Page 156 of Brutal Heir

Rome wasn’t just a backdrop—it was a battleground, and I was ready to fight for answers.

With one last glance at the faded patterns in my cup, I stood, the chair scraping softly against the tiled floor.

Time to confront the past.

And my father was the only one who could give me the answers I craved. Answers that had haunted me for years, lurking in the shadows of my past, poisoning every moment of my present.

But I also knew one thing with bone-deep certainty—Sebastian wouldn’t want me anywhere near him.

Whatever secrets my father held, whatever truth lay buried beneath years of silence, Sebastian had fought to keep it from me.

CHAPTER 42

SEBASTIAN

She should have awakened in my arms.

I shouldn’t have left her to wake up alone in my bed.

Not after I’d spent the entire night watching her sleep.

I’d been a coward.

I didn’t want to face her.

I still didn’t.

Because nothing had changed, and yet everything had.

My plans remained the same. Only my motivations had altered.

Before, it was all about saving the House of Diamanti and destroying the threat from the judge, regardless of who I hurt in the process.

Now, I didn’t just want to save my family’s dynasty.

I wanted her.

It had been my intention to let Sabrina go on living her life after our marriage with the understanding that she would need to occasionally appear on my arm to help keep her father in line.

That would no longer be enough for me.

I wanted her by my side, in my bed, and bearing my children.

It was that simple.

She would resist, of course. That was to be expected.

Not that it would do any good.

She was mine now.

I stared out my office window at the red-and-white striped awning below, knowing she was inside the café. Alone but guarded.

I’d already used my connections to put a hold on her passport. If she tried to sneak away and board a plane to New York, she would be stopped.

She wasn’t leaving Rome.

A soft knock on my door interrupted my thoughts. “What?” I snapped, without turning.