"Sit. Down." Adrian's voice cracks like a whip.
I sit. My legs are shaking so hard I can't hold myself up any longer.
Saint doesn't sit. Doesn't come closer. He just stands there, at the door watching, waiting.
Adrian moves around the desk, stopping in front of me. I have to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
"Do you know why you're here?"
Yes.
"No."
"Let me enlighten you." He's breathing hard. He's gripping the edge of the desk hard, his fingers flexing on the wood. "Your husband told me something very interesting. About what you've been doing for the past few months."
My heart stops, and I'm sure I'm going to drop dead from the betrayal.
I look at Saint. He won't meet my eyes, and I know that he did exactly what Adrian is saying.
"He told me," Adrian continues, voice deadly quiet, "that you've been feeding him information about our family. That you helped him attack our operations. That when he stopped, you went to the fucking Russians."
The world tilts, and it's a miracle I'm still conscious.
I suspected Adrian knew. But I never imagined Saint would be the one to tell him. To sell me out completely.
"Adrian…"
"Don't fucking try to lie to me!" Adrian's hand slams on the desk beside me. I flinch, keeping my lips sealed. "I have details. Dates. Operations. Everything your husband was kind enough to share."
I'm going to be sick.
"Adrian, please, let me explain?—"
"Explain what? That you betrayed your family? That you put Sera and Angelo at risk? That you worked with our enemies?" He reaches out so fast I don't even see it coming. His hand fists in my hair, yanks my head back. I yelp in surprise. "What explanation could possibly make that acceptable?"
"I protected Sera! I made sure Alexei wouldn't touch her or Angelo?—"
There's no point in trying to deny what he already knows. Saint sold me out.
"You gave him the means to hurt them and think protecting them afterward makes up for it?" He's in my face now. "You stupid, selfish little brat. I told you that I had no choice, that the contract was already in place. I fucking told you."
Tears are streaming down my face. "I was angry?—"
"So, you commit treason!"
"You sold me!" The words explode out. Rage. Betrayal. Terror. It all crashes together until I can't tell one feeling from another.
"You sold me to him!" I point at Saint, who's still standing there like a statue. "You didn't ask what I wanted! You didn't care that I was terrified! You just traded me away like I was nothing!"
"So, this is revenge?" Adrian laughs, sharp and cruel. "Poor little Gemma, married against her will, so she decides to destroy her family?"
"I wasn't trying to destroy?—"
I stop. Close my eyes. There's no point finishing that lie. Adrian doesn't care. He doesn't think he's done anything wrong.
"Then what were you trying to do?" He releases my hair, steps back. I fall to the floor at his feet. "Enlighten me. What was your plan?"
I look at Saint. Silently begging him to say something. To defend me. To tell Adrian this isn't all my fault, that he was part of it too.
