Hot Chocolate

by Charlotte De Pace

  ‘She was my father’s first star protégée. She worked for us years ago, when I was just a child. She was more a mother to me than my own. And she could match my father in the kitchen any day, even he would admit that.’ Alessandro smiled for a moment before catching himself.

  ‘And you were close?’

  ‘Si, very. She called my father Papa just like me, she said he was the father she’d never had. They were an unstoppable team, no other chocolatier could match their skill or dedication. She was fierce. But she also sang the sweetest lullabies.’

  Alessandro leant his head back against the wall closing his eyes. Sleep tight, piccolino, Rachel had whispered before she’d left him forever.

  ‘And she had to leave?’

  ‘She chose to leave.’ Alessandro opened his eyes as he sat upright, incensed by the memory. ‘She betrayed us in the worst possible way. She had an affair with Umberto Conti, which was bad enough, but then she gave him all my father’s recipes.’

  ‘Like Frederica.’

  ‘No,’ Alessandro said emphatically. ‘It was different with Rachel. She was like family. And yes, she betrayed the company but I was just a child, she used to sing me to sleep. You know, she didn’t even say goodbye.’

  ‘Really?’ Annabella asked disbelievingly.

  ‘I remember the last time I saw her, she put me to bed and sang Lavender’s Blue, it was my favourite. I didn’t realise I’d never see her again. I was only five years old. And she couldn’t even say goodbye.’ Ale rubbed his face impatiently; he’d shed enough tears as a child for that woman.

  ‘It sounds like she really cared for you, Ale. Maybe she thought it was easier for you, with no sad farewell.’

  ‘I didn’t talk for weeks after she left, bella, it was far from easy. I think that was probably why my father didn’t tell me the truth about my mother sooner. He might never have told me if it hadn’t been for her letter.’

  Ale sighed heavily. ‘I’ve wanted to forgive him for so long but finding the words after twelve years of bitterness. We’ve only just made it back to each other. And now he’s going die without knowing—’

  ‘He knows Ale.’ Annabella’s voice cracked and Ale was surprised to see tears welling in her eyes. She understood his pain.

  ‘How can you be so sure?’

  ‘Because you came back. You stayed. You endured, even when the task seemed virtually impossible. You saved his company.’

  ‘We did that, remember?’

  ‘That’s right. You even chose the perfect chocolatier fiancée to please him.’ She smiled tenderly. ‘He knows you love him, Ale. He knows you forgive him. You don’t always have to say the words.’

  Alessandro nodded as he pulled Annabella into his arms. With her so close, her breath on his neck, he longed to believe her comforting words.

  ‘Thank you,’ he whispered. She squeezed him tighter and nothing could have comforted him more than to have her here, with him, like this.

  ‘Signor De Costa?’

  Alessandro was suddenly aware of a nurse standing beside him. ‘Si?’

  ‘Your father’s waking up.’

  Chapter 8

  Alone among the bustling crowd of Via Roma, Annabella felt almost incognito, aware of only an occasional glance of recognition. She relished the relative anonymity, momentarily free from the drama of the last few weeks. It was finally time to exhale.

  She’d spent the last week on an emotional roller-coaster at the hospital with Ale, by his father’s bedside. When Valentino had woken from his coma, it was a new beginning for father and son. The rekindling of their fractured relationship was like healing balm for Valentino, his condition improving dramatically each day.

  Valentino had been overjoyed that the board had approved Ale as ongoing CEO and had rejected the proposed merger with Conti Creations. But his real happiness had come when Alessandro had told him about his planned return to the kitchen. Valentino had wept and embraced Annabella. Grazie, grazie. he’d whispered tearfully over and over in her ear.

  Annabella smiled at the memory as she strolled along the glamorous promenade. The street was buzzing with the evening crowd taking their la passeggiata; young and old, dressed up and out to socialise as they strolled the city streets before returning home for dinner.

  But as she browsed in the shop windows Annabella’s mind was far from the designer clothes on display. Conversations with Ale over the past week played over in her head. They’d spoken about the power of second chances, his with Valentino. Would Ale have one left for her?

