Married For His Secret Heir

Before she could say a word, the sound of voices and approaching footsteps interrupted. Elena glanced past Luca and spotted Prince Alexandro alongside another of Luca’s cousins. The prince glanced up and surprise flashed in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. We didn’t know anyone was out here,” Prince Alexandro said. “We’ll go.”

“No. Stay. You aren’t interrupting anything,” Elena hastily responded.

The prince’s gaze moved between her and Luca. “You’re sure?”

Luca hesitated and then nodded.

“Good,” the prince said, approaching them. “Luca, we need you to settle a disagreement.”

The men quickly got into a heated discussion about the upcoming European football season. Elena immediately tuned out the conversation. She wasn’t a sports fan unless it was auto racing. There was just something about a hot guy and a fast car. Her mind immediately conjured up Luca in a sleek racecar. The image definitely worked for her. But just as quickly as the image came to her, she dismissed it.

With the men now deep in conversation, Luca had his back to her. She took advantage of the moment to follow through with her original plan to steal away into the night. Trying to act as casual as possible, she quietly strolled down the steps and entered the garden.

When she reached the other side of the garden, she slipped through the gate and entered the open field illuminated only by moonlight. At last, she was free.

With her hand splayed over her midsection, she said, “Don’t worry, little one. We’ll tell your father. The time just has to be right.”

* * *

A late-night phone call was never a good thing.

In Luca’s case, it always meant that his life was about to take a turn for the worse. He doubted tonight would be any different.

“Father?”

“Luca, you answered.” Surprise rang out in his father’s voice.

Was he that bad at accepting calls from his father? Perhaps. He had started to avoid his father’s calls because the man kept hounding him to step up and take his place in the family business—a position Luca didn’t feel comfortable assuming.

“Are you all right?” Luca asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I’m coming to Mirraccino first thing in the morning. We need to talk.”

“Is that code for you want to discuss how I’m wasting my life? If so, you’re wasting your time—”

“I’m serious, Luca. It’s imperative that we talk.” There was a weariness to his father’s voice that he’d never heard before. And it concerned Luca more than he’d expected.

“Can’t you just tell me now?”

“No. We need to do this in person. And don’t tell your sister. She’ll find out soon enough, but for now she deserves to enjoy her engagement.”

“Understood.”

“Good. I’ll see you first thing in the morning. Don’t sleep in.”

“I won’t.”

When they disconnected, sleep was the very last thing on Luca’s mind. His father was far from melodramatic. In fact, after his mother’s murder, his father had been the only calm person—perhaps too calm. At the time, Luca had resented the fact that his father hadn’t fallen to pieces. In that moment, he’d been certain his father didn’t love his mother. Not like he should have loved her.

That was the moment when Luca pulled back from everyone. Convinced that love was just an illusion, he’d refused to become a victim of romance and happily-ever-after. Because when the haze of lust lifted, someone would walk away and someone would get hurt.

And as much as Luca believed his father had not loved his mother, as the years slipped by, his doubts set in. His father never moved on with his life. He never remarried. Luca wasn’t even sure his father dated. If he did, he used the utmost discretion. And the few times that Luca had returned to their home in Halencia, it remained the same. His mother’s belongings were still where she had left them. It was so easy to pretend that she was just out for the day. It made Luca wonder if he’d misjudged his father. Had his father loved his mother in his own way?

Sleep was elusive for the rest of the night as Luca stared into the darkness. He knew as sure as the sun would rise that his life was about to change dramatically. It left him restless.

And then there was the matter of Elena.

She’d gotten away from him tonight. He didn’t know what was bothering her, but he intended to find out. It wasn’t like Elena to act so mysteriously.

Tomorrow there was a picnic. He wasn’t sure what else Annabelle had planned for the day, but he was certain it wouldn’t be boring. Nothing about the day would be mundane, because he had every intention of once again escorting Elena to the event. It would give them a chance to finish their prior discussion.

There was something going on with Elena, and he felt driven to find out what had this international fashion model cowering from the cameras. Perhaps it wasn’t any of his business, but the worried look reflected in Elena’s eyes haunted him.

He might not have been around much in the past few years, but he was here now. By helping her, he might be able to assuage some of his guilt over losing control in Paris. If he did, perhaps they could part on good terms.

CHAPTER FOUR (#u9ca61399-ae42-5ead-8054-379b6a248937)

THE NEXT MORNING Luca paced back and forth in the palace library.

It was time he let his father in on his life choices. Luca couldn’t help but wonder what his father would think of the fact that he’d gone back to school and received his degree in business management. He knew he was destined to run the family’s citrus business one day. And he wanted to be prepared. In fact, for the past several years, he’d been working his way up in an investment firm in Milan.

Perhaps he should have told his father all of this sooner. He’d intended to, but it never worked out. Every time they got together, they argued. His mother used to say that they butted heads so much because they were so much alike. Luca had always taken it as an insult. He had never wanted to believe that he was as stubborn and infuriating as his father—

“Luca.” His father’s voice came from behind him.

Being so deep into his thoughts, Luca hadn’t heard his father approach. He turned toward the doorway. “Hello, Father.”

“At last we talk. You really ought to get a new phone so your messages don’t get lost.”

Luca had noticed the messages, but he kept putting them off for one reason or another. “I’ve been busy.”

His father’s dark, bushy brows drew together. “Humph... How can you be busy?”

Luca inwardly groaned. Did his father always have to think so little of him? And then he realized that it was partially his fault. His stubborn pride had kept him from revealing to his father that he’d followed the path his father had wanted him to take in the first place.

Luca cleared his throat. “What did you need to talk about?”

“Is that how you greet your father?”

“It’s not like we’re the mushy type. That’s Annabelle’s area.”

His father broke out in a hearty laugh, surprising Luca. He had absolutely no idea what he’d said that was so amusing.

His father quickly recovered his composure. “Apparently you’ve spent as little time around your sister as you have me. Let me enlighten you so that you are not shocked this week. Your sister has grown up into a strong woman and a bit of a spitfire.”

That would explain the adventure she’d gone on to track down their mother’s murderer. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.” Still not comfortable in his father’s presence, he said, “Now, what did you want to talk about?”