Over the next few days, Papa made a slow and steady recovery. Having Calum by her side gave Laurella strength so she could, in turn, give support to her family. Calum had shown his charming side and won each and every one of them over, including Caterina who, after a couple of frosty exchanges, had come around in the end.

He’d kept to his word and hadn’t asked her anything further about her meltdown during the Sorensen’s meeting, but the conversation couldn’t be avoided forever. And she was dreading it. So many years had passed, during which time she’d buried that event so deep that she sometimes went weeks without thinking about it. Yet now, the painful images were at the forefront of her mind, and she hated it.

On the day her father was being released from the hospital, Laurella found herself alone with him. He waved away her offer of help as he padded about his hospital room, collecting his things.

Once he’d placed them all on the bed, ready for packing, he stiffly sat on a chair and patted the one next to him. “Come sit with your papa, girl. Time to share what’s bothering you.”

Laurella feigned surprise, even though she was anything but. Papa always had been able to read her, and much as she’d tried, hiding things from him always ended in failure.

“Everything’s fine, Papa. Especially now that you’re well enough to go home.”

He gave her that face that said Don’t lie to me and shook his head. “Will you never learn, girl? I’ve known you for thirty years. Ever since that day I held you in my arms, my firstborn, and you opened your eyes and looked at me, I knew we had a special connection. And still, you think you can keep secrets from me.”

Laurella’s knees trembled. She risked a glance at the door, hoping someone would enter and save her. It remained stubbornly closed.

“No one is coming, and if they do, they’ll be told to leave,” Papa said. Sometimes she was sure he shared the inside of her head with her. He patted the seat once more. “Sit.”

With nowhere to turn and no one to save her, she trudged across the room and reluctantly did as he’d asked. He captured one of her hands, tucking it between both of his. Silent, he waited for her to speak.

A swell of emotion rushed through her. “Vorino is in New York.”

Her father heaved a breath and increased the pressure on her hand. “Tell me every detail, Laurella. And don’t you leave out a single thing.”

Laurella briefed her father on what had happened during the last few weeks in New York. He listened without interruption, though his keen mind would record every detail. When she finished, his arms came around her.

“You have to tell Calum,” he said. “You cannot carry this burden alone. I might be ill and old, but even if I were blind and senile, I’d still be able to tell the strength of that man’s love for you.”

Laurella’s vision blurred. She lifted her head and stared into Papa’s eyes. “What if he doesn’t look at me the same way afterward?”

“Pah,” her father said, his hand slashing through the air. Despite the heavy subject matter, the familiarity of that action brought a smile to Laurella’s lips. “Then he’s not the man for you. Except I think he is, and I’m never wrong. He might not be Italian, but I’ll try not to hold that against him.”

Laurella’s smile widened. “I love you, Papa.”

“Love you, too, girl. Now, let me finish this packing so I can get out of this godforsaken place and go home.”

Laurella helped her mother clear away the dishes after dinner. As usual, Mama had made far too much. Laurella had grown up with tables groaning under the sheer weight of food. She scraped leftovers into the waste as excited chatter floated in from the dining room. Calum had been accepted into the bosom of her family. He’d even survived the severe grilling from each of her brothers. Having brothers of his own no doubt helped.

“I suppose you’ll be going back to the States now that your father is on the mend?”

Her mother’s question came completely out of the blue, and Laurella was unprepared to answer it. Whether or not she returned to America was completely dependent on how her conversation with Calum went. If, as she feared, he rejected her once he knew the truth, she wouldn’t be going anywhere. And even if he remained by her side, she still didn’t know how she could go back with Vorino there. Certainly, her career at Necron was over. If she did return to New York, she’d have to find another company to take her on, and that wouldn’t be easy in the current economic climate. Plus, it would be difficult to explain why she’d decided to leave Necron after only six months working there.

“I expect so,” Laurella murmured noncommittally. “I’d like to stay a little longer if that’s all right.”

“What’s with you, girl?” Her mother flicked a dish towel at her backside, a method of teasing she’d used since they were all young children. As Laurella dodged out of the way, chuckling, her mother said, “You can stay as long as you like. If it was up to me, you’d never have left in the first place.”

“If it was up to you, we’d all still be living in this apartment, driving each other crazy.”

