Chapter 2 - The Little Girl Who Wouldn't Let Go
Alessandro did not return to the ballroom.
He did not call the guests downstairs, explain the cancellation, or ask his wedding planner to salvage the day. He carried his daughter through the private corridor toward the family suite while Rosalie followed close behind.
Livia had wrapped both arms around his neck.
Every few steps, her fingers tightened against his collar as though she feared he might disappear.
“Daddy?”
“I'm here.”
“Are you mad at me?”
Alessandro stopped walking.
The question hurt more than the sight of her hair.
He shifted her carefully into his arms so he could see her face.
“Why would I be mad at you?”
“Because Bianca said I was bad.”
His jaw tightened.
“You did nothing wrong.”
“She said I moved.”
“You're allowed to move, sweetheart.”
“She said I made her wedding ugly.”
Alessandro looked into his daughter's frightened eyes.
“Listen to me, Livia. No wedding, no dress, no ring, and no person in this world is more important than you. Do you understand?”
She studied him as if she wanted to believe him but had been frightened too many times that morning.
Then she nodded.
He kissed her forehead.
Rosalie opened the family suite door. Alessandro carried Livia to the sofa and sat with her in his lap while Rosalie fetched a blanket and a glass of water.
The child refused to release his jacket.
“Would you like some water?” Rosalie asked gently.
Livia shook her head.
“Would you like me to sit beside you?”
Another shake.
Rosalie's eyes met Alessandro's. There was anger in them, but also concern.
“She's in shock,” Rosalie said quietly.
“I know.”
“We should have someone examine her scalp. And I think we should document what happened before anyone tries to change the story.”
Alessandro looked toward the door.
“Call Dr. Bennett. Ask him to come here. Also, I want the hotel security footage preserved. Every camera outside that suite, in the corridor, and near the elevators.”
Rosalie nodded.
“Anything else?”
“Find out whether Bianca was alone with Livia before you arrived.”
“I'll ask the staff.”
“Don't confront her. Just establish the facts.”
Rosalie hesitated.
“Sir, I need to tell you something.”
He waited.
“I heard Bianca speaking to Livia earlier this week. She told her that when you married, the house would have new rules.”
“What rules?”
“She said Livia would have to stop acting like a baby. She also said you wouldn't have time to carry her around anymore.”
Alessandro went still.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I thought it was cruel talk, not something that would become physical. I should have told you.”
“Yes,” he said. “You should have.”
Rosalie lowered her gaze.
“But I won't make that mistake again.”
Alessandro nodded once.
“Neither will I.”
The doctor arrived twenty minutes later. He examined Livia's scalp, checking for cuts or irritation from the clippers. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, although the child cried when he touched the uneven hair around her ears.
When he finished, he crouched to her level.
“Your head is going to be okay, Livia. But you had a frightening morning, didn't you?”
She nodded.
“Would you like to tell me what happened?”
Livia looked at her father first.
“You can tell him,” Alessandro said. “You don't have to be afraid.”
“She said I had to be pretty like her.”
The doctor kept his expression calm.
“Who said that?”
“Bianca.”
“What happened when you didn't want your hair cut?”
Livia twisted a small button on Alessandro's jacket.
“I said no. Then she said I wasn't allowed to say no to her because she was going to be my mommy.”
Alessandro's hand tightened around the edge of the sofa.
The doctor continued gently.
“Did she explain why she wanted to cut your hair?”
“She said it was ugly.”
Livia swallowed.
“Then she laughed and said her dog had a better haircut.”
Rosalie covered her mouth.
Alessandro looked away for a moment, fighting to keep his anger from spilling into the room.
When the doctor left, he recommended a child therapist who could help Livia process the incident. He also advised Alessandro to keep her surroundings calm and familiar.
The recommendation made sense.
But nothing about the day felt familiar anymore.
Alessandro had trusted Bianca because she had been patient during their courtship. She remembered Livia's favorite picture books, brought her small gifts, and spoke warmly about building a family.
Or so he had believed.
He now wondered how much of that warmth had been performance.
His phone vibrated.
Bianca.
He ignored the call.
It rang again.
Then came a message.
You are making a terrible mistake. We need to discuss this privately.
Another message followed.
Your daughter is upset, and you are letting her turn you against the woman who was going to become her mother.
Alessandro read it twice.
Then he placed the phone face down.
Livia had finally loosened her grip on his jacket. She was exhausted, but she still watched him with anxious eyes.
“Are you going away?” she asked.
“Not today.”
“Will Bianca come here?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
Alessandro held out his little finger.
“I promise.”
She hooked her finger around his.
For the first time since the suite, her shoulders relaxed.
A few minutes later, she fell asleep against him.
Alessandro remained motionless, afraid even a small movement might wake her.
Rosalie sat in the armchair opposite them.
“Sir, the wedding guests will be asking questions.”
“They can ask.”
“Bianca's family will want an explanation.”
“They'll receive one when I'm ready to give it.”
“And the press?”
He glanced at the sleeping child.
“The press can wait.”
Rosalie studied him.
“May I ask something?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe Bianca did this because she was angry with Livia?”
Alessandro considered the question.
“Anger explains a moment. It doesn't explain the decision to pick up clippers and frighten a three-year-old.”
He looked toward the window, where the ocean shone beneath the morning sun.
“No,” he said. “I think she wanted Livia to understand who had power in that room.”
Rosalie's face hardened.
“Then she chose the wrong child.”
Alessandro looked down at his daughter.
“No,” he said quietly. “She chose the wrong father.”
At that moment, his security chief, Matteo Bellini, knocked and entered.
“Boss, I have the first report from the hotel.”
“Go on.”
“The corridor camera confirms Rosalie entered after the incident began. Before that, Bianca was alone with the child for at least eleven minutes.”
“Eleven minutes?”
“Yes.”
Matteo placed a tablet on the table.
“There is something else. One of the attendants says Bianca ordered her to leave the suite earlier than scheduled. The attendant thought it was about privacy.”
Alessandro's eyes narrowed.
“Find the attendant. Get her statement.”
Matteo nodded.
“And Matteo?”
“Yes, boss?”
“Do not let anyone pressure that woman into changing what she saw.”
“Understood.”
When Matteo left, Alessandro looked at the tablet but did not play the footage yet.
Livia stirred in his arms.
“Daddy?”
“I'm here.”
“Can we go home?”
The question settled the matter.
“Yes, sweetheart. We're going home.”
He carried her out of the hotel through a private exit, leaving the wedding flowers, the champagne, and the guests behind.
But as the car pulled onto the coastal highway, his phone lit up with a message from an unknown number.
You should find out why Bianca was so desperate to marry you. It wasn't love. And what happened to Livia was only the beginning.
Alessandro read the message once.
Then he looked through the window at the passing ocean.
For the first time that day, his anger gave way to something colder.
May you like
Someone knew more than they had told him.
And he intended to find out who.
