Page 9 of Her Ghostly Embrace
Her vision cleared in an instant. She was floating, looking down at herself, blonde hair splayed out in the dirt, eyes closed, chest unmoving. But her cheeks remained rosy with life.
She’d done it!
Elation filled Aurora, fizzing like a thousand tiny bubbles.
Abruptly, the candles around her body snuffed out, and something tugged at the back of her brain. No, not her brain, her consciousness? Before Aurora could react, the force swept her soul away.
Leaving her body behind.
FOUR
GIA
“Gia,it’s good to see you at the table,” Franco said as he joined her and Marc for dinner.
It had been three days, and Gia had avoided her family even more than usual. She smiled sweetly. “Good to see you too, Father. You’ve been so busy.”
A smug expression tugged at Franco’s lips. He’d aged unfairly well and always dressed impeccably. Marc had picked up Franco’s meticulous grooming habits, but their resemblance went beyond fashion sense, leaving no doubt they were related by blood.
Gia had always assumed the differences between her and her father and brother were due to taking after her mother. Her features were finer, her hair darker, but her tanned complexion and brown eyes fit in well enough with the rest of the family.
The truth lay in the details she’d overlooked. Seeing the picture of Jeffrey Lockwood that Ramirez had sent, it was clear she had his nose. Not her mother’s or Franco’s.
Franco waved a heavily ringed hand, and one of the men standing silently at the edge of the room disappeared into the kitchen. “You know me, Gianna. There’s always someonetesting my patience. Never mind plenty of work to do. If I bothered to rest, all this would be taken away.” He gestured around the opulent dining room.
He never missed a chance to imply rest was weak. Renewed anger surged through Gia, but she withheld her retort.
Mary entered with dinner and deftly transferred the various dishes from her cart to the table as the lackey returned to his silent place by the door.
“Nothing will be taken away. We’ll figure out who’s moving against us soon enough,” Marc said, reaching for one of the dishes.
Franco hummed. “As long as dealing with the problem doesn’t cut into our plans. Looking beyond Ashton Lakes is well overdue.”
“Of course,” Marc agreed.
Gia didn’t want to hear it. Listening to Franco express his never-ending need for more was exhausting. She served herself and let the others settle into eating for a few minutes before turning to her brother. “Are you stopping by Poison tonight?” It was the Balzanos’ most popular nightclub.
Marc’s brows rose. “Yeah. I have to check on a few things. Why?”
Gia shrugged. “I’m dying to go dancing. Do something. You know?”
“Really?” Marc’s gaze darted to their father to check his reaction.
“Gianna.” Franco tutted right on cue. “Is that really a good idea?”
She forced herself to stay calm, her voice taking on a whiny, rather than desperate, edge. “Why not? I’ve been feeling great for days. All I’ve done is rest. Please. I need to get out of the house for a bit.”
Franco’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not meeting someone, are you?”
God forbid she have a friend or a date. “It’s not like that, I promise. I’ll be with Marc and Salvator.”
Marc caught her eye and flashed her a smile. “It’s best if Gia goes to one of our clubs. Come on, she needs a little fun. The boys and I will look out for her.”
Gia’s pulse spiked, and her father’s gaze narrowed in her direction, almost as if he could tell. Marc meant well, but his comment was infuriating. Was it too much to ask to be treated like an adult and not someone who needed supervision?
Fuck, she had to get out of here. How had she done this for so long?
Franco dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. “You’re right, Marc. But you’ll be fully responsible.”
