For the Empire - Inganno

Chapter 16

I'm sure I didn't hear him correctly, but I pull my hand back from his, staring back at him, confused.

Why is he saying this? I look around, frantically, for what? I couldn't tell you.

The sound of my pounding heart is too loud in my ears; it drowns out what he is trying to tell me. I start to stand, but he reaches across the table quickly—but gently holds my arm, and he keeps me in place firmly, tears in his eyes, with a pleading look on his face.

"Please, please don't go—the attack on you and the threats Timo is receiving could be linked to your real mamma. Her name is Isabella Da—Cardinale." His words rush out.

"She was married off to a heartless Don, who was abusive to her—to Isabella." My dad takes a deep breath, observing me. I don't realize I'm crying until he reaches over and wipes my tears with his thumb.

This can't be true. How can my mom not be my mom?

"How...how could you keep this from me? Is my birth mom...Is she still alive? But...I...I saw how you were with Ma; you loved her so much. The way you were with each other...you cheated on her?"

Questions after questions keep coming.

The pain exploding through my chest makes it hard to breathe. I didn't know I had raised my voice until a waiter comes to our table, asking if everything is alright.

I glance around quickly and see several customers staring, watching us, but I don't care. That doesn't matter to me right now.

"We're fine, thank you. We are just finishing up," My dad calmly responds. The waiter walks away, shaking his head. "Let's go talk in the car, Char." He stands and grabs my hand. 

He pays for our meal, on our way out and we walk to the car.

I know I'm walking, but I don't feel my legs moving, and my heart feels like it is pounding out of my chest, my body begins to shake; I feel myself breathing fast, too fast, but yet not enough. It feels like I'm drowning, gasping for air.

My dad wraps his arm around my waist and guides me over to the car. He puts me inside the car and walks around to his side.

All I can do is stare out the window. My vision blurs as all the memories of my childhood come to mind, with the woman who raised me until the night she was killed. She was so loving and caring, remembering how she always hugged me tightly and caressed my face each night, at bedtime.

"Please, cara, remember this was done to protect you. We never meant to hurt you, but with everything that is happening, you needed to know. I can't answer all of the questions you must have. Timo will do that when he feels its time, hopefully soon."

"I always wondered why I didn't look like mamma," I mumble to myself quietly; she was very fair in contrast to my olive complexion and my once black hair.

I had figured I looked more like my dad, but as I glance over at him, with his black hair and darker skin tone, I'm not even sure I do, but I can't trust my thoughts right now; I'm not thinking clearly.

Everything is a jumbled mess in my head. I feel like there's something not adding up, but I can't see what it is. All I can focus on is the fact that my mom wasn't my birth mom.

"Char, while Serena didn't give birth to you, she thought of you and raised you as her own; I know you know this, cara. She loved you with all of her heart. And she would be so proud of you and what you have accomplished.

Please, do not let this ruin the memory you have of her love for you. That is and was real." He reaches over, opens the glove compartment in his car, pulls out a small, wrapped box, and places it on my lap.