"Don’t be a child about this." Bianca snapped.
A child. That’s what she reduced his feelings to.
"I told you," she continued. "I would play my cards right and get my husband back. I will do anything, Julian."
"All these... for Luca?" He dragged a hand through his hair. "You’re fucking another man to get Luca," he continued, disbelief bleeding into anger. "What am I to you? Some big block of ice?"
"Julian, please..." she stepped closer. "You... you are the only one truly on my side in this family."
It was a well-placed line.
Perfect, really. Because it was true.
"On your side," he repeated under his breath, tasting the words. But being on her side wasn’t the same as being chosen. "I want to get you away from Luca and to me," he said finally, turning back to her. "Not help you win him."
"Julian..." she said quietly. "You and I..." she began, her gaze steady on his. "That’s never going to happen. You have to understand that," she added. "But I need your help," Bianca finished.
"Fuck my life," he muttered. This was exactly the kind of mess he should walk away from.
And yet—here he was, still standing, still listening, still... considering because he loved her.
"What do you need?" he asked finally.
"I’m trapped," she said. "I’m handicapped, operating from here. Things are moving too slowly for me." Her gaze flicked briefly toward the board behind him, irritation flashing across her features. "I am thinking of expanding my wings," she continued. "By starting a business. A clothing line, maybe."
"A clothing line?" he repeated, brows furrowing slightly.
"Yes," she said simply. "I will be pitching it to Luca and Don when Luca arrives. But I will need you," Bianca added, turning back to face him fully now, "to get me in and out of New York under the radar whenever I need to."
"Bianca..." he started slowly. "You are a Vitale. I’m sure your famiglia can handle this way better than I can."
"I cannot approach my famiglia because they cannot know that there is anything wrong in my marriage. Julian please...please..."
"You want me to be your ride," he said slowly, "to get a regular fix of your boyfriend."
"Not necessarily. My plan," she continued, turning slightly, her gaze drifting back toward the board, "is to chip at Veronica gradually...so that when I deliver the final blow," she added, "Luca will believe what has been staring at him this whole time in the face."
"And what is that?" he asked.
Bianca turned her head just enough to look at him again. "That she is there to destroy him."
"Maybe I shouldn’t help you," he said suddenly, the thought breaking through. "Maybe I should help this Veronica girl instead...if her plan is to hurt my brother."
Bianca just looked at him.
A long, dry, unimpressed look that said more than any words could.
Are you listening to yourself?
Even Julian felt how ridiculous it sounded even as he said it.
"Fine... fine," he muttered, the resistance collapsing as quickly as it had surfaced. "Keep me informed." He turned away from her, his gaze drifting back to the board, locking onto Cassidy’s picture.
The guy was fucked.
"Whats your first plan though?" he asked.
She moved toward the wall. Her fingers hovered briefly before settling on one photograph. "This guy... Inferi."
Julian leaned in slightly, his eyes scanning the image.
"Local thug," Bianca continued. "Disappeared after an altercation in Veronica’s pizza parlour."

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