the language.
“How could you do this, Molly?” demanded Margot, tears falling from her eyes. “This is my night, and you’ve ruined it.”
“I doubt that,” said Aronne, sounding annoyed. “You’re still just as engaged, aren’t you?”
Molly frowned at how bitter he sounded.
“How dare you do this?” yelled her father. “Have you no decency, Aronne Giannis?” He turned to Santo. “Is this how you raised your son?”
“No,” said Santo, his expression grim.
“Hey, hold on. You’re acting like I raped her or something.”
Sophia Giannis clutched a tissue and dabbed her eyes as Molly’s mother demanded, “Just what do you call coercing a seventeen-year-old into sex?”
“Seventeen?” Aronne suddenly lunged from the couch, scooping up his pants and putting them on as he turned to confront her. “You’re only seventeen?”
Molly hung her head, reluctantly nodding.
He cursed in Italian.
“You despicable bastard.” Warren seemed on the verge of attacking the much younger, fitter man.
She made herself look up. “He didn’t force me to do anything.”
Aronne seemed stunned, and rage burned in his dark eyes. “She led me to believe she was much older.”
Tracey wore a severe expression. “Is this true, young lady?”
Trembling with fear, she made herself say, “Yes. I mentioned having finished school, and he assumed college. I didn’t correct his assumption.”
He cursed again. “I had no idea she was so young.” His gaze felt like it scorched her. “I have no time to play games with silly little girls.”
“You have to get married,” said Santo loudly.
Sophia nodded. “Of course. That will fix everything.”
“What?” asked Aronne and Molly together.
Her mouth hung open for a second before she closed it with a click. “We aren’t getting married,” she said.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” snapped Aronne.
Santo’s anger matched Aronne’s, and he seemed almost the same height as his taller son when he stiffened his spine. “You will do the honorable thing, or I will disinherit you.”
Aronne scoffed. “You’d destroy the company if you made Cristiano your heir. She isn’t worth that.”
Molly flinched at the way he said it. She’d known he would be angry, but she’d half-hoped she could persuade him to get over it. Of course, she hadn’t counted on them being discovered in flagrante delicto . Her vague plan had assumed they would be alone when he found out. The random thought that she’d remembered a little of the Latin she’d taken in high school flashed through her hung-over brain.
“You can put no price on honor,” said Santo.
After a second, he said through clenched teeth, “Fine. Disinherit me. I don’t care.”
“You’re going to marry her, or I will call the police. It won’t matter that she consented. In their eyes, this is statutory rape, and I suspect you’re too old to fall under the protection of Romeo and Juliet laws.” Warren’s unexpected contribution made Molly gasp.
“Dad, you can’t do that.”
“Not another word.” He vibrated with an anger she had never seen.
“I’m not marrying him,” she said again. “You’re acting like this is Victorian England. We did nothing wrong.”
“Wrong, cara ,” said Aronne coldly. “You lied, and I foolishly believed you.”
Tears stung her eyes, and she looked away. It was nothing more than the truth. She had lied by omission to get a kiss from her crush. That it turned into something more was still her burden. “This is all my fault.”
“Yes,” said Tracey, eyes glittering. “You’re a whore.”
Molly gasped at her mother’s words. “I’m not a whore. I’ve never even had—” She broke off abruptly, realizing her confession of her previously virginal status wouldn’t help anything.
“ Porca troia ,” said Aronne, sounding
“How could you do this, Molly?” demanded Margot, tears falling from her eyes. “This is my night, and you’ve ruined it.”
“I doubt that,” said Aronne, sounding annoyed. “You’re still just as engaged, aren’t you?”
Molly frowned at how bitter he sounded.
“How dare you do this?” yelled her father. “Have you no decency, Aronne Giannis?” He turned to Santo. “Is this how you raised your son?”
“No,” said Santo, his expression grim.
“Hey, hold on. You’re acting like I raped her or something.”
Sophia Giannis clutched a tissue and dabbed her eyes as Molly’s mother demanded, “Just what do you call coercing a seventeen-year-old into sex?”
“Seventeen?” Aronne suddenly lunged from the couch, scooping up his pants and putting them on as he turned to confront her. “You’re only seventeen?”
Molly hung her head, reluctantly nodding.
He cursed in Italian.
“You despicable bastard.” Warren seemed on the verge of attacking the much younger, fitter man.
She made herself look up. “He didn’t force me to do anything.”
Aronne seemed stunned, and rage burned in his dark eyes. “She led me to believe she was much older.”
Tracey wore a severe expression. “Is this true, young lady?”
Trembling with fear, she made herself say, “Yes. I mentioned having finished school, and he assumed college. I didn’t correct his assumption.”
He cursed again. “I had no idea she was so young.” His gaze felt like it scorched her. “I have no time to play games with silly little girls.”
“You have to get married,” said Santo loudly.
Sophia nodded. “Of course. That will fix everything.”
“What?” asked Aronne and Molly together.
Her mouth hung open for a second before she closed it with a click. “We aren’t getting married,” she said.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” snapped Aronne.
Santo’s anger matched Aronne’s, and he seemed almost the same height as his taller son when he stiffened his spine. “You will do the honorable thing, or I will disinherit you.”
Aronne scoffed. “You’d destroy the company if you made Cristiano your heir. She isn’t worth that.”
Molly flinched at the way he said it. She’d known he would be angry, but she’d half-hoped she could persuade him to get over it. Of course, she hadn’t counted on them being discovered in flagrante delicto . Her vague plan had assumed they would be alone when he found out. The random thought that she’d remembered a little of the Latin she’d taken in high school flashed through her hung-over brain.
“You can put no price on honor,” said Santo.
After a second, he said through clenched teeth, “Fine. Disinherit me. I don’t care.”
“You’re going to marry her, or I will call the police. It won’t matter that she consented. In their eyes, this is statutory rape, and I suspect you’re too old to fall under the protection of Romeo and Juliet laws.” Warren’s unexpected contribution made Molly gasp.
“Dad, you can’t do that.”
“Not another word.” He vibrated with an anger she had never seen.
“I’m not marrying him,” she said again. “You’re acting like this is Victorian England. We did nothing wrong.”
“Wrong, cara ,” said Aronne coldly. “You lied, and I foolishly believed you.”
Tears stung her eyes, and she looked away. It was nothing more than the truth. She had lied by omission to get a kiss from her crush. That it turned into something more was still her burden. “This is all my fault.”
“Yes,” said Tracey, eyes glittering. “You’re a whore.”
Molly gasped at her mother’s words. “I’m not a whore. I’ve never even had—” She broke off abruptly, realizing her confession of her previously virginal status wouldn’t help anything.
“ Porca troia ,” said Aronne, sounding
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