Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 99

Luca was halfway down the steps when he heard the door behind him open.

“Luca, wait.”

Antonio.

Luca paused but didn’t turn. He wasn’t in the mood for delays. His mind was on finding Sutton.

Antonio caught up, stopping beside him in the drive.

“You should’ve told me,” Luca said without looking at him.

“About Bella?”

h

Luca turned his head slowly. “Yeah. That you had feelings for her. That you’ve been walking around lately like a wounded bear.”

Antonio didn’t deny it. Just looked down at his shoes. “It didn’t seem like it mattered. Dad had made up his mind. You were always the one.”

“The one what?”

“The one who got everything. The business. The praise. The bride, sure–but the respect too. I didn’t build a fortune like you, Luca. I didn’t strike out and make my own name. I just followed the path Dad laid out.”

Luca let out a short laugh, but there was no real humor in it. “You work in the family business. That’s not nothing. You’ve kept it going. I only broke away because I hated shipping and exports. I still hate it.”

Antonio looked up. “So you really think I should marry her?”

“If anyone’s better suited to take over both businesses and keep this whole dynasty alive, it’s you. Not me. I don’t want it. I never did. I think in the long run both families will be happier with this arrangement. God, I think we both are.”

་་་་

They stood in silence for a moment before Luca clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Just don’t lie to yourself, okay? If you’re gonna, do it–marry Bella -do it because you want to. Not because you think you have to. But if the look on your face is anything to go by, I would say you are very happy.”

Antonio nodded. “Good luck finding her.”

and just sat there for a second. He

rang. He glanced at the

“Ricci,” he said, answering.

waste time.

Luca straightened. “And?”

“She vanished.”

hell does that mean?

she boarded a flight out of Milan two

her up on the other side. People didn’t

pause. “That’s the thing. No one by her name came through immigration at JFK or any of the other major airports. It’s like she

1642 Wed 25 Jun

Chapter 99

breath. “How

now. But wherever she is, she didn’t want

closed his eyes. He had a baby out there–and his woman. And

said. “Find her. I don’t care what

his veins with if–only’s pounding through his brain. If only

for over a week.

had no

seeing the driveway in front of him. The call with Ricci had left him wired, restless, and pissed at the entire

his phone back

security picked up

the best. Not good.

pause. “Understood. I’ll get a shortlist together

it fast. And

“Yeah?”

word ends up in the press, you’ll

“You got it.”

tight his temples ached. The worst part wasn’t that Audrey had disappeared–it was that she didn’t want to be found. She’d erased

even say Audrey was running–because he

all

wheel, then snatched the phone back up

up on the second ring, as always.

didn’t say