CHAPTER TWELVE

RAPHAEL’S VIEW POINT

Stella and I made small talk as we strolled through the streets of Rome. She seemed to know where was going so I followed blindly, my main objective being to get on her good side. I brought up conversations that had depth, even inquiring about her dancing. As I had speculated, she had been in the ballet. She told me that was how she had met Sergio. She and her sister had been in a performance and Sergio had picked interest in them. He had been charming enough to agree to have the sisters go out with him simultaneously. He was wealthy, and his family had a good reputation. They had been presented as a true Italian mafia, who only helped the people of their community and secured business deals around the world. He was highly respected and had known how to spend equal time with both of them. The sisters had danced still, developed their own ballet school and performance hall, hosting shows every month. Sergio had funded it all and supported them selflessly.