  She knew the time had come to have the conversation she’d delayed for too long. Now that Valentino was in a stable condition and she’d secured the funds for Sofia’s trial, there were no more excuses. But would Ale understand why she’d had to keep such a personal secret from him? And if he couldn’t, would telling him the truth damage his capacity to trust again after he’d confided so intimately in her?

  Annabella glanced at the sophisticated couples enjoying their apertivi outside the grand cafes on the porticoed pavement. She imagined enjoying such a carefree evening with Ale. Smiling as children chased each other, darting in and out of pedestrians while adults looked on and laughed at their games.

  She admired the elderly couples shuffling along hand in hand, lost in their private conversations. Dare she imagine such a future for herself?

  Heartbreakingly, Annabella feared such fantasies could never exist for her in the real world. Ale was just starting to find real happiness again and trust his instincts, she couldn’t destroy that for him. Even though walking away from him would mean forsaking her own heart.

  Absorbed in her conflicting emotions, Annabella barely noticed the tall figure waiting by the front entrance of the De Costa building.

  ‘Buonasera signorina.’ The commanding voice jolted Annabella from her thoughts. ‘At last, an opportunity for us to talk alone, no?’

  Before Annabella had the chance to respond, Roberto Conti shook her hand and drew her in, kissing her on each cheek before embracing her in his arms. Her body stiffened as she froze to his touch, her stomach lurched with a sudden urge to throw up. Her instinct told her to run but she couldn’t move.

  ‘What? Aren’t you happy to see your brother?’

  ‘You’re … you’re not my brother.’ Her mouth was dry, she could barely spit out the words as she took a step back, trying not to stumble.

  ‘Well, half-brother. I know who you are Annabella. At first I wasn’t quite sure but after your performance at the festival, I’m certain. Such talent, naturally you’re a Conti.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Annabella’s eyes darted around her, any sense of anonymity was gone, she felt totally exposed. She needed an escape.

  ‘Thank goodness you can cook much better than you lie.’ Roberto smirked at her, his cold tone at once capturing her attention. ‘Umberto told me you might turn up one day. You should be happy to have Conti blood in your veins. You’re a champion after all, no? You should remember, and respect, who your father was.’

  ‘I don’t have a father,’ Annabella said forcefully, suddenly empowered by the audacity of this repellent man. Umberto Conti refused to accept any paternal role in her life. How dare Roberto refer to him as her father now. ‘Any talent of mine, Mr Conti, came from my mother.’

  ‘Roberto, please. And is your devoted fiancé aware of your pedigree?’

  ‘What do you want, Roberto?’ Annabella looked longingly at the entrance to the building behind her assailant, desperate for the safety and comfort of Ale’s loft.

  ‘Tell me, how is the old man doing? Still very weak I’d imagine, yes?’ Roberto shifted slightly, obscuring the doorway.

  ‘Valentino’s much better actually. As you know, the De Costa board have rejected the merger.’

  ‘Yes, I am aware. But I have another proposal. I was very impressed with your work during the festival, Annabella. A talent like yours belongs at Conti Creations.’

  ‘You’ve go
t to be kidding.’

  ‘Not at all. The unknown Conti daughter, star chocolatier, joins her father’s company where she belongs.’

  ‘Are you threatening me, Roberto? If I don’t come and work for you, you’ll what? Tell Alessandro that my birth father was a man I never even knew?’ The rage that simmered in Annabella’s core was slowly coming to the boil. She didn’t know how much longer she could contain her anger in this man’s presence.

  ‘If you didn’t think he’d care, then why the act, Annabella? No, you knew if Alessandro had any idea that Umberto Conti was your father he never would have let you into his kitchen.’ Roberto took a step closer so he was almost touching her again. ‘Or his bed.’

  ‘How dare you.’ Annabella clenched her fist, barely able to restrain herself from reaching up and striking the smirk off Roberto’s face. ‘You don’t know anything about this or about me. If you did you’d know that I wouldn’t work for Conti if my life depended on it.’

