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“I know your sisters wouldn’t bla shocked when the secret came out It had been years and you’d convinced yourself that it was a dream”

“But I should have said so I was ashamed that I wasn’t a Bartolini I was scared they wouldn’t look atbrother I didn’t want our relationship to change I thought if I sat on the inforer until the DNA results revealed the inevitable—I wasn’t a biological Bartolini”

“You’d just lost your parents—you were afraid of losing your sisters”

“That’s not good enough” He pulled away froood brother—if I’d have protected my sisters the way my father had always told me to do—I would have spoken up”

Sylvie placed her fingers beneath his chin and lifted until their gazes met “Maybe you should have spoken up sooner, but what you would have told them would have been misinformation You are a Bartolini by blood Perhaps it would have been worse for your sisters believing one thing, only to find out it wasn’t the truth”

“But if I’d have had the courage to speak up all those years ago, my parents could have talked to us They could have explained their actions Noe’re left with guessing at their motives”

“And this is why you’re selling the estate? You don’t feel that you deserve it?”

He shrugged “My sisters both ”

“Have you told your sisters all of this?”

He shook his head “I can’t” His sisters were all the fa them”

“Do you really think that will happen? Because I don’t I know your sisters love you aswill break you apart”

In her gaze he saw truth and coe his mind “I I can’t do it”

“If you don’t, I don’t think you’ll ever find that fresh start you’re seeking, no matter how far you move from here”

He wanted to argue with her He wanted to tell her that she rong But he didn’t Sylvie was a s his secret to his sisters was too great They’d already lost so h so much And he didn’t want them to look at him like—like he’d let them down

“You won’t say anything, right?” he asked