“You’ve said this before,” she said, her eyes hard and flat. “It’s never quick.”

“This time I’ll make sure it is.” I shot a pleading look to my mother and Enzo. Enzo inclined his head, his dark eyes full of sympathy. But not my mother. She was solidly behind my daughter, her lips tightened into a thin line of disapproval.

My lungs squeezed further and I tried desperately to remind myself to take long, deep breaths. I couldn’t allow them to see me break down. It would only solidify their opinion of my work obsession and how it was unhealthy.

“I’d be happy to accompany these lovely ladies into town,” Enzo said, smiling.

My shoulders slumped in gratitude. “Thank you. I swear, I wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t critical. I can’t lose this account, sweetheart. It would be disastrous.”

“It’s always some important account, Mom. It’s always an emergency. I thought maybe you meant it when you promised not to do this to us again, but I was stupid. I believed you! You promised this wouldn’t happen in Tuscany, but you can’t even do that.”

“Allegra, please—”

“Just go. I don’t care anymore. I really don’t. I’m not going to give you a hard time. I don’t even want to fight.” She stepped away, but it was so much more than that. The wall between us that I’d worked so hard to take down had shot right back up. And in her gaze was a distrust that almost drove me to my knees.

What had I done?

She turned her back and headed toward Enzo’s car. “Let’s go, Nonni. I’m sure we’ll have a great time.”

The words dropped on me like stones and sent shimmers of pain rippling through me. Mom didn’t respond, just shook her head and followed Allegra.

Enzo closed the distance between us. “Cara, are you okay?”

I gulped back a sob, torn and confused. “No. I can’t lose this client, Enzo. It’d be a big hole in my financials and I’d let the entire team down. If he walks, it will be a disaster.”

He nodded, cupping my cheek. “You must do what you need to do and hope your family will eventually understand.”

“I’m afraid my daughter won’t. If I do this to her, she may never trust me again.” My hand trembled as I clutched at him, his solid weight reassuring under my shakiness. “I can lose her.”

“You cannot lose family, Francesca. She will forgive. But you must know in your gut it’s worth the sacrifice.”

“But I told you—I can lose the entire account if I don’t stay!”