Don Bowed To Me Chapter 10
Father:
【Hazel, Dad knows we haven’t been fair to you. But Isabella showed a return on the Family’s investment, and there were only so many chairs at the table. That’s how these things go.】
【Now that you’ve made a name for yourself, Dad is proud. Come by the house. I’ll have the kitchen make the pasta al forno you used to love.】
I swiped past.
Pasta al forno was Isabella’s favorite. Not mine.
Elliot had sent a burst of messages, excitement bleeding through the screen.
【Hazel! Do you have any idea how many capos called me tonight? My phone hasn’t stopped ringing.】
【The Delgado consigliere personally asked me for your number.】
【Every Family on this coast knows the name Vitale tonight because of you. My VP at the firm walked up to me and asked if Dr. Hazel Vitale was really my sister. Do you know what that means for my standing?】
【Which hotel are you at? Let me pick you up tomorrow. Welcome dinner at the Ocean House. I’ll put it on the Family card. Best table in the house.】
Ethan’s tone had gone careful in a way I’d never heard from him.
【Hazel. I said things tonight I shouldn’t have. Back in school, I always knew you were smarter than the rest of us. I should have said it then.】
【Anything you need, you say the word.】
I found it funny.
In high school, to get on Isabella’s good side, he’d said to my face:
“Christ, Hazel, how are you not even half as sharp as your sister?”
Now: “I always knew you were smarter than the rest of us.”
Melanie’s message was long.
【Hazel, you are incredible. I’m so proud of you, truly.】
【You must think the rest of us are pathetic now. Nine to five, an office in the back of a Ricci-owned insurance broker. And there you are, every Family on the coast falling over themselves for you.】
【Enjoy Newport. When are you back in New York? Let me buy you dinner. Just us. Like old times.】
Every line congratulating me.
Every line telling me exactly how much she envied me.
An Instagram notification lit up my screen.
I opened it.
A post from Isabella. An hour old.
The image was a carefully edited shot from the reception. White roses banking the room. Crystal chandeliers. Isabella in her Vera Wang gown, caught in profile at the center of the platform.
Caption:
【Thank you to everyone who came out tonight to celebrate the happiest day of my life. ��✨】
Like nothing had happened.
A LinkedIn connection request came in from Matteo.
【Dr. Vitale, I owe you a formal apology in person. I acted without understanding the situation. Please, at your convenience, allow me the chance to make this right.】
Sebastian had also connected.
His note was one line.
【Dr. Vitale. Looking forward to working with you. — Sebastian.】
Eight o’clock the next morning.
I was dressed and moving through the hotel lobby.
A black Escalade sat idling at the curb.
Isabella was standing next to it.
She looked like she hadn’t slept.
When she saw me come through the revolving door, she straightened her back.
“Hazel.”
Her voice was hoarse.
“I want to talk.”
“About what?” I said.
She reached for my sleeve. Her fingertips were cold.
“Hazel, can you give me ten minutes? Just ten.”
This version of Isabella I had never seen before.
“Fine. Ten minutes.”
We crossed the street to a Blue Bottle.
“I posted that on Instagram last night so no one would suspect a thing.”
She bit her lip.
“The wedding didn’t finish. After Nonno walked out, Matteo’s father called him back to the estate. It’s been twelve hours and Matteo hasn’t returned a single one of my calls. Hazel, I don’t know what to do.”
I tapped the table once and looked her in the eye.
“Say what you actually came to say. You have eight minutes.”
Her eyes reddened.
“Hazel, could you say something to Don Salvatore? Just a word. Matteo’s terrified of his grandfather right now. That’s why he’s not calling me. If you could just tell Don Salvatore not to be so hard on him…”
“First,” I cut her off.
“I haven’t asked Don Salvatore to do anything to anyone. I don’t have the interest.”
Isabella froze.
“Second.”
I held her eyes.
“Last night, when the room turned on me, Matteo’s choice was to leave you alone on that stage and walk out.”
“Whether or not that’s the kind of husband you want is something you should be looking at very carefully.”
Isabella’s expression stiffened.
She raised her voice.