“Make it quick.” I hang up.
Val screws up the paper in his hands and throws it at the wall with force. “I’m going to fucking kill someone.”
Carlo walks in. “We’ve got surveillance on everyone involved, I have the chopper going up and down the coast. We’ll find it, don’t worry. And when we do, they will fucking pay.”
He and Alex start to discuss their conspiracy theories and I click through my phone to the missed call, I don’t know that number.
I dial the number and wait as it rings. “Dr. Miracash,” the voice answers.
Shit.
My eyes flick to the boys and I stand and walk out of the office as my heart hammers in my chest. “Hello, this is Giuliano Ferrara, returning your call.”
“Yes, Giuliano. The results are back.”
“And?”
“Negative.”
My face falls in disappointment.
“There is no way the two of you are genetically related.”
“What?” I stop still in the corridor as the earth moves beneath me. “Are you sure?”
“We ran the tests three times at both pathologies. One hundred percent that there’s no match.”
I smile, euphoria runs through me. “Thank you.”
“Do you want us to deliver the results to Francesca?”
“No…I’ll do it.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks again.” I hang up and put my head into my hands.
Thank God.
“Everything alright?” Alex asks as he walks down the hall.
“Yep.” I grab him and kiss his forehead, unable to hide my delight.
He frowns. “Haven’t you got a yacht missing or something.”
“Yep.” I smile, like I could care about missing cocaine.
No DNA matches.
I catch sight of Lorenzo in the foyer and I step toward him, my first instinct to knock him out.
No.
Francesca needs to be the first to know.
She needs to be the one to tell them that she knows. It’s not my place.
I march back into my office. “I’m going to France,” I announce to Val and Carlo.
“What?” They look up. “When?”
“I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“What? Today? No. You’re needed here.” Val snaps.
They watch me in horror as I gather my things.
“How the fuck can you even think about her when this shit is going on?” Val snaps.
I smile broadly and want to jump and punch the air.
How can I not?
They frown at me as if I’m going crazy…. And maybe I am.
“My dear Valentino.” I laugh and kiss his forehead. “See you tomorrow, my friend.” I grab my keys and briefcase.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I hear Val call from my office as I march toward reception. “Giuliano,” he cries. “You’re fucked,” I hear him cry.
I laugh and get into the elevator.
No DNA match.
The car travels through the peak hour traffic in Paris and I stare out the window smiling like a Cheshire cat.
I can hardly contain my excitement.
I imagine Francesca’s door opening and then telling her, she jumps into my arms and we live happily ever after, but I know it won’t go like that.
How could it possibly?
While this is the best news I’ve ever received, Francesca is about to lose the only identity she’s ever known. It’s going to be messy and complicated and will take time to work through the legalities of the situation. She’s going to be devastated.
The car pulls to a stop out the front of her apartment and I take a moment to steel myself.
Please let this go well.
Five minutes later, I stand at her door. Knock, knock.
I turn and look back up the corridor, this place is so different to anywhere else she stays. Modest, dated. If I didn’t know better, I could never have imagined her living somewhere like this.
The door opens in a rush and she lets out an audible gasp as she sees me.
Her eyes search mine, the air swirling between us. “Tell me something good,” she whispers.
I try to hold my smile and fail miserably. “There’s no DNA match.”
Her eyes well with tears. “You mean….”
I nod as I get a lump in my throat.
“We’re not….”
“No.”
She throws herself into my arms and we hold each other tight. For a long time, we hug. Standing in the hallway.
A million emotions passing between us, relief, despair…anger from my side for all the years of pain we’ve been put through, and for what?
But mostly, all I can feel is excited. Because for the first time in forever, I have hope of a future with the only woman I’ve ever loved.
My beloved Francesca.
She takes my hand and pulls me into her apartment, and once the door shuts behind us, I take her into my arms abruptly and kiss her, she smiles against my lips.
Our kiss is long, slow and intimate as if we have all the time in the world.
And now we do.
I run my hand down over her back and feel that she’s lost more weight. “Are you okay?”
She nods with a forced smile and pulls out of my arms, her eyes search mine for answers. “She lied.”
I remain silent, what is there to say?
“All this time, she knew….”
“In Bianca’s defense, it wouldn’t have been an easy thing to own up to.” I shrug. “I can see why she wouldn’t want it out there.”
“How can you defend her?” She frowns.
“You know….” I roll my lips as I try to articulate my thoughts properly. “I’ve thought about this and how things were run back then. It would have been scandalous for one of our father’s—”
“Your father.” She cuts me off.
My heart sinks, and so it begins. “It would be scandalous for one of his men to even date his wife, let alone get her pregnant. Can you imagine the drama it would have caused within the ranks of Ferrara? There would have been an uprising.”
Her eyes hold mine as she listens.
“Having a mistress back then was normal…hell, it still is in some parts. But your wife, is your wife. She is off limits to any other man, regardless of who you are fucking on the side. My father was protecting not only Bianca, but Lorenzo too. He wanted your mother happy and looked after, he cared for them both and I have no doubt that he knew that one day the truth would come out, but at the time, the three of them did the best that they could. You can’t begrudge them for that.”
Francesca’s eyes well with tears.
“Hey.” I pull her in close and hug her. “He loved you, you are always going to be his daughter,” I whisper into her hair.
“But what does this mean?” she murmurs sadly. “How do we…even?”
“Just don’t worry about it for the time being. We know, that’s all that matters at this point.” I kiss her softly. “We can be together and that’s all that fucking matters. Take your time to get your head around this, there’s no rush to make any huge announcement or anything.” I put my finger under her chin and bring her face up to mine. “When you feel ready, talk to your mother.” I wipe her tears with my thumbs.
“I love you,” she whispers.
I smile against her. “And I love you.”
“You’re too thoughtful to be a bad guy.”
I chuckle as I hold her. “I’m a prick.”
“When?” She smiles up at me.
“In a minute when I drag you to bed and make up for ten years of missed sex.”