Scandal and the Runaway Bride (Heirs to an Empire 1)

“I’d do anything for you, Papa. You know that.”

“And I’d do the same for you, and your sister, and your mama.” He squeezed her tight. “This isn’t going to beat me. I’m going to fight it. So please don’t worry.”

She nodded against his chest. Why had she worried so much? Her father had always been willing to forgive any transgression. She shouldn’t have taken this burden on alone.

“You should get some rest before you have to leave for the hospital. And I’m

going to pack a bag. I’ll be staying at my flat.”

“I’ll drive you,” Will said. “I need to return the rental, anyway, and I want to make sure everyone is all right before I fly back to Paris.”

Paris. Of course he would be leaving now. The tabloids had quieted, no one had come looking for her, and Will had to know by now that she had no intention of spilling the actual story to the press. Because he trusted her.

Oh, she was going to miss him.

“It looks as though everything is sorted,” Lucia said. “Massimo and I are leaving around three.”

“Mama, you can stay with me at my flat if you like.”

Lucia shook her head. “Grazie, but I am going to stay with Zia Isabella. She lives closer to the hospital, and I haven’t seen her in a while.”

Will rose from his chair. “If that’s the case, I should go upstairs and wrap up some business I was working on. Signor and Signora Baresi, thank you for your hospitality the past few days.” He held out his hand to Massimo. “And the best of luck to you tomorrow.”

“You are welcome here anytime,” Massimo replied, shaking Will’s hand.

He left and went toward the stairs, and Gabi waited until she heard his footsteps above her. Then she let out a huge breath.

Lucia looked at her with a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow. “Any hope there?” she asked. “Of the real kind?”

Gabi shook her head. “No. It’s too messy.” She met her mother’s gaze. “But I’m a bit sorry about that.”

She stood on tiptoe and kissed her father’s cheek. “I’ll see you before you go,” she said softly. “And again tomorrow at the hospital.”

“Ti amo, gattina,” he said, kissing her cheek in return.

She escaped to the stairs before he could see the tears in her eyes. No one had ever loved her as unconditionally as her parents. They loved each other the same way.

Why had Gabi ever even considered that she could settle for anything less?

CHAPTER NINE

WILLIAM KNEW HE should hop on a plane and fly back to Paris. It would be the smart thing to do at this point, and it was what was expected. He’d had a sharply worded email from Stephen, and another from his mother that was less angry and more concerned. Why was he still in Italy? He should forget about Gabriella Baresi now that the media story seemed under control, and get back home and to work. The family, who’d congregated at the manor for the wedding, were now all back in either London or Paris for work, and he should be, too. According to Aurora Germain Pemberton, anyway.

But he couldn’t leave yet. Not while Gabi was sitting with her mother and sister, waiting while Massimo was having surgery to have a section of his colon removed. Marco was there, too, and right now had gone to get coffee for everyone. Will found he quite liked the younger man, who seemed bright and energetic but now, at a serious time, stepped up and provided support for Giulia. According to Gabi, they’d been seeing each other off and on for some time, though it had only recently become a steady thing.

He went to the chairs in the waiting area and sat down beside Gabi. “How’re you holding up?”

“Okay. It’s taking so long.”

He knew. The surgeon had estimated the surgery to take about ninety minutes, and then of course Massimo would be taken to recovery. But it was already five in the afternoon. It had been three hours already, and no doctor, no word.

Of course everyone was thinking the worst. Were there complications? More cancer than they realized? Had it spread?

Will’s father had died suddenly, from a heart attack. There’d been no waiting around for results, no hope. One minute Cedric had been alive, then next he was gone. It had been excruciating, but watching the Baresi women worry, he wasn’t sure this was a better alternative. He hoped that it all worked out right in the end, and Massimo would be going home again.

Marco returned with coffee and a bag of pastries for everyone to share. “You need to eat something, Mama Lucia,” he said, pressing a paper napkin and a sweet into her hand.

“Grazie, Marco,” she whispered, but Will saw that her face was pale and her eyes dull with worry.