Rafaela tries to speak, but no words come out. Her forehead is lined with anguish, and her mouth keeps opening and closing as if the right words just won’t come. “I’m sorry,” she eventually whispers.
At that moment, Salvatore waltzes back into the room. He stops short once he sees the scene before him, and senses the high tension in the air. “What happened here?”
“I was just leaving.” I cut in, standing and giving him a smile though I want to yell at the entire family. “Thank you for the amazing dinner, and again, it was a pleasure meeting you all.”
“Wait!” Rafaela finally finds her voice, but it’s too late.
“Don’t worry about it. You did what you set out to do. I wish you well, okay?”
After shaking her hand, as I’m sure she’s used to with all the deals she’s been making, I turn and leave without looking back.
Sixteen
Rafaela
I feel bile rise in my throat. I open my mouth and close it again, before looking around at my family standing around me. Apollo puts his hand on my shoulder but I shrug him off and turn to face my dear little brother.
His triumphant smirk tears through me. He doesn’t even realize what he’s done. I glare him straight in the eye, channeling all of my anger and hatred.
Then, I pull back and punch him hard.
Stefano howls in pain and takes a step back, clutching his cheek. He looks shocked and confused. He opens his mouth to speak and I jump on him, slapping and hitting him. He tries to squirm away but I’ve always been stronger.
“Fuck you!” I screech at him, clawing at his stupid expensive jacket. “Bastardo!”
“Rafaela, stop!” His pathetic little voice just spurs me on.
“Bastardo! Asshole! Despicable, no good, son of a bitch, I hate you, I-”
I’m so angry I barely notice two of my father’s goons dragging me off my brother. Father is yelling something now but I don’t hear him. I make to lunge back towards Stefano but when Apollo holds me back I turn on him instead.
“How could you?” I cry, sounding more hysterical than I want to. “Apollo I know you don’t want to lose the bet but how could you be so cruel?”
He’s confused by how devastated I am, and I’m confused too. This was all just a game, wasn’t it? I didn’t need to win the motorcycle and the limoncello recipe that much, did I?
“You will calm yourself,” my father takes the moment of relative calm to interject. “Rafaela you will apologize this instant. I am most disappointed in you.”
I shake my head and meet his eyes.
“Rafaela this behavior is despicable. It is most unbecoming of my daughter and it is certainly not acceptable from anyone who considers themselves to be my heir to the family business.”
There it is. He’s dangling the carrot right in front of my face. Just a few weeks ago I would have jumped immediately, but now the whole affair seems meaningless to me.
“I don’t care,” I answer, trying to calm down. “I don’t care how unbecoming I am, or how disappointed you are. That slimy little asshole ripped apart a good, kind, honest, decent woman just to get at me and he deserves everything that’s coming to him.”
I move towards him again and he cowers. Apollo and Daniella take my shoulders and drag me back, away from the knuckleheads who now flank Stefano. They’re still loyal even if they did get carried away with Heather.
“I don’t want it anyway.”
“What do you mean?” Father says as I turn on my heel.
“The family business. If inheriting it means I have to ditch everything and everyone I love then it isn’t worth it. Give it to the brat so he can run it into the ground.”
I stalk out, not looking back even when my father shouts after me. I dial Heather’s number but she doesn’t answer.
Of course she doesn’t answer.
I keep dialing again and again as I get into my car and turn the keys in the ignition. The door opens and Apollo pulls me out. I reach up to hit him but he catches my fist.