Chapter 147 *
Present
Salvatore came back to himself. Focused on the room. On his sons and wife and Zelda.
Part of him wanted to give Nico the green light. Let him use the family's resources to put Scarlett in her place.
But the other part hesitated.
She was still his daughter. His blood. If word got out that he'd sanctioned violence against his own child, it would look weak. It would damage the family's reputation.
Lorenzo cleared his throat from his position near the window. He'd been watching. Listening. Taking it all in.
"We don't know who's backing her," Lorenzo said quietly. His tone was measured. Careful. "We don't know what kind of power she has behind her now."
He turned to face the room. "We need to be smart about this. The last thing we need is to start a war with someone bigger than us."
Salvatore nodded slowly. Lorenzo was right. Business always came first.
"We're family," Salvatore said finally. His voice was firm. "Blood is blood. We handle this internally. Privately. We teach her respect. But we keep it inside the family."
Nico's face flushed red. "That's it? After what she did to Zelda? We're just going to have a conversation with her?"
"That's exactly what we're going to do." Salvatore's tone left no room for argument. "No outside people. No public retaliation. We deal with this ourselves."
Nico threw his hands up. "Fine. But she better stay away from us. Stay away from Zelda." He pointed at his sister on the bed. "Look what she did. I'm not forgetting this."
He pulled out his phone. Started typing furiously.
"Graham needs to know what kind of person she really is." Nico's thumbs flew across the screen. "He needs to know what she's capable of."
Lorenzo watched his brother compose the message. His jaw was tight. His hands were clenched at his sides.
You stupid fucking idiot.
The thought burned through his mind.
Scarlett is your real sister. The girl you're defending thinks you're a useful dog. She's playing you for a fool and you can't even see it.
He watched Nico hit send. Watched him start typing another message. Even angrier than the first.
Lorenzo's chest felt like it was full of broken glass.
He needed to take control of the family business. Soon. It was the only way to protect his real sister from these toxic people.
His eyes moved to Viviana. She was still sitting on the bed. Still holding that ice pack. Still crying over Zelda while cursing Scarlett under her breath.
My own mother has no loyalty to her own flesh and blood.
The thought made him sick.
And Miranda. Sitting in her expensive apartment that the family paid for. Living off Romano money for over two decades.
Every dollar they took from this family, I'm going to make them pay back. With interest.
"Lorenzo." His father's voice cut through his thoughts. "You agree with this approach?"
Lorenzo nodded. Kept his expression neutral. "Yes. Internal resolution is best. For business reasons."
Salvatore seemed satisfied. He turned back to Zelda. His expression softened.
"Rest now, sweetheart. We'll take care of everything."
Zelda nodded weakly. Played her part perfectly.
Lorenzo left the room before he said something he couldn't take back.
Tonight he'd transfer another million into Scarlett's account. Let her know that someone in this fucked-up family actually cared about her.
Time flew by. Before Scarlett knew it, September had arrived and the fall semester was starting.
She'd applied to Columbia University and gotten in. Even better—Lily had been accepted too.
Having her best friend from Montana at the same school put Scarlett in genuinely good spirits. For the first time in months, she felt like maybe things were actually looking up.
No more Romano family.
It felt almost normal.
Arthur pulled the black BMW to a stop near Columbia's back entrance. The car was nice but not flashy.
Scarlett had specifically requested something low-key. The last thing she needed was showing up to campus in one of Damon's Maybachs with the custom bulletproof glass.
"This works," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Thanks, Arthur."
Arthur turned in his seat. His salt-and-pepper hair was perfectly combed. His suit was impeccable as always.
"Are you certain you don't want me to walk you in, Mrs. Wolfe?"
"I'm sure." She grabbed her backpack from the seat beside her. "I'm just going to registration. I'll text you when I'm done."
The back entrance was perfect. Secluded. Far from the main academic buildings. Minimal foot traffic this early in the morning.
She pushed open the car door and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
A white Maserati GranTurismo was pulling into the parking area about fifty feet away. The license plate read ROMANO1.
Scarlett's entire body went rigid.
You've gotta be kidding me.
The driver's door opened. Viviana stepped out wearing a cream-colored pantsuit. Her heels clicked against the pavement.
The passenger door opened.
Zelda emerged like she was stepping onto a red carpet. Powder blue sundress. Matching Chanel bag. Oversized sunglasses that screamed "I'm important."
What the hell are they doing here?
Then it clicked.
Zelda was starting at Columbia too.
Of course she was. Of course the universe would put them at the same school. Because Scarlett's life wasn't complicated enough already.
Viviana spotted her immediately.
"Scarlett!" Her voice carried across the parking area. "Scarlett, wait!"
Scarlett turned to Arthur. "Leave. Now."
Arthur's eyebrows went up. "Mrs. Wolfe—"
"I'm serious. Go. I'll call you when I need a pickup."
She could see Viviana and Zelda already speed-walking toward them. Viviana's heels clicking faster and faster.
Arthur hesitated for exactly one second. Then he nodded and put the car in drive.
The BMW pulled away smoothly and disappeared around the corner.
Scarlett adjusted the strap of her backpack and turned to face the incoming disaster.
Viviana was practically jogging now. Her face was flushed. Her eyes were locked on Scarlett.
"Who was that?" Viviana demanded. She was slightly out of breath. "Who just dropped you off?"
Scarlett blinked. "Good morning to you too, Viviana."
"Don't give me that." Viviana's voice rose. "I saw you get out of that car. I saw the man driving. Who is he?"
Zelda caught up a moment later. She stood slightly behind Viviana. Her expression was carefully neutral.
Scarlett's mind was racing. She could explain that Arthur was household staff. That he worked for Damon.
But what was the point?
The Romano family had already decided who she was. What she was. They'd convicted her in their minds months ago without bothering with a trial.
Why waste her breath?
"He's my household staff," Scarlett said flatly.