Chapter 0197
Danielughs as if he’s said something incredibly funny and my reaction is totally normal, looping an arm around my shoulders
and pulling me close. “Laugh,” he orders in my ear, a little urgent. “They''ll look away.”
| do as he says, not nearly as good of an actress as he is, but — then again — he’s had his whole life to practice. But he’s right,
after | give a littleugh as if Daniel has said something that’s a little scandalous but ultimately hrious, his family gives us a
couple of confused smirks and then turns back to their business.
When they’ve all looked away, | snap my face back to Daniel''s, my expression totally serious.
“Spill,” | demand. “Now. Tell me everything.” | drain my ss of proso, needing to bolster my courage.
Daniel sighs and shakes his head. “I don’t know all of the details, Fay. What | heard is from my Italian cousins when | would go
and visit them in Italy, and even what they knew was hushed up. It was apparently a big scandal.”
I nod, urging him to go on as | slip his Manhattan out of his hand and take a sip, deciding | need even more courage. Daniel
gives me a little chagrined frown as if he was looking forward to that drink, but he doesn’t take it back.
“Dad was destined for mom — engaged to her at birth to unite the families, as | was to you. And my grandfather — he was
incredibly good to my dad. When dad went to Italy, he went basically as a pauper — his father, the head of the Lippert family, had
been killed, and my mom had nothing. So, the fact that nonno respected the engagement, when he could have married his
eldest and favorite daughter to someone else, was...a big deal. Dad should have been grateful.”
Daniel sighs, shaking his head, and | nod, understanding. “But he wasn’t?” | ask, needing to know more.
He shrugs and shakes his head, unwilling tomit to that idea. “He was grateful, Fay — he was just...” Daniel sighs and looks
over to where his dad stands with a group of his family, Natalia again by his side. Kent is easy to spot, of course, being the tallest
in the room.
“He what,” | prompt, frustrated by his pauses.
“He was in love with Natalia,” Daniel says simply, turning back to me andying it out inly. | feel my blood go cold in my veins.
“They — they tried to elope to Rome. But they were caught, and dad was punished, and...” Daniel shrugs, indicating that he
doesn’t know much more, “a yearter, he married mom. And Natalia stood next to my mother at their wedding, and since then
she’s always been a close family friend. That''s all I’ve got.”
“Ohmygod,” | murmur, mushing the words together in my shock as | stare at Natalia across the room, slumping in my seat a little
and raising Daniel’s drink to my mouth again to take a sip. “That exins so much...”
“It does?” he asks, looking over at Natalia curiously.
“Um, yah,” | say, ring at him a little
for being so dumb. “Why Natalia
never got married? Why she looks at
Kent like that when speliginks gait
ney jooning@whly She''s doing her
utmost to prove that she’s the
perfect Italian woman, wife, and
mom? And then, Daniel - why she
looks at you with such adoration, and
treats you like you''re the son she
never had? Because you are the son
she never had.” Please read the
original content at NovelDrama.Org.
Daniel''s eyes go wide at this
realization and he looks at her agar
shocked to think thetenell yes in
spyyealtehidte universe, Natalia
would be his mother, not Lenai. And
that perhaps Natalia wanted that very
badly. Please read the original
content at NovelDrama.Org.
“Plus,” | add, my voice a little bitter
now, “the way she sticks to yourPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.
like a little burr? | gokat fier: Standing
rertahintike she’s ready to take
him back the moment he gives her
any sort of hint that he wants her.”
Please read the original content at
NovelDrama.Org.
“Really?” Daniel asks, turning that wide gaze on me now. “Do you think Natalia’s going to make a y for him, after all this
time?”
| sigh a deep breath and gesture towards where she’s draping herself on Kent’s arm,ughing up at some joke he made.