ella

his mask of control slipping. He lifted his glass of whisk

ed on her, burning with a raw, unguarded adoration that silenced the room. "The most brillian

iated from my chest, so intense it made me gasp. He wasn't just toasting his

eyes, I knew. It wasn't just that he didn't love me

own blood roaring in my ears. I stared at my reflection in the ornate mirror. The woman looking back

rd their voices from the hallway, l

ront of her, Dante," Valentina hisse

slightly. "You know why I m

at. I pressed my ear agains

as my stand-in," she shot back, her voice laced with disgust. "That's

r us... seeing her, someone who looked so much like you did back then... it was a way to have a piec

h churned

ntina asked, her voi

tone made me feel sick. "A girl. We'll name her Elena. She'll have Isabella

to the toilet before I retched, my body convulsing with the violent rejection of his poison. He didn't want a ch

th, staring at my hollow-eyed reflection. The pain was gone. The shock was gone. In t

ole world to the gr

s a weak, adoring fool-that was my key. That wa

erfect, icy mask. I sat down and took a sip of water

a one-way ticket to San Francisco, departing in three weeks. I researched apartments in a plac

ang. It wa

lright? I wanted

her off, my voice

rrow to pay my respects before I leave for L

e her. But she wasn't the architect of this p

nto the room.

s to meet at my fath

come with you," he said immediately. It wasn't a request. I

, my voice bet

s even playing. His every move to get closer to her was a step that pushed me f