Page 259 of Caterina

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The complete ruination of his legacy.

Papà looks down at me then.

He puts his hand on my shoulder and looks back at Carlo.

“Over thirty years ago, your father lost to me,” he says. “Today, you lose to Caterina.”

My throat thickens.

Not “my daughter.”

Caterina.

The three men are escorted out, and the room slowly empties after them. Adrian gives me a nod before retreating, finally leaving my father and me alone.

For a moment, neither of us says anything.

Then he says, very quietly, “I should have listened sooner.”

The room goes painfully still.

My heart twists.

I stand and step into his arms.

“Yes,” I say. “You should have.”

He laughs. “Ever the humble one, you are.”

“I learned at the knee of the master,” I say, pressing my face to his shoulder.

Epilogue

Adrian

I do the final security check before the family arrives.

That is not strictly necessary.

My people have already done two sweeps of the property. The perimeter cameras are set. The front gate is staffed. The service entrance is locked down. The kitchen staff has been cleared, cleared again, and then politely endured my third round of questions with the weary patience of people who now understand that arguing with me is a waste of everyone’s time.

The system is stronger than it was before.

A lot stronger.

Caterina’s house is still hers. That was important. She did not want it turned into a fortress so obvious that it stripped the place of everything she loved about it.

So, over the past few months, the changes made have been invisible but effective. Reinforced glass that looks like the original. Cameras tucked into discreet places. Lighting adjusted so the garden no longer has pockets of deep shadow. Gates were rebuilt. Locks were replaced. Panic points added. The safe room has been upgraded and expanded after the attack. And I’ve added yet another backup power source because apparently one isn’t enough.

The house is secure.

I know that.

I check anyway.

Partly because it is what I do.

Partly because standing still before a Conti family dinner is impossible.

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