The doctors eventually discovered that Emilio’s mysterious illness had been caused by prolonged exposure to contaminated air entering through the hidden ventilation system.
After the ventilation line was removed, his health slowly improved.
Weeks passed.
Then months.
Corsaro House changed.
The locked doors opened.
The curtains stayed open.
The windows were no longer sealed.
And the terrible sandalwood diffuser disappeared forever.
One evening, I was preparing to leave after finishing my work.
Emilio stood in the conservatory.
He no longer needed his cane.
He looked at me.
“Etta.”
“Yes?”
“Will you stay?”
I smiled.
“You’re going to have to stop asking me that.”
He laughed.
“Why?”
“Because now you don’t need a cleaner.”
He looked toward Eleanor, who was sitting beneath the orange trees.
“No.”
He paused.
“Now I need family.”
I looked at the woman who had once been a stranger to me and realized that somehow, through secrets, fear, and nineteen years of silence, I had found a sister.
My mother had spent her life protecting us.
Emilio had spent nineteen years searching for his daughter.
And Rafe had spent nineteen years believing money could control everyone.
He had been wrong.
I picked up my coat.
“I’ll come tomorrow.”
