BEYOND REVENGE

choing through the walls of our once qui

o young to handle it. Love was a constant presence in our little Milanese ab

l I had ever known as I gazed at the police report in shaking hands. Th

accident and that the explosion in the plant where my father worked was caused by the carel

ow of the person she used to be. Her sorrow was a poison that co

ut. The physicians stated as much. I was aware of this better. Similar

t in the dark to make him pay as I muttered his name. He would suffer just

rate his life, and then surprise him with a surprise attack. How

someone he would see

ilan. I adopted a new persona that was the farthest thing from the distraught daughter. I turne

I didn't feel confident, to walk in high heels

t event-I ensured it. Across the packed room, our eyes locked, and I saw the

alked into a room. He was everything I had imagined a guy to be. Howeve

, acting delighted by his attention, and

h my hand or moved in close to mutter somethin

that didn't even have a name. With towering floor-to-ceiling windows al

d focused, and I detest

ient at the game. Had I not known any better

met," he said, his voice silky and low.

a grin. "Mr. De Luca, I could

and, "Please, call me Giovanni." I had to battle

ily on my tongue. I was clutching his hand as if I didn't wa

was tired by the time he escorted me to my apartment, b

ted, "I had a wonderful time tonight, Elen

him in the eye and nodde

oft, even compassionate motion, my spine tingled with disgust.

wearing all night coming off. Tears that I hadn't let fal

. Giovanni De Luca would have to pay for his acti

the notion was enough to stop the

e and the voice in the darkness reminding him of what he'd done.

nwanted notion entered my mind. Giovanni was a guy, not simpl

e, cunning part of me that couldn't help but wonder wh

nsidering it. This had nothing further to do with retaliati

my mind, tempting me with its possibili

portrayed him as? What if there was a guy under

elf in the process of

would make Giovanni De Luca pay for stealing everything from me. However, as I learned m

ome when the distinctions between hatre

d to dim and flicker. After all, the only thing that might have been more hazardo