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PROLOGUE

It took al

topast

and e future

Paris, France, July

“CONGRATULATIONS! I KNEW you could do it”

Enzo Bartolini turned to the beautiful wo next to him The excitement in her voice and the sparkle in her eyes let hi achieves should be

He was supposed to be the excited one—the one who felt as though he was on top of the world This as so he’d dreamed of for years And now that it was here—now that he was holding the plaque with his name on it—the victory felt hollow

The exhilaration he’d envisioned for this auspiciousof acco worthy of his father’s praise—was not to be Shadows of the past shtness of the moment

Still, Enzo forced a bittersweet s—at least nothing he felt worthy of clai

He’d encouraged his father for years to start entering his wine in conition would increase the demand for the wine and in turn raise its value But his father had been stubborn, as usual He’d said it was enough for hiot to work the land each day and nition, too