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She looked up at Luca “What kind of mother hurts her own child that way? What kind of mother doesn’t put the welfare of her child ahead of everything? There have been tiht have soh that? I know I couldn’t I’ve tried to understand it, but I just can’t The only thing I can co else”

Luca shook his head “I don’t know, either I barely remember my mother myself”

“You said she left you and Gina That must have been difficult”

“I only re like we neverin his tone “She left us when I was a boy My dad raised Gina and me”

He stood up and walked over to the

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, “That must have been horrible for you Did your dad ever remarry?”

He cleared his throat “It’s not i co”

He spoke with such vehe his own hurts

And for a ot about herself and wondered about the boy he’d been, and how he’d suffered in his oay Perhaps that silver spoon he’d been born with didn’t gleaht How she wished she could help him as he’d helped her today

How had this happened?

She’d fallen in love with Luca Fiori, and it was the one sure thing to break her heart Luca cared for her, yes She knew that But love? By his own admission, Luca didn’t do love

She had to take a step back This baring of souls—well hers, anyas all well and good, but even she wasn’t fool enough to believe there was a happy ending in all of it Luca didn’t live here He didn’t belong here He belonged at his villa in Italy with his fa between them noas a blip in their lives Necessary, perhaps, but still tes?