wanted me to give him a chance, and my mind cautioned me to stay away. I didn’t know if I was strong enough to overcome the past, but I was certain of one thing. I wanted the hatred and the bitterness I had harbored for years to end. I had to let it go. Not for him, but for myself. “Alessandro, I'm not withholding my forgiveness. You have it,” I whispered. “I don't need you to grovel or keep tormenting yourself like this. I'm not taking any enjoyment in it.”
His eyes widened and he gasped. “Do you really mean it?”
I nodded as his gaze held mine. “All I want from you is to give me independence and respect. To be honest, I'm still not convinced you can give me either of those things, but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt for the sake of our baby and my little sister.”
Alessandro swallowed and his eyes glistened with heavy emotion. “That's comforting, cara. It's not quite what I want, but it's a start. I understand you need me to prove myself with deeds and not words. You're cautious for a reason.”
I nodded once again. “I'm not that gullible seventeen-year-old girl you met at the restaurant anymore,” I said softly. “I’ve grown up a lot.”
Alessandro smiled and placed his hand on my shoulder. “So have I, Olivia,” he murmured, leaning closer to kiss me on the forehead. “So have I.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The Present
The next morning at breakfast, May’s lips twisted into a contagious smile and her eyes darted back and forth between me and Alessandro. Ever since the conversation we had the previous night, the atmosphere between us was awkward. Nevertheless, Alessandro pretended everything was fine for the sake of my little sister. As I followed her wandering gaze, I still couldn't believe we were finally reunited.
“Is there something you would like to ask?” Alessandro inquired in a teasing manner.
May shook her head and giggled as the maid walked in with freshly made bagels.
“So, what do you want to do today, piccolina?” Alessandro asked while he made her a sandwich.
May took a moment to think about it, then said, “I want to go to the zoo.”
Alessandro raised his eyebrows. “I was thinking we could do something fun at home. Olivia has a baby in her belly, remember? It would be cruel of us to make her walk long distances.”
I gasped a smile at his overprotectiveness. Alessandro was obviously one of those men who treated pregnant women like invalids. I cleared my throat and that was enough to grab their attention. “Actually, I think we should go. I haven't been in a while.”
“Really?” May asked, sounding excited.
I nodded my response and she ran to hug me in spontaneous joy.
“Not so fast, girls,” Alessandro interjected, pointing to one tiny dark cloud in the distance. “I still don't think it's a good idea. It could start raining any moment now.”
May made a disappointed pouting face. “But you still owe me because you didn't show up for my birthday,” she said in an offended tone. “You promised you would pick me up and take me somewhere special. I wore my favorite dress and waited the entire day, but you never came.”
Alessandro's gaze suddenly wandered somewhere vacant and he visibly swallowed as though reliving some kind of bad memory. “I'm sorry about that, piccolina,” he said, snapping out of it. “I was on my way, but something urgent came up and I couldn't come.”
“Mom said you had an accident,” May whispered, her brows creased together.
Sudden realization swept over me and I froze the moment I met Alessandro's deep black gaze. So that was where he was headed on the day of the accident—May's birthday party. At the time, I was convinced the reason was something much more sinister. I could have never imagined he'd cancelled all of his meetings for something so plain and innocent. Both May and I stared at him expectantly. I could sense he didn't appreciate the reminder of what had happened to him on that day, but he merely shrugged it off and smiled.
“Mom talks too much,” he said in a light voice.
May blinked. “She also said you didn't come to visit for so long because you’d forgotten about us.”
Worried he might snap at May, I cast him a glance of warning, but he kept his composure.
“You're not the best keeper of secrets, are you May?” Alessandro teased. “Anything else your mom said that you'd like to share?”