His expression shuttered. “Valeria was?—”
“Don’t.” The word got stuck in my throat for a second before it came out. “Do not say her name, do not tell me last night was nothing. I don’t want to hear your lies.”
A muscle ticked in his cheek. “What exactly would you like me to say? That I should have made a scene after Rocco went to so much trouble to set me up as the unfaithful husband? We were there to play our parts, and that’s what I was doing…playing.”
“Well, I’m sold. You did a convincing job.” I gripped the hilt of my knife until my palm hurt. “How delightful it was to be blindsided. Walking into a room and finding out I’m the only one who didn’t know you’d fucking dated Rocco’s only daughter. That the two of you had beenfucking engaged, and all you needed was the mating ceremony to make things official.”
His mouth flattened. “That’s not?—”
“Nico told me everything,” I continued, riding the wave of my own fury because if I stopped, I might do something worse. “And I had to stand there and smile while she touched you as if she owned you, while the rest of those vultures watched to see if I’d crack. I’ve never had so much fun at a party in my life.”
Guilt flashed in his eyes.
Good,I wanted to howl.Suffer, just like I’m suffering.
Endure this torturous, aching pain I’ve been enduring for hours.
“I didn’t know she’d be there,” he bit out. “I didn’t…think,Emberline. All I was thinking about was you, the way your bare shoulders looked in the candlelight, the way your hair curled at the ends, the...” He shook his head. “Then Rocco paraded Valeria in front of me like a fucking weapon, and I decided to…”
“Play along?” I snapped, furious he’d looked at me like that... then allowed himself to be caught in Rocco’s trap, anyway. “I never knew you were such an accomplished actor because you sure as fuck didn’t look like you were playing. Her hand was practically around your cock.”
His gaze turned flinty. “You think I enjoyed that?”
“Everyone in that room enjoyed the show you put on,” I panted, fury making it impossible to breathe.
“You don’t think I know how the entire Dynasty looks at me? Valeria is beautiful, part of the corrupt, powerful elite. I’m an outsider, a weak link in their circle of influence. A DiRavello. Good for loans, but nothing else. My guess is, she already floated the idea of you ditching me so you two can get married and start a brand new Demente bloodline?”
His stony expression told me everything I needed to know.
“Games are played on a bigger board now, Dante, and not one you can smash through with your fists and bad attitude. Rocco wants you for his heir. He has no sons, and the misogynistic bastard won’t leave his council seat to a daughter. But if you married her, and he could bring you into the fold, what better way to hand-pick your own successor?”
“You got all that from… seeing Valeria and me together?”
“And Rocco’s little speech, which sealed the deal.” I shook my head, and the world spun a little. “I grew up with these scavengers, and they’vealwaysunderestimated me. I don’t have an army or blood priests or powerful magic.” I turned away, blinking, willing myself not to cry in front of him.
It was exhausting, always being trivialized. Overlooked.Sidelined.
To fight and scratch and sweat, harder than the rest of them, just to beseen.
“My only skill was to watch and learn, to see the plans within the plans, then outthink my opponents. By recognizing the weaknesses they tried to hide. That’s how Enzo survived all those years and is probably the reason he was killed.”
Dante winced at the mention of my father’s name, and grief settled into me like a stone.
I was so tired of fighting. So tired of always having to outthink and outmaneuver everyone around me because they were bigger, stronger.Because they had magic.
All I had were my brains and my wiles, and now, just when I thought I found someone I could trust, he let me down. He didn’t even have the courtesy to give me a heads up; he just threw an old girlfriend in my face and made me a laughingstock in front of the monsters who already thought I was weak.
“I am pissed about Valeria,”—okay, I was more than pissed—“but I am furious you walked right into Rocco’s trap.”Of course, I hadn’t seen his ploy either, not until it was right in front of me, but I was too hurt right now to admit it.
“Then teach me.” He spread his hands. “Because I don’t know how to play these games, not like you do.”
“No,” I told him flatly. “It’s too late for that. Not when everyone now sees you for what you are.”
“And who is that?” His voice was deadly soft, the sort of tone you’d use right before you carved out someone’s heart, but I didn’t care. I wanted to hurt him like he’d hurt me. I needed him to bleed like I’d bled last night, the subject of everyone’s pity and amusement, like a bad punch line of an even worse joke.
“Go on, then.” His voice went smoother than velvet. “Tell me what I am.”
“Someone who’s willing to sacrifice his own wife to getwhat he wants.” Anger pushed the words out of my mouth, even though I was going too far, even though I was exposing myself now, showing him everything in my heart.