  ‘No? And what about your sister’s?’ Roberto asked coolly, unfazed by Annabella’s anger.

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ She took a step back; the mention of her sister caught her off-guard.

  ‘Without her career your sister has nothing, nothing to live for, no? It’s happened once before, hasn’t it? When it was all just too much for Sofia?’

  Annabella was dumbstruck. The sudden memory of Sofia passed out on the bathroom floor flashed through her mind and cut through her heart. A sense of vertigo swept through Annabella and she had to steady herself against the wall of the building. How could Roberto possibly know about that?

  ‘Forgive me, I don’t mean to upset you and I wish Sofia no harm,’ Roberto said calmly. ‘But I thought you should know that her place in that trial might not be available after all.’

  ‘How—’ Annabella stopped suddenly as her breath caught in her throat and she struggled to form the words. Everything she’d worked for was suddenly spiralling out of her control. ‘How do you even know about that? You can’t—’

  ‘It doesn’t have to be that way. But I think you’ve forgotten how powerful my family is, Annabella. It’s why you were born in Australia after all, no? Your mother left Italy very quickly after our father told her go. But that’s history now. We’re family, blood, I’d hoped we could work together.’

  ‘How could I possibly work for the company that destroyed my mother? And is now threatening me and my sister?’ Annabella asked softly, unable to comprehend Roberto’s demand.

  ‘Yes, your sister’s wellbeing means everything to you, it’s why you’re here, no? Think of that, not any misguided loyalty to the De Costas. If you’re unwilling to work for us then I suggest you leave Italy quietly.’

  ‘And if I go?’

  ‘I wish your sister well in the trial.’

  ‘And … Alessandro?’ She pictured Ale’s smiling face, those haunting eyes once so distant and mysterious but now wide open to her gaze. My lucky Annabella. The memory of his words tightened like a vice around her heart.

  ‘One more personal scandal might be too much for the new CEO, no? Not to mention his ailing father. Go home, Annabella, and your secret will be safe with me.’

  ‘And I’m expected to trust you?’

  ‘Bella mia.’ Roberto smiled. ‘You have no choice.’

  ***

  Annabella stared at herself on her laptop screen as she waited for her sister to connect. She needed to hear Sofia’s voice, see her smiling face and know she was okay. Safe. Unharmed.

  Her stomach churned as Roberto’s threatening words pounded in her head. He’d been so calm, making the delivery of his threats all the more chilling. She believed he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to destroy everything that mattered to her. He had nothing to lose.

  ‘Hey Ann, did you get my message?’ Sofia’s comforting face filled the screen. Annabella exhaled heavily, relieved at the sound of the upbeat tone of her sister’s voice.

  ‘Sofia, thank God. Are you okay? How are you feeling?’

  ‘Pretty great actually. How are you feeling? You look kinda terrible. No offence.’

  ‘Roberto Conti just confronted me outside the building. He threatened me, Sof.’

  ‘Oh my God, are you okay? What do you mean threatened?’ Sofia’s smile quickly disappeared as concern clouded her face.

  ‘Either I work for him or you don’t get your place in the trial and he tells Alessandro everything.’

  ‘But he can’t do that, Ann—’

  ‘You didn’t see him, Sof, the look in his eyes. We know what his family’s capable of. He said if I don’t agree to work for him then I have to leave Italy or else.’

  ‘You’re kidding.’ Sofia’s reaction mirrored Annabella’s own disbelief. ‘What? Just like Mum? How dare he. You’re not going to take orders from a Conti. Did you tell him to stick it?’

  ‘Sof, I have no choice. I’m not going to risk anything jeopardising the trial. I’m going to Paris, I’ll meet with the specialists in person. I have the prize money now so I can pay in full—

  ‘Ann, my place is already confirmed. That’s why I called you, I’ve been trying to get in contact with you for days.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I’ve been at the hospital with Ale and his father. What are you talking about?’

  ‘The clinic rang me the other day to confirm arrangements for a personal specialist. Once the trial’s over the specialist will come to Melbourne so I can have further treatment for as long as I need it. Can you believe it?’ Sofia’s smile was back.

