He knew. He’s known this whole time. Every look, every silence, every time he told me to go to bed even when his eyes told me something entirely different…it all makes sense now. He’s been waiting for me to find out.
I back away before I can hear another word. My vision blurs, breath coming too fast. I make it to my room without realizing how. When the door shuts behind me, I sink against it, slidingdown until I hit the floor. Duchess meows softly from the window, tail flicking, unconcerned.
I stare at her for a long time before whispering, “He knew.”
The rain keeps falling. But everything feels different now. The one man I thought might see me—reallyseeme—was just another player in someone else’s game.
38
MARA
The walls feel smaller tonight. The rain hasn’t stopped, but the thunder’s moved farther away—just a distant growl now, like the sky’s running out of ways to be angry.
I wish I could say the same for myself. I haven’t slept. I’ve been pacing my room for hours, barefoot, hoodie pulled tight, every sound in this house pressing in on me. The echo of his voice hasn’t left my head since last night. It plays on a loop, each time cutting a little deeper.
He knew. He’s known for days. Maybe weeks. He let me walk around here like a fool, believing there was something real between us. Every second of silence from him feels like confirmation that I was just another piece in a deal I didn’t agree to.
Maybe I made it all up. Maybe I just needed to believe that someone like him could want someone like me for more than a body to warm his sheets. But now, all I can hear is his voice from last night.
She doesn’t know yet.
I can’t breathe with those words in my head. So I leave before I can talk myself out of it.
By the time I reach his office, my heart’s pounding so hard it feels like it’s shaking the walls. The corridor’s dark, that soft amber glow from the sconces spilling over the floor, the air heavy with the scent of rain and smoke—his scent.
I push the door open.
He’s at his desk. Always at his desk. Shirt sleeves rolled up, tie gone, eyes on the papers in front of him like they’re the only thing that matters.
He looks up when he hears me. Not surprised. Not even annoyed. Just steady. Detached.
“Mara.” My name sounds empty in his mouth.
I close the door behind me. “You knew.”
He doesn’t answer. Not right away. His jaw tightens, barely.
“About what?”
“Don’t do that,” I say, voice breaking before I can stop it. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
He exhales through his nose, slow and deliberate. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Why? Because it’s easier for you not to look at me?” The words come out sharper than I intend, but I don’t care. “I heard you, Nicolo. You knew about the arrangement. The marriage. You knew, and you said nothing.”
Silence. He doesn’t deny it. He just leans back in his chair, fingers drumming once against the desk. Measured. Controlled.
“Say something,” I whisper.
His gaze flicks to mine. “What do you want me to say?”
That tone. Calm. Emotionless. Like I’m being unreasonable for expecting him to care.
“I don’t know.” My throat feels raw. “Maybe start withI’m sorry? OrI didn’t mean for you to find out like this.Something human.”
He studies me for a moment, then looks away. “You’re emotional.”
I laugh, a sound I don’t recognize. “Emotional? You think this is me being emotional? My life’s being traded away like a fucking favor, and you’re sitting here acting like I’m overreacting.”
