09
Nathaniel’s laugh was low and cruel. “Oh, Victoria. Still so naive.” His lips brushed my ear. “Did Rossi tell you what he really is? What his ‘tech company‘ really does?”
My steps faltered for a fraction of a second before I caught myself. The orchestra’s strings swelled around us as we turned across the floor, other couples giving us a wide berth. I fought to keep my expression neutral, but Nathaniel’s words had struck deeper than he knew. Leo’s company, his wealth, his connections – I’d accepted them without question, desperate for an ally against my husband. But now….
“More lies?” I kept my voice steady. “You’re getting predictable.”
His thumb traced circles on my back, a gesture that used to comfort me but now made my skin crawl. “Ask him about the shipping containers at the port. Ask him about the real source of his fortune.” The music shifted tempo and he spun me out, then pulled me back hard against his chest. “Better yet, ask him about the night your father died.”
Before I could respond, Leo appeared beside us. “May I cut in?”
Nathaniel’s smile was a predator’s display of teeth. “Of course.” He stepped back, adjusting his cuffs with precise movements. “We’ll finish our conversation later, darling.”
Leo’s arms wrapped around me, and my muscles released their tension as Nathaniel melted into the sea of black tuxedos. “You’re trembling,” Leo whispered.
“I’m fine.” The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but weakness wasn’t an option tonight. “Did Sofia get what she needed?”
“Almost.” His thumb drew gentle circles on my back, each touch melting away of Nathaniel’s cruel grip. “Two more dances, then we move to phase two.”
the memory
I nodded against his shoulder, letting him guide me through the crowd. Where Nathaniel had been all sharp edges and control, Leo moved like water, each step flowing naturally into the next. The orchestra’s melody wrapped around us, and for a breath, I forgot about the mission, lost in the warmth of his embrace and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my cheek.
“Victoria.” His voice carried a weight I hadn’t heard before. “Whatever he said about me
“I don’t care.” I lifted my chin, meeting his dark eyes. “I trust you.
Something shifted in his gaze a flash of warmth mixed with shadows I couldn’t read. His fingers tightened around mine. “You shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
Before he could answer, Sofia’s voice crackled through our earpieces. “We’re in. Get to the study. Now.”
My fingers intertwined with Leo’s as we slipped through the crowd. The familiar hallways of what used to be my home felt different now – colder, more threatening. Each click of my heels against the marble floor echoed like gunshots in the empty corridor.
“This way” | muizlari |
naet the library where Nathanial and I wear to enand muiat avaninne
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22:39 Fri, 21 Feb
Marry My Ex husband’s Rival
“This way.” I guided Leo past the library where Nathaniel and I used to spend quiet evenings,
before I knew what kind of monster lurked behind his smile.
We reached the study door. My hands shook as I found the hidden panel Sofia had discovered in the building plans. One press and the wall slid back without a sound, revealing Nathaniel’s inner sanctum. The room where he’d plotted my father’s death.
Leo moved with purpose toward the Monet that concealed the safe. His fingers danced across the keypad while I stood guard, my pulse thundering in my ears. Each second stretched into infinity as I watched the hallway.
“Got it.” The safe door swung open with a soft click. Leo pulled out stack after stack of papers, his phone camera flashing as he captured every damning page.
My blood turned to ice as footsteps echoed down the corridor. “Someone’s coming.”
In one fluid motion, Leo was at my side. His arm slipped around my waist, pulling me against him. “Trust me,” he breathed, and then his mouth found mine.
The kiss caught me off guard – fierce, demanding, electric. My hands fisted in his jacket as he backed me against the wall. Through the haze of sensation, I heard the door open.
“Well, well.” Nathaniel’s voice was ice. “Making yourself at home, I see.”
We broke apart, and I fought to catch my breath. Leo kept his arm around my waist, positioning himself slightly in front of me.
