Chapter 33 33 Victoria The car door shuts, and it feels like there is no oxygen. Lorenzo slides into the seat beside me without looking at me. He’s pissed. I’m not sure what he’s got to complain about since I’m the one being held hostage. But his jaw is locked
Chapter 32 32 Victoria The gown hangs in front of the mirror, taunting me. Silk. Lace. Hand-stitched beading that probably costs more than most people’s yearly salary. It’s beautiful in the way daggers are beautiful—intricate, polished, designed for one purpose. Hmm… Not a bad idea. Death is certainly an option
Chapter 31 31 Victoria By the time the grandfather clock in the hall chimes, indicating it’s seven, I’ve already changed outfits three times and fantasized about faking my own death twice. Apparently, neither plan is acceptable. Which sucks. Unlike Juliet, I have no way of making it look believable, and
Chapter 30 30 Victoria I’m still half asleep when my peaceful morning comes to a screeching halt when a vision of Lorenzo plays behind my lids. Shit. I hate the man, yet he still haunts my dreams. It’s been years since I’ve seen him, but he’s only gotten more beautiful.
Chapter 29 29 Lorenzo Three… Two… One… “Lorenzo?” She says it so quietly I almost don’t hear her. “I’ll marry you p> As I suspected, the moment I walked out of the room, she followed me, and I’m happy to be right. This is exactly where I want her. Not
Chapter 28 28 Victoria The phone rings while I’m halfway through a sad excuse of a sandwich—gluten-free bread, wilted greens, and the most pathetic piece of turkey I’ve ever seen—when my mother’s name flashes across the screen. Shit. Why is she calling? I freeze. She never calls twice in two
Chapter 27 27 Lorenzo The Danforth estate looks smaller. Not physically. Physically, it’s still a monstrosity of money and arrogance. But emotionally? This place used to feel like a prison. A gilded cage I didn’t have the keys to. Now it feels like the beginning of a horror movie, told
Chapter 26 26 Victoria I’m sitting at my kitchen island, spoon halfway to my mouth, leftover pasta going cold on the counter because I’ve been staring at nothing for ten minutes, when my phone lights up with my mother’s name. She never calls me unless she needs something, and usually
Chapter 25 25 Lorenzo The report hits my desk with a thud. I don’t look up at first. Because if I do, and it has anything to do with Victoria, I might put someone through the drywall. Then Dom, the head of my private household security, clears his throat. My
Chapter 24 24 Victoria I walk through the hallway of Danforth Steel headquarters, tablet pressed to my chest, hoping I don’t see my father when his yell echoes from behind the closed door to his office. I freeze. What the hell is going on? And why is he so mad?
Chapter 23 23 Lorenzo The screaming gets annoying after the second hour. Not the volume… I don’t mind that. It’s the tone. Fuck, this guy is whiny. Too many “please” and not enough “I’m sorry for stealing p> I pinch the bridge of my nose as the sound bounces around
Chapter 22 22 Lorenzo The air inside the warehouse stinks of sweat and stale cigars. I prefer to conduct my business elsewhere, but I have no choice tonight. It’s payday from our last collection run, and I have to be here to oversee my men. The dim overhead lights flicker,
Chapter 21 21 Lorenzo The car ride stretches on. A strange silence sits between us. It hovers, filling the air. It’s heavy but not unwelcome. I sit in the back seat, boxed in by the two people who just turned my entire life inside out. My cousin, Matteo, grins. And
Chapter 20 20 Lorenzo The first moment I have a free second, I head to the boathouse to see if she’s there. It still smells like her. Roses and something else I can’t name. The blanket we lay on is folded neatly in the corner. Like it never happened. I
Chapter 19 19 Victoria I sneak back into the house like I’m floating. My feet barely touch the ground. It’s like I’m gliding over the surface. My body aches as I move, but it’s the most amazing ache I have ever felt. I’ve never been so happy. Which is funny
Chapter 18 18 Lorenzo She’s still curled into my chest when a sound jerks us both upright. What was that? We both must have heard it, or she wouldn’t be up too, right? Maybe a creak. I lift my finger to my mouth to make sure she doesn’t make a
Chapter 17 17 Victoria I wake to the sound of my mother humming. That’s the first sign something is wrong. The second is the garment bag hanging from the armoire. “Happy birthday, darling,” she sings, sweeping into my room with her hair perfectly curled and her lipstick already in place.
Chapter 16 16 Victoria I make it back to my room after dinner before I fall apart. Barely. The door clicks shut behind me. The silence feels suffocating, and my skin still burns where Grant touched me. I move to the edge of my bed, grabbing a handful of my
Chapter 15 15 Victoria The staff never speaks to me directly unless it’s to pass along something dumb. A menu change. Sometimes staffing issues, but that’s about it. So when Helen, one of the longtime housekeepers, stops me in the hall with her hands clutched tightly in front of her
Chapter 14 14 Lorenzo I know the look on my mother’s face before she speaks. It’s the one she used to wear when I was ten and coming home with bruised knuckles and a chipped tooth. The look that says… You don’t have to tell me what you did. I