The Italian's Unexpected Heir

“You’re both on here?”

“Yes,” Bianca said. “We feel awful about missing your birthday.”

“It’s okay.” It wasn’t, but his pride refused to let him make a big deal of this. “No big deal—”

“Yes, it is,” Gia said. “We didn’t mean to miss your big day.”

“But we have something special planned for you.” A giddiness filled Bianca’s voice.

That didn’t sound good. His sisters and surprises could be a dangerous combination. “You don’t have to do anything special. I’m fine.”

“Of course we do. Mamma would expect us to do something,” Gia said.

Silence filled the phone line. He knew that everyone was thinking of their parents and missing them. But at least his sisters had the strength to move on. He had to do that now, too—get away from all of the memories.

Still, he knew his sisters would keep going on about making a big deal out of his birthday unless he gave them a reason not to. “In fact, Sylvie—” he lifted his gaze, finding that she’d left the veranda, probably to give him some privacy “—planned a big surprise party.”

Both of his sisters gushed at once and then they started pummeling him with questions about who was there and what had happened during the party. But it was the last question that he stumbled on. Was he involved with Sylvie?

The word no rushed to the back of his mouth, but then it stuck there. Why was he hesitating? They weren’t involved. Not since Paris.

“Enzo, are you still there?” Bianca asked.

“He just doesn’t want us to know what we’ve suspected all along—he’s totally into Sylvie.” Gia’s voice was gleeful.

“Stop.” His voice came out gruffer than he’d intended. He didn’t need his sisters ganging up on him right now—and certainly not about Sylvie.

“Woah!” Gia said. “Did we hit a nerve?”

“Gia,” Bianca said, “I think we better leave it alone.”

He knew he needed a distraction. And boy, did he have a huge distraction. He’d been putting off telling his sisters that he was selling the estate. He wasn’t sure how they would take the news. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was cause them more pain. Still, they had moved on with their lives. Would the sale be an issue for them? Regardless, he needed to tell them now—before things progressed with the sale.

Enzo swallowed hard. “There’s something I need to tell you both.”

“I know,” Bianca said, “you’re getting married.”

Gia gasped.

“What? No.” He shook his head. “Where do you two come up with this stuff?”

“Well,” Gia said, “you are getting older—”

“Gia,” Bianca said, “it was a rhetorical question.”

“Oh.”

He smiled and shook his head. Maybe not everything had changed. His sisters were still acting like the fun, loving sisters he remembered back before the car accident upended all their lives in ways they never could have imagined.

“Okay, you two. I’m not getting married.” The smile faded from his face. “But I do have something very serious to tell you.”

An ominous silence fell over them.

“Are...are you sick?” Gia asked.

“Not that serious,” he said. This was going all sorts of wrong. He just needed to say it and get it over with. “I’m selling the estate.”

“What?” came the collective response.