“And what is that?”
“Love is a debilitating emotion, one should avoid.” He said bitterly. “It’s better that she leaves, distance will make us forget.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes as the thought of her going shattered his peace of mind.