Page 180 of Lovely Venom

“You should discuss that with Cristian,” he answers gruffly. “Just try to relax for now.”

I swallow and nod, accepting that I have no choice but to wait.

Then Romeo closes the door, and the lock engages—sealing me to my fate.

The hours pass by slowly as I pace through Cristian’s wing, catastrophizing what will happen when he returns.

I’m certain that by the end of the night, he’ll know exactly who I am.

Elias seems willing enough to share information as long as it supports his delusions, and I doubt he’ll hold up under torture.

I know how Cristian feels about Ares, and there are only two natural conclusions he could draw from my connection to him. He’ll either assume I’m here to collect information, or even worse—that Ares sent me here to ruin him.

The thought that he might imagine I could do that to him makes me feel sick, but I only have myself to blame. I haven’t told him how I really feel, and now, I’m not sure he’ll even accept it.

At this point, it probably doesn’t matter. It won’t just be Cristian who decides how this is handled. The entire family will be involved, and Angelo doesn’t take it lightly when someone fucks with his blood.

If they think I’m a spy and a traitor, there are only a few ways this can end. I know what happens to liabilities in the Mafia, and while I don’t want to believe the Vitales could do that to me, I can’t dismiss it entirely.

I was raised in this world, and I’m not naïve to how brutal it can be. I witnessed it firsthand when my father suspected my mother wanted to leave him. That alone was enough to condemn her to death.

Cristian isn’t my father, and I know he would never do that to me. But I also know what loyalty means to him. If he thinks he can’t trust me, there are only two other alternatives. He could eject me from the island, or stay with me out of obligation.

I’m not sure which would be worse, because I know the latter would be a life sentence to a cold, loveless marriage in which he would never forgive me.

The threat of such a bleak future devastates me.

I had just started to allow myself hope for a life with the man I love. Now, in a matter of hours, it could all be ripped away.

Exhausted from the emotional toll of the day, I collapse into bed, curling into myself as I cry.

This kind of agony was the exact thing I tried so hard to avoid. But the truth is, I’m not sure I would change it, even if I had the chance to do it over again.

Because for one beautiful moment in time, I felt what it was like to be truly happy.

37

CRISTIAN

In the dark of night, the truth often reveals itself.

It was something my father used to say, but I’m no closer to concluding anything as I watch her in the darkness.

She’s been asleep for hours, and I’ve sat here, too paralyzed to move.

I’ve replayed the entire timeline through a new lens, mentally dissecting every interaction we’ve had with her.

They all feel tainted now.

She spread through my veins and into the marrow of my bones, a venom so lovely and sweet, I didn’t even know she was poisoning me until it was already too late.

I knew if I fed this addiction, it would eventually ruin me. I just didn’t expect that maybe that was her plan all along.

I was blind to what was right in front of me, willfully disregarding every sign. In retrospect, I can see why Ares derived so much pleasure from taunting me with her.

He referred to her as his old friend. He kept showing up at her club, watching to see how this would play out. He teased the idea of an alliance…by marrying one of his cousins. And with so little effort, he goaded me into the words he knew I’d come to regret.

I’d sign my own death certificate before I ever marry a Greek woman.