Chapter 2
Rosalie did not answer until Livia was out of the room.
Alessandro carried his daughter upstairs himself.
His older house manager, Margaret Wells, helped wash the loose strands of hair from the child’s neck.
Livia stared at herself in the bathroom mirror.
“Can they put it back?”
Alessandro felt the question somewhere behind his ribs.
“No.”
Livia touched the uneven side.
“Bianca said ugly girls should learn to listen.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
Alessandro looked away.
He had known Bianca could be sharp.
Demanding.
Possessive.
He had never known this.
Or perhaps he had never wanted to know.
“I’m not marrying her,” he said.
Livia looked at him through the mirror.
“Today?”
“Not today.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Never.”
The child considered that.
Then she nodded.
Downstairs, Rosalie waited in Alessandro’s private study with two bodyguards outside the door.
She looked uncomfortable among the dark wood, leather chairs, and family photographs.
Alessandro entered alone.
“Tell me.”
Rosalie folded her hands tightly.
“Three nights ago, Damien was in the west service hallway talking to two men from the wedding security team.”
“What men?”
“I don’t know their names.”
“What did he say?”
Rosalie hesitated.
“He said after the ceremony they were supposed to stop taking instructions from Daniel Shaw.”
Daniel was Alessandro’s head of estate security.
“Who were they supposed to listen to?”
“Damien.”
Alessandro’s face remained still.
Rosalie continued.
“I thought maybe I misunderstood. But yesterday I saw Damien giving envelopes to three more guards.”
“Money?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you tell anyone?”
“I told Bianca.”
That surprised him.
“Why?”
“Because she was going to be your wife. I thought she should know her brother was doing something behind your back.”
Alessandro almost smiled at the innocence of that assumption.
“What did she say?”
“She told me Damien was helping with wedding security and that it was none of my business.”
Rosalie rubbed one thumb against the other.
“Then this morning she came into the bridal suite while I was cleaning.”
“With the clippers?”
“Not yet.”
Rosalie said Bianca accused her of spreading rumors.
Then Damien entered.
He knew exactly what Rosalie had heard.
“He asked whether I had told you.”
“What did you say?”
“I said no.”
“Why?”
Rosalie looked directly at Alessandro.
“Because people in this house are afraid of telling you bad news.”
The statement landed harder than she intended.
Alessandro did not interrupt.
Rosalie continued.
Bianca told her to go downstairs.
Twenty minutes later she entered the service kitchen carrying the clippers.
“She said nobody would take a maid seriously if she left your wedding looking insane.”
Alessandro’s jaw tightened.
“She was going to shave your hair?”
Rosalie nodded.
“She wanted me to say I invented everything because I was jealous of her.”
“And the plate?”
Rosalie looked toward the door.
“She said I should learn where servants belong.”
Alessandro remained silent.
Then Rosalie added something quieter.
“Livia wasn’t supposed to see any of it.”
He looked at her.
“She came in looking for me.”
“Why?”
May you like
Rosalie’s face changed.
“Because Bianca had already been cruel to her this morning.”
