Page 50 of ‘I Do’ for Revenge
‘She did admin for my father a few days a week while I was in school. I think, when they didn’t have more children, she resigned herself to her time not being dominated by a larger family, but I knew she was sad.’
‘That must have been very tough, because it’s only recently that women are opening up more about things like that, and men.’
Vito inclined his head. ‘Exactly. Who knows what support she might have received today?’
Flora took a sip of wine. ‘You said before that you didn’t miss siblings?’
Vito shook his head and sat back, wine-glass stem between his fingers. ‘Not really. I can’t explain why... I had lots of friends on our street.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘I probably liked being the sole focus of their attention, if I’m honest.’
Flora’s heart flip-flopped. He constantly surprised her with moments of self-deprecation like this. Originally she’d thought he was a man of her uncle’s ilk, ruthless and cold and obsessed with power, but he wasn’t like that at all. He’d come by the way of power in his pursuit of revenge, yes, but he was obviously innately talented and intelligent. And, underneath it all, he was kind. He’d taken her in when she was sure he still hadn’t trusted her. Maybe he still didn’t fully trust her. That sobering thought burst a little of her rose-hued bubble.
She forced a bright smile. ‘Ready for the main course?’
Vito nodded. ‘That was delicious, thank you.’
Flora cleared the plates and came back moments later with the main, tender fillets of steak with a sauce made from olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano. Fragrant and tasty. This was accompanied by roasted rosemary baby potatoes and crisp steamed vegetables.
Vito made appreciative sounds as he tasted the steak. He wiped his mouth. ‘This is amazing. Did you ever think about being a chef?’
Flora was flattered. She’d only ever cooked for her uncle and aunt and they’d never made a fuss like this. ‘I do like cooking, but I don’t think I have enough of an interest to pursue it.’
‘You still want to do graphic design?’
Flora nodded, swallowing her own mouthful. ‘Yes, I was always doodling, even as a child. My mother’s father was a pretty well-known artist so it’s in the family. The English side, at least.’
‘There were no relatives on that side who could have taken you in?’ Vito asked.
Flora shook her head, pushing down the old grief and pain. She’d successfully blocked it out for years but it felt so much closer to the surface now, since she’d been with Vito. As if their intimacy was dismantling her defences.
‘No, my mother was an only child and her parents died relatively young, too. So my uncle on my father’s side was all I had.’
Vito wiped his mouth and said, ‘I have something for you.’
Flora was about to ask,What?but he was gone, out of the room. He came back a minute later and handed Flora a business card. She read the name of a solicitor she’d never heard of—a specialist in inheritance law. She looked at Vito. ‘Should I know this person?’
‘You will,’ he said enigmatically. ‘I’ve retained him to liaise with you about receiving the inheritance you’re due.’
Flora couldn’t compute what Vito was saying. She frowned. ‘But my inheritance is gone. Spent.’
Vito shook his head. ‘I told you that I didn’t wipe out your uncle completely. He still has a healthy stash of money. Not enough to start again but enough to live on. I contacted him and threatened him with legal proceedings if he didn’t pay you your inheritance plus interest. It’s at least—’
When Vito mentioned the amount, in the millions, Flora’s head spun. ‘I knew it was a lot but I had no idea...’ She focused her gaze back on Vito. ‘But how...?’
‘It’ll probably wipe out most of his disposable income, but he knows he can’t afford the legal bills, and more importantly he knows that he’s in the wrong. He would face the courts for embezzling his own family. The last thing he wants is to face extradition proceedings back to Italy. This solicitor just needs to meet with you to initiate the proceedings that will transfer the funds into your account.’
Flora thought of her uncle and aunt, and her conscience pricked, even now. Vito read her expression and said, ‘Flora, I could very easily give you this money, but I know you wouldn’t take it. It has to come from your uncle. He owes you this. He should never have taken what your parents left to you—do you think they would want what happened to you?’
Flora recalled that last image of her parents’ loving smiles in the car as they’d left her at her friend’s house. They’d adored her and she them. Of course they’d want her to be looked after.
The fact that Vito had done this for her... Emotion squeezed her chest and all the way up to her throat, making her eyes sting. No one had ever shown her an ounce of consideration since she was eight years old. Except for this man.
He reached for her hand, visibly concerned. ‘I thought this would be a good thing?’
She nodded and tried furiously to blink back the tears and swallow the emotion. ‘It is...it is...it’s just that no one has ever advocated for me before and I should’ve been able to do it for myself, but I always felt so guilty when I imagined standing up to my uncle because he took me in—’
Vito reached for her and pulled her out of her chair and over onto his lap, thighs like steel under her bottom. Her blood heated even in the midst of this emotional storm.
He held her and said, ‘That man took you in because he saw an opportunity. He didn’t do it out of genuine love or concern. You owe him nothing. He owesyou.’