Even now, even now, she was thinking about him, about Ricardo, protecting him.
"That's a load of crap," Marco said flatly. "And now, Luca will definitely learn about this."
"Don't tell him. Don't tell him, please."
"You want to hide a pregnancy?" he asked. "For how long? Three months at least? Besides… have you confirmed you actually are pregnant?"
"No…" she admitted.
"Then why are we even having this conversation?" he asked, the frustration slipping through now.
Valentina's eyes dropped, her fingers twisting together. "I wanted you to be here."
He swallowed. "Alright," he said finally. "Do you have the tests?"
Val nodded.
"Fine," he added. "Go do your thing."
Valentina got to her feet and turned toward the hallway. "Thank you for being here for me."
"Anytime you need me, I will be here," he said.
*****
Luca sat behind his desk. Still, silent, deadly.
The office itself carried that same energy—dark wood, low lighting.
