Damn him.
No, fuck him.
Fuck Ciro and his charm, his sexy smile, those mesmerizing-brown eyes, and his hypnotic voice.
You deserve better, Isla. We’ve been here before. Youdeserve better.
Ciro couldn’t be trusted. His words were meaningless. Lies rolled off his delicious lips so melodiously that the listener,me, became transfixed. But I knew Ciro, he’d do anything to get whatever he desired, even hurt the mother of his child.
My eyes are wide open now.
I needed to accept the hard truth. We were never meant to be together. My wildest fantasies would never be real. We might have had a baby together, but we would never be a family.
Now that he knew about Pippa, I’d have to endure seeing him with her for the rest of my life. But it wouldn’t be the worst punishment I’d have to brave.
If he married another woman, it would destroy me, especially if it was the redhead. I wouldn’t be able to stand seeing them together or seeing her with my daughter.
“Oh God! What if he wants shared custody and the redhead plays mother to my baby?” I choked out a sob as I curled into a ball on the couch. “No, no… He can’t take my baby… He can’t take my Pippa…”
Before I lost my mind, I dialed Alba. She always helped me when I felt dejected.
She answered on the second ring. “Oh my gosh, I saw the pictures.”
“Great. And here I hoped you had no clue about the turmoil I was in.”
“I’m so sorry he did this to you. Hearing the other woman must’ve been devastating. He’s such a jerk.”
I twisted my lips and looked at the front door. “How do you know I heard the woman?”
“Oh. Um…”
“I can’t believe Paolo called you.” What in the hell was going on? Ciro’s cousin hardly ever said a word.
“No, but he texted me about taking you home and the fake pictures on social media. And that you heard the woman.”
“Wow, color me surprised. When did you give him your number?” I shouldn’t care one way or the other. Alba was my closest friend, and I had sensedsomethingbetween her and Paolo when they were near each other. Of course, nothing would ever come of it with Paolo living in Canada and wholly devoted to being Ciro’s right hand man and bodyguard.
“When I arrived at the hotel, he asked me for it. In case there was an emergency, that’s it. Are you angry?” Alba asked.
“Angry that he told you my business? Heck, yeah! You’re supposed to hear about my life imploding, all over again, from me. Not from a Mafia henchman!”
“Aww. It wasn’t like that. It was only four texts.”
“Four is too many. I can’t believe he even knows how to text.”
Alba giggled all girlie and sweet. She totally had it bad for Paolo, which made my heart ache for her.
“Is something more going on with you and Paolo?” I had to ask because I was tired of being left in the dark all the time.
“What? No. I mean, he’s hot and built like he could stop a runaway train, but he’s just exceptional eye candy.”
Exceptional eye candy, aye? I didn’t believe her.
Nevertheless, it would be pointless to encourage her about Paolo. She would only get her heart broken by a Remotti Mafia man like me, and I wouldn’t wish this pain on my worst enemy.
“Do you have an idea who the woman is that you heard?” she asked to divert the spotlight off her and Paolo.
“My guess is the redhead in the picture he’s kissing.” My stomach roiled as I thought of their lips touching.