Her mother’s wistful smile tugged at Laurella’s heartstrings. “I miss those days.”

“You might now, looking back,” Laurella said. “But then, I seem to remember you begging for us all to go away and leave you in peace.”

Mama shrugged. “Be careful what you wish for, I guess.”

At the nostalgic tinge to Mama’s voice, Laurella folded her inside her arms, hugging her tightly. “We’re all still here, Mama. Whenever you need us, we’re here.”

Mama clung on. The hug only lasted a second, but it gave Laurella an insight into how much she’d had been missing them all. Alessia was the last of the siblings, and she would be leaving for college at the end of the summer.

And then the moment was over. Her mother bustled to the fridge and removed an enormous tiramisu, enough to feed the whole apartment block, let alone her family. “Okay,” she said, forcing a huge smile. “Dessert.”

“Honestly, Mrs. Ricci,” Calum said, rubbing his stomach as a second helping of tiramisu was placed in front of him. “I couldn’t eat another thing.” He sent a helpless glance Laurella’s way.

She laughed. “Mama, take pity on him. He’s not used to the size of Italian meals.”

“He needs feeding. There’s barely an ounce of fat on him.”

“Leave the man alone, Hayley,” Papa said. “Besides, Laurella told me before she wants to show him around our beautiful city at night.”

“I did?” Laurella said.

Her father widened his eyes in a silent message.

“Yes, I did,” she said, understanding his escape plan a few seconds too late. Fortunately, her mother didn’t notice the slipup.

“You must take him to see the Santa Maria delle Grazie,” Mama said. “And the Duomo. Oh, and not let’s not forget the Leonardo da Vinci statue.”

“Mama, stop,” Laurella said. “We’ll probably go for a wander around the streets and see what we come across rather than do a fully organized tour. Honestly, I think you missed your calling. You should get a job with the tourist board.”

“Sorry, Calum.” Mama grinned apologetically. “Milan is such a beautiful city. That’s why I never left.”

Papa cleared his throat. “What my beautiful wife means to say is that she never left because Milan is my home, so she made it hers because she loved me that much.”

The similarity of her mother’s life with her own touched Laurella deeply. She nudged Calum’s arm, anxious to leave before she was overcome with emotion. “Let’s go. I think you’ve seen enough of Italian family dynamics for one night.”

Laurella suppressed a giggle at the speed with which Calum got to his feet. “Thank you for having me.” He took hold of Laurella’s hand.

The two of them almost ran for the front door.

Outside the apartment, they started to laugh. “You survived the Ricci grilling,” Laurella said.

Calum snagged her around the waist. “A warning would have been nice.”

“That would have been boring.”

“Yeah.” He touched his nose to hers. “For you.”

She tilted her head. “They like you.”

“Jesus. I’d hate to see what happened to someone they didn’t like.”

“Oh, those people are buried in the walls,” she said with a straight face, but then she laughed once more. All the stress of her mad dash from New York a week before, followed by the hospital vigil and Papa’s recovery, had made her a little crazy.

“It’s good to see you laugh again,” Calum said, dropping a quick kiss on her lips. “And as much as I want that to continue, we need to talk.”

He might not have wanted her to stop smiling, but knowing how difficult the upcoming conversation was going to be wiped the grin right from her face.

She breathed out a heavy sigh. “I know we do. There’s a nice quiet bar not far from here.”

They wandered into town, and after about fifteen minutes, Laurella turned down a narrow alley and stepped into a cozy bar, an old favorite of Papa’s. She hoped that telling Calum her dirty little secret while being there would make it easier somehow. Or at least, it might give her more strength.

They found a table toward the back where it was less crowded. After ordering their drinks, Laurella took off her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair.

“Nice place,” Calum said, glancing around. “This is my first trip to Italy. I’d definitely like to see more.”

“More than the inside of a hospital or my parents’ apartment, you mean.”

He grinned. “Something like that.”

They quieted as the server wandered over with their drinks. Laurella sipped her coffee. She would have preferred a stiff drink, but keeping her wits about her was probably a better option. Her leg bounced up and down, and she only realized she was nibbling on her nails when Calum tugged her hand away from her mouth.

“Go at your own pace,” he said gently, as if talking to a frightened child. “There’s no rush.”

