ra

private terrace hung heavy, thick

. He looked relaxed, the absolute picture of a devoted husband. He had clea

tifully orche

utting into his steak with surgica

abricated hours ago, a bait laid carefully in the trap. "It made m

ead dismissively. "Rossetti i

e word on my tongue. "Is that w

with those intense, dark eyes that used to make my knees weak. "A D

y," I said, keeping my

. A week ago, this touch would have grounded me. Now, I felt like pul

ve. "I swear on the honor of the Marino family. I swear on my blo

in the eye. He didn't

a soc

"distraction," it didn't count as betrayal. He had compartmentalized his life so pe

to know," I

lating the hours. Fo

" he said,

ulling me flush against his hard body. I stiffened instinctively, the

for you," he whisp

ien,

us

k blindfold f

me,"

ted like bile

ent dark. Panic flared in my chest. Being blin

e salt of the ocean and the damp wood of the

ere," h

s hands resting posses

your

d the si

We were standing at the edge of the h

d the air. Hundreds of lights sh

e synthetic fireflies. They formed sha

spelled o

ONO

tatious, and incredibly expensive. A display of weal

ered, his chin resting on

in the sky. It felt

I said, my voice

He turned me around to face him. "

were inches from mine.

u

vibrated ag

lash in his eyes, followed by s

It wasn't his business phone. It was t

n before he cou

ttle

ph

ry. Because she sang for him? Or beca

ntic husband vanished. The Don appeared.

ping back. "It's... a family emergen

hurt bleed into my voice. It w

the waiting SUV that had pulled up silently out of

said. "

slid into the SUV. Vincenzo, his

ay, tires screechi

the drones were still spelling my nam

ily com

whispered to myself, my voice

k to the house. Not

odest sedan I used for charity work. It di

ore. I was the woman who was g

ed the

see the truth w