Chapter 38


    Instead of retaliating, Uncle Iacopo just smiles. “George? Do you have anything to say?” He takes a sip


    of his coffee.


    I turn and look at my dad. “Dad, why would you ever agree to this?”


    “Pumpkin, there’s something you don’t know.”


    My dad’s face is scaring me right now. He looked like this when my mom told him ten years ago that


    she wasn’t going to be part of our family. She still pays child support and helps with college based on


    her new husband’s ie, but I’ve never even met him. She threw me away with the rest of her old


    life. She didn’t ask for visitation. She didn’t get any.


    Chapter Three


    Tense


    Iacopo


    I can see how tense her shoulders are. The skin around her eyes is strained.


    "What''s wrong?"


    He licks his lips, like he can''t get it out. "Pumpkin, I''m in trouble."


    Her eyes flick to me. I look nothing like the man who brought her sparkly pink princess tiaras every


    birthday when she was young. I''m not him anymore.


    "Uncle Iacopo, what''s going on?"


    "I''m not your uncle." The absoluteck of emotion in my voice startles her. Her eyes are wide. She''s


    hugging herself as if she''s in Antarctica.


    "Uncle Iacopo, you''re scaring me."


    George is as pale as he can get. His entire body is shaking. It feels good to see him like this. He knows


    that if he tries to leave and take her with him, he''ll only suffer more. I''m taking the most precious part of


    his life.


    And I will destroy him.


    I''m d now that I didn''t kill him when I discovered his perfidy. It''s much more satisfying to see him pay


    in blood, sweat, and tears.


    "Pumpkin, I..."


    "Your father doesn''t seem to be able to spit it out, so let me make this simple for you. You have a


    choice between two options." "Why?"


    "Because your father has done something...ill advised."


    His face is the color of ash. "Oh, God." He''s rocking forward in his chair. He can''t stop what''s about to


    happen.


    "What did he do?"


    My voice is soft as I say, "He stole from me."


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Kelly knows who I am. She knows, in broad terms, what I do. She steps back as if I''ve pped her.


    "Dad? Is that true?"


    He just nods. Stunned realization is all over her face. She looks like I just told her that ck is white.


    "No," she denies. "There''s no way that you''d do that, Dad. You''re so ethical."


    "Pumpkin, I''m sorry. It''s true."


    The pain that I see sh across her face almost makes me relent.


    Almost.


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