She nodded and swallowed. Oh God. This was awful. She’d thought all this was behind her. She’d told this story twice, and each time had been like slicing through her guts with a rusty knife. Telling Calum would be worse. She knew it.

Taking a deep breath, she began. “I started working at Spirito as an intern. Fresh out of college, I had a lot to learn. But I was hardworking and ambitious, and it wasn’t very long before I began to move up the career ladder. When I was twenty-six, I found myself temporarily transferred to Alberto Vorino’s department.”

She took another breath and, with trembling hands, drank a little more coffee.

“Actually, do you mind ordering me a whiskey?” she said, changing her mind. “I don’t think I’m going to get through this on caffeine alone.”

Calum’s mouth twisted with worry, but he simply squeezed her hand and called the server across. After her whiskey had been delivered, she drank a healthy mouthful. It burned on the way down but warmed her insides in preparation for the oncoming chill.

“Alberto was riding high at the top of his career. He’d catapulted Spirito into the big leagues with his brand definition and tight, targeted marketing campaigns.” She laughed bitterly. “There’s no doubting the man’s talent at least.”

She picked at a stray bit of fluff from her skirt. She needed to avert her eyes. Looking at Calum’s worried expression was making this so much more difficult.

“After about three months, he started to notice me. I found myself invited to senior-management meetings, asked to undertake projects that were way above my level of experience, but I’ve never shied away from a challenge, and when I successfully implemented them, more were forthcoming.

“Then one day, I received a meeting invite. It was for six that evening. Late, but not unusually so. We often worked into the night when deadlines had to be met. I assumed another large project was coming my way even though I already had a full calendar.”

She picked up her whiskey and studied the amber liquid swirling inside then drank another larger-than-recommended mouthful.

“I expected there to be other people, but when I arrived at Vorino’s office, he was alone. On his desk was a bottle of prosecco, a couple of glasses, and a few snacks.” She squeezed her eyes closed and breathed deeply through her nose. “I asked him what was going on, and he said it was a celebration, a thank-you of sorts, for all the hard work I’d been doing. He said I deserved a treat.”

From the way Calum’s face hardened, he’d already guessed where this was going, but maybe not the extent of it. He deserved the full, unedited truth, however disgusting and hideous it was.

“I felt uneasy. I should have listened to my instincts and left, but he was my boss, a very senior figure in the organization and the man who could make or break my career. So I stayed.” She shrugged. “At first, everything seemed fine. We had a drink and chatted about the latest project I was working on. He told me how impressed both he and his entire team were with me. How glad he was that I’d been temporarily moved to his department. He even joked that I’d soon be pushing him out of his job. I began to relax. I remember he topped up my glass, so I must have finished the previous one, although I can’t say for sure.”

She paused as their server came by to ask if they needed anything. Calum waved her away with an irritated flick of his wrist and a curt, “No.”

Laurella touched his arm. “She didn’t know it was bad timing.”

“Then she should learn to read body language.” His face softened. “Sorry. Go on. I mean… only if you want to.”

After a further sip of Dutch courage, she continued. “It was getting quite late. I was conscious that the floor beyond Vorino’s office had quietened, and outside, it had gone dark. I rose to leave. He asked me to stay a while longer, but I said that my parents were expecting me home for dinner, even though they weren’t. I headed for the door, and I almost got there when he lunged at me. He slammed me, face-first, up against the wall. His arm came around my neck, and I remember I couldn’t breathe properly. I panicked.” Hot tears burned behind her eyes, and she blinked to clear her vision. “He was like a man possessed. He told me I owed him for all the chances he’d given me to further my career—and that night was his turn to collect.”

She swallowed and closed her eyes, only opening them again when Calum’s warm hand covered hers.

“You don’t have to say any more.” His voice might have been calm, but his eyes burned like coal.

“No, I’d like to finish.” She grimaced. “I always thought I’d be the sort of girl who’d fight in a situation like that. But when it came to it, I froze. I can still smell his foul breath as he panted in my ear. I can feel his hands, roughly tearing at my underwear. I remember how painful it was, even though I wasn’t a virgin.” Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and trailed down her cheeks, but she didn’t brush them away. She straightened her spine. “After he’d… finished, he told me that if I breathed a word to anyone, he’d tell them I offered him sex to further my career—that I was so ambitious I’d do anything to climb the ladder. I was desperate to get out of there, so I agreed I wouldn’t tell anyone.

