stop questioning. Curiosity h

rt Ei

------

with a healthy dose of sarcasm as she breezed by, prompting a

in our art class over the past year. We'd chosen to draw the same subject – the Mona Lisa, Jake's suggestion two nights

ht and cheerful morning chat by the gate. But Father's bombshell about Elio had left me reeling, making it a miracle I'd even f

en I was still trying to pi

o – and the even more complicated truth about who Tiziano was.You could call me anything - adulterous bitch, player, one-dimensional

surface-level with chat about my rare smiles, minimal socializing, and, of course, art. That is, until two nights ago when he casually threw out the idea of a kiss. Talk about timing-he had no

dn't need a ton of experience to spot a guy smitten with me. After all, I'd spent twenty-three years surrounded by men-brothers, half-brothers, cousins, and countless others from the Family. I'd watc

w. Today was no different-I dropped my brushes, stared at my near

------

m in fi

ll yes. Bath

------

bout my family or the complexities of my identity. Not even the most tempting tidbit-that I had nine known siblings, with possibly more we'd only discover when my father kicked the bucket. Alessan

something more. But I craved the attention. I liked having a decent guy around my age who looked at me different

stick around. Even though I knew better than to lead him on, he was quite tempting. That's why I had made up my mind to do this today. After a nigh

ld kis

I wo

issed a man, Tiziano wouldn't be the first to cr

forbi

choke on phlegm. So, I had concocted a genius plan: sneak out of here under the guise of a bathroom emergency, indulge in a fleeting kiss, and return with a halo intact – as if I hadn't j

y wouldn't suspect that I'd never been kissed bef

out to be a good kisser. My lips had only ever brushed cheeks and palms, never another pair

ew the

e Alessandra for once? Or maybe, just maybe, a

ng of

on anyone would suspect of being related to me, until our shared surname and piercing green eyes gave us away. I took solace in being

ike 'let's go' or 'Cosimo's here.' On rare moments of pseudo-affability, we might must

o one ever-and my mother was the sunshine that brightened up her mother's day-yeah right. So, if Amalia got wind of my little escapade, I could predict the ch

ld be the hottest gossip in town within hours. And to top it off, I'd get a lovely parting gift: a resoundin

wasn't married, and our relationship lacked complete consent. But my mother wouldn't let technicalities stop her from unleashing a fiery sermon about my father's p

to be care

Jake finally dragged himself into

dled my face like I was a delicate flower and gave me the once-over. Yeah, he knew exactly what he was doi

I have

flicks, and devoured de Sade and E.L. James like they were romance novels. I knew the score, but my own desires had

nd wrapped around my waist - he was tall, lean, and moved with a chill confidence. I mean, the boy had a decent bod, no complaints there. I held on, feel

. I tried to fix myself in the mirror, but Jake came up behind me, wrapping his arm around my chest like we were old pro

uder, and there was my half-sister, looking like she'd just sucked on a lemon, her hand still clutchi

and devilish grin firmly in place. Jake just stood there, looking like this was some tr

ss how Jake felt about my confession; my only concern was keeping Amalia from blowing this out of proportion. If she did, Jake's

y-handled with a kind of finesse that wou

gaged?" Amalia's voice

on was immediate. But that was the thing-nothing about my relationship with Tiziano fo

Jake repeated,

realizing how pointless it was to deny the truth. Denying it would only make Amalia more insufferable, and I wasn'

ad before turning to Jake. "She's usually like that," she added with a smirk before

phone, poised to dial and repor

se no

ing, heart pounding harder than a sledg

lly twirled the end of her blonde ponytail before brushing it aside. "I'm just glad I caught you. My mot

as a mirror image of her mother and sister; she acted first and thought later, if at all. Her brother, at least, had so

a toddler who needed to be spoon-fed life's pleasure

nose, clearly repulsed. "Cosimo's here, which is why I was looking for you-no

two hours early and approached Amalia with caut

tle dysfunctional world, aren't they?" She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "Don't worry, your secret is safe