“Nathaniel.” My voice was steadier than I felt. “I was just showing Leo the Monet. You always said it was your favorite piece.”
“Did 1?” Nathaniel’s eyes flickered to the safe, then back to us. “Strange. I don’t remember mentioning that.”
The air crackled with tension. Leo’s fingers pressed into my hip – a silent warning, a promise of protection. My heart hammered against my ribs as Nathaniel crossed the room, each step deliberate. His face wore that familiar mask of calm that had fooled me for so long.
“You’ll have to forgive my wife’s enthusiasm for art.” Nathaniel’s smile didn’t touch his eyes, “She’s always been passionate about… sharing her interests.”
“The painting caught my eye from across the room.” Leo’s voice carried just the right note of embarrassment. “I’m afraid I got carried away asking about it. The fault is mine.”
Nathaniel reached past us, his sleeve brushing my bare shoulder. I suppressed a shudd His fingers traced the frame of the Monet, and for one terrible moment, I thought he’d notice me safe had been disturbed.
My heart pounded as Nathaniel’s fingers lingered on the frame. Sweat beaded at the nape of my neck. One glance at the safe and everything would unravel.
“Beautiful piece,” Leo said, his arm still steady around my waist. “The way Monet captured the light-”
“Yes, the light.” Nathaniel turned, his eyes boring into mine. The temperature in the room
Fri, 21 Feb
Mary My Ex–hus
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seemed to drop ten degrees. “Victoria always did have an eye for… illuminating details.”
I forced myself to meet his gaze. “You taught me well.”
“Did I?” He stepped closer, closing the space between us. The familiar scent of his cologne – once comforting, now suffocating filled my lungs. “And what other lessons have you been. sharing, my dear?”
Leo’s muscles tensed against me. I could feel the coiled energy in his body, ready to strike. One wrong move and this carefully orchestrated dance would dissolve into violence.
“You look flushed, Victoria.” Nathaniel’s smile turned cruel as his hand shot out, gripping my arm. “Perhaps you need some air. Let’s step outside. Alone.”
In a blur of motion, Leo moved. Suddenly Nathaniel was against the wall, Leo’s forearm pressed to his throat. “Don’t touch her.”
The mask of civility dropped from Nathaniel’s face. “Finally showing your true colors, Rossi?” He laughed, harsh and grating. “Go ahead. Kill me. Right here, right now. Show Victoria exactly what kind of monster she’s gotten into bed with.”
“Leo.” I touched his shoulder, feeling the tremors of rage beneath his skin. “We have what we need.”
For a heartbeat, Leo’s arm pressed harder. Then he stepped back, adjusting his jacket with precise movements. “You’re right. He’s not worth it.”
Nathaniel rubbed his throat, eyes glittering with malice. “Run along then. But remember, Victoria – you made your choice tonight. Everything that happens next is on your hands.”
Leo’s arm stayed tight around me as we made our way back toward the ballroom. My lips tingled from his kiss, and questions swirled through my mind like storm clouds.
“I’m sorry,” he said, voice low. “For the kiss. I couldn’t think of another way to explain why we were there.”
“Don’t be.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. In the dim corridor light, something flashed across his face desire, regret, conflict, all tangled together.
–
“Victoria.” He stopped, turning to face me. His hand came up, warm against my cheek. “This thing between us… it can’t happen. Not now. Not with everything at stake.”
“I know.” But I leaned into his touch anyway, allowing myself one moment to imagine a different world. One where I wasn’t carrying my murderous husband’s child, where Leo was man wrapped in shadows and dangerous secrets.
The fantasy shattered as screams erupted from the ballroom, followed by the sharp crack of gunfire. My blood turned to ice.
Leo’s expression hardened into granite. “He’s making his move already.” He reached beneath his jacket and pressed cold metal into my hands. “Remember what Sofia taught you. Stay close to me.”
I gripped the gun, my father’s last words ringing in my ears: “Sometimes the people who
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