“When I closed the door to his office, and he remained on the other side, I can’t begin to describe the relief I felt. I didn’t even wait for the elevator. I ran into the stairwell and out onto the street. My parents’ apartment was only about a twenty-minute walk from Spirito, and a stroll I’d often taken, but I ran the whole way home. I was so scared he’d come after me. I’d have taken a cab, but I left my purse in the office.”

A nerve ticked in Calum’s cheek, and his hands were curled into fists, showing his fury. “And did you tell anyone?”

“Not right away, no. But the following morning, I broke down and told Papa. I’m sure you’ve seen over the past week how close I am to my father, but even so, telling him was one of the most horrific things I’ve ever had to do. To tell a man who adores the very bones of you how another man had violated you, done terrible things to you, and then see something change behind his eyes, something you know will never go back to the way it was… that’s what broke me.”

“Jesus, Laurella,” he muttered, pressing her hand between both of his. “I’m guessing you didn’t go to the police, because that fucker is still walking around.”

“I couldn’t.” She shook her head violently. “I couldn’t do it. Papa plays golf with the CEO of Spirito, and so, with my agreement, Papa told him. The CEO removed Vorino from his post that very day. I don’t know what was said or agreed, and I didn’t want to know. All I cared about was that he was gone from my life, and I could go on working for the company I’d grown to love.”

Calum’s face darkened, and then a look of absolute disgust distorted his features. “Fuck. I accused you of trying to seduce him. Oh God, baby, I’m so sorry. So, so sorry. No wonder you ran. How can you ever forgive me?”

She squeezed his fingers. “You didn’t know.”

“That doesn’t excuse my behavior. I should have read the signs. I was so flippant with you back in New York.”

She chuckled, and it felt good. “Calum, you’re you. You don’t read signs.”

Her teasing didn’t bring on a smile. “I don’t deserve you.”

“I won’t lie. It hurt that you thought me capable of such a thing, but none of that matters now. You know everything, and it feels good not to have to hide it from you anymore. I love you. And loving someone means you forgive them. I could have told you everything then and there, in New York, but I didn’t. It’s not all your fault, Calum.”

“And you never heard from Vorino again?”

“Not until he walked into the boardroom last week.”

Calum covered his face with his hands and rubbed hard. When they fell back into his lap, a faint tinge of red stained his cheeks, and a muscle flickered in his jaw. “You sat there, with that… that… animal for an hour. An hour. Jesus Christ.”

She shook her head. “I was determined not to let what happened ruin my life, and by going on, by being successful, I win. I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor.”

“You’re amazing.”

She smiled. “My trip to Italy wasn’t running away, Calum, but it did give me time to think. I can’t work with Vorino. I’m sorry.”

His eyes widened. “Fucking hell. Of course you can’t work with him.”

“But don’t you see? This means that I’ll have to leave Necron. Which means I’ll also have to leave New York. Without a job, I’ll lose my work visa.”

Calum leaned forward and gripped her hands. “You’re not going anywhere. I will not have that man chase you from your job, your home. From me. I will sort this out with Zane.”

“No!” She yanked her hands away as panic swelled within her. “You can’t tell him. I don’t want people judging me, looking at me differently. Feeling sorry for me.”

“Take it easy,” he said, his voice steady and mild. “I won’t tell him anything, but you have to let me talk to him.” He reached for her hands once more. “You’re the woman I love. You belong with me. Zane trusts me. Can you?”

A fluttering set off in her abdomen. “So you still want me, after… now that you know?”

His nostrils flared, and he stiffened his spine. “Did you really think I wouldn’t? That what he did to you would change one thing about how I feel about you?”

She nibbled at her bottom lip. “I wasn’t sure what you’d think.”

“Oh, Laurella.” He rose from his chair and tossed some money on the table. “Come back to the hotel with me. Nothing has to happen, I just want to hold you. I don’t want you out of my sight. Not tonight. Not ever.”

Relief rushed through her. She took his outstretched hand. She hadn’t lost him. He still wanted her. “I’ll come back with you—on one condition.”

He frowned, worry lacing his handsome features. “What?”

“That something happens.”