One might think he had never forgiven her for calling off the wedding, but really her father had never actually forgiven Annette for catching Carlo's eye in the first place. He'd wanted the billionaire businessman for Lynette.
Annette cracked right down the center of her soul. These were her parents and they wouldn't help her.
No one was going to help her and she wasn't going to be allowed to help Jo-Jo.
The room pressed in on Annette, pain and fear making her heart ache in her chest, her breath come in unsatisfying pants. Lightheaded, she stumbled back to her chair, only vaguely aware of a strong, guiding hand.
"Sit. Let the lawyer finish and then we will speak." That was Carlo's voice, sounding kind.
Annette nodded, but did not speak.
The lawyer continued, his voice an indistinct drone going on about financial details she paid no attention to. All Annette could think was how to convince Carlo to let Annette remain in Jo-Jo's life until Joyce woke up from her coma.
Her whirling thoughts were not coming up with anything though, and her desperation and sadness grew.
"Here, drink this." A cup of coffee hovered in front of Annette's gaze, its scent bringing her out of the morass in her head.
The strong olive toned hand holding it was steady. Annette's gaze flicked up to Carlo. His face was set in stoic lines, his body language giving away nothing of how he was feeling.
"Carlo, please. Don't take Jo-Jo away from me," she begged.
"Drink your coffee."
The smell of coffee mixed with brandy wafted toward her and she shook her head. "No. No brandy. I have to be able to think."
"To do what? You aren't going back to the mansion tonight."
She had planned to do that, but now she thought the next day would be better spent consulting an attorney. "I'm going to fight the guardianship assignment." Though she had no idea how.
He shook his head.
But she was determined. "I have to protect Jo-Jo."
"You don't have to protect our niece from me."
"Not from you, but from the pain of neglect, of being unwanted? Yes, I do!" But that had been her, not Jo-Jo. Annette had been neglected and unwanted.
Even if he was a workaholic, Carlo loved their niece.
"You are being irrational. Have you even slept since getting the news?" He put the coffee down on the low table beside her chair. Had it been there before? She couldn't remember.
Annette looked around the lawyer's office, meeting room, whatever…and realized it was empty. Her family were gone and so was his. So was the lawyer and his paralegal.
"Where is everyone?" she asked.
"All the necessary legal matters have been seen to. They left."
"Jo-Jo is the only thing that matters as far as I'm concerned."
"I think you would find it difficult to take care of her without a place to live," he said prosaically. "You cannot think to take our niece back to Portland with you."
"I can stay in Joyce and Fantino's home. They'll return to it." She felt compelled to add, "Eventually."
Because even if her sister and/or brother-in-law woke up today, they both had healing to do before leaving the hospital. Their injuries had been severe, though Joyce's most serious injury was the head trauma that had put her in a coma. She had numerous lacerations that had required stitches. With a broken leg and shoulder, Fantino would need physical therapy as well.
"And pay the staff with what? Buy groceries and pay the not insignificant utilities with what exactly?"
"I have some money set by." She moved restlessly. "What does any of that matter? Jo-Jo needs me."