  ‘What? But that makes no sense. I haven’t even transferred the whole deposit yet. And I don’t know anything about a specialist.’

  ‘I know. And I had no idea what they were talking about and it turns out the full amount for the trial was transferred over two weeks ago. Ann, Alessandro made the payment and personally requested the specialist. Apparently he’s a major philanthropist.’

  ‘But he hasn’t said anything to me about it. Two weeks ago? That was before we even won the competition. Why didn’t he tell me?’

  ‘If you knew that the trial had already been paid for, you wouldn’t need the whole faux fiancée deal anymore, right? He obviously needed you to focus on the competition and your role as the future Mrs De Costa.’

  ‘But winning the competition wasn’t just for the money. It was for Mum too, I never would have walked away from that opportunity.’

  ‘Yeah, I know that, but he doesn’t.’

  ‘I guess. But why pay for the trial at all? Your treatment has nothing to do with him.’

  ‘But it has everything to do with you, Ann. I know all this started as a business deal, but even I can tell from the other side of the world that there’s something deeper between you, right?’

  Annabella nodded. Yes, much deeper.

  ‘Look, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m fine. Fabulous, in fact.’ Sofia grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ‘And Roberto’s threat will be irrelevant if Alessandro already knows the truth.’

  ‘And what am I to tell him exactly?’ Annabella wished she shared her sister’s certainty.

  ‘Everything. If he loves you, he’ll understand.’

  ‘But this is bigger than love, Sofia. I’ve thought a lot about it believe me, and I just can’t; the truth would crush Ale. Every woman in his life has betrayed him. I had no idea he was so close to our mother. And she abandoned him when he was just a boy with no explanation. He didn’t talk for weeks after she left.’

  ‘Ann, you know she had no choice.’

  ‘But he was just a kid. If he finds out that Rachel Bonaparte was my mother, he’d never forgive me. And I couldn’t blame him. After everything he’s done for me, for us, I can’t let him down.

  ‘And if the media finds out … The scandal’s too much. He’s only just reconciled with his father. If I go quietly, he’ll be okay, he doesn’t need me anymore. He has the confidence of the board. And he can head the kitchen.’

  ‘But if he loves you, don�
��t you think it will devastate him to lose you? Just another woman who’s abandoned him with no explanation?’

  ‘Not as much as knowing that I’ve lied to him this whole time. If I tell him the truth it could ruin his ability to trust and love again. I can’t do that to him. I have to leave. There’s no other option.’

  ‘No Ann, when you explain everything, he’ll understand. You’ve been completely honest with him other than telling him your real name.’

  ‘I don’t think he’ll see it that way. And besides, what about you?’

  ‘Don’t worry about me, Roberto was bluffing.’

  ‘But he was so self-assured. So conceited.’ Annabella suddenly shivered at the memory of Roberto’s smirking face as he’d taunted her.

  ‘But Alessandro obviously has powerful connections with the clinic, he’ll back you up if Roberto tries to pull anything.’

  ‘But what if he doesn’t, Sof? What if he tells me to get lost and asks the clinic for his money back and cancels this specialist? Or Roberto causes trouble? The way his family treated our mother and you. And me. Umberto never even acknowledged my existence. It’s just too great a risk.’

  ‘Ann, Alessandro’s not Nic,’ Sofia said softly. ‘He won’t let you down.’

  ‘How do you know that? It’s my fault you’re in this mess. I’m not going to fail you again. And for what, love?’

  ‘Why not? Why are you so scared to accept the possibility that Alessandro loves you? Don’t miss this opportunity because of some ridiculous notion of guilt. I’ve never blamed you for the accident. I’ve told you a million times, it wasn’t your fault.’

  ‘Yes, Sofia, it was. I shouldn’t have let Nic drive that night. I knew he shouldn’t have been driving. I should have stood up to him. I was so weak. That’s what love does to me.’

  ‘Annabella, stop it! Listen to me. I will never forgive myself, or you, if you walk away from your chance at happiness. I’m not your responsibility and I won’t be your excuse. Tell Alessandro the truth before Roberto does.’