Bound By Betrayal

Confession

Watching James’s smug grin falter for the first time in years was unexpectedly satisfying. Armando and I sat in his sleek black car, parked discreetly across from James’s office building. Through the tinted windows, I could see my ex-husband in the lobby, his face pale as he spoke into his phone.

“What did you do?” I asked, glancing at Armando.

He smirked, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel. “Just gave him a little taste of karma. A few of his associates suddenly realized how unreliable he is. Let’s see how he handles losing the trust of the people keeping his business afloat.”

The satisfaction was instant but fleeting. A twinge of guilt crept in as I thought of how this unraveling might affect James’s already precarious situation.

“I didn’t think you’d feel sorry for him,” Armando remarked, his eyes flicking to mine.

“I don’t,” I replied quickly, though the doubt in my tone betrayed me. “I just don’t know if this is the right way to handle it. And I actually really loved him so much”my tone trembled.

“Justice rarely feels clean, Olivia,” he said softly. “But sometimes, it’s necessary.”

---

Later that evening, we found ourselves on the terrace of Armando’s penthouse. The city lights sparkled like a blanket of stars, but my thoughts were elsewhere.

“You don’t have to do all this for me,” I said, breaking the silence.

Armando leaned against the railing, his usual air of confidence softened. “It’s not just for you. James and men like him—they think they can take and destroy without consequence. It’s personal for me, too.”

His words carried a weight I hadn’t expected and sometimes I feel as though there was something between the both of them that he had told me yet. “What happened to you?” I asked, my voice gentle.

He hesitated, the tension in his jaw revealing his internal battle. “I grew up in a world where weakness wasn’t an option. My father... He taught me early on that love and trust are liabilities.”

I stepped closer, feeling the vulnerability in his words pull me in. “But you’re not like him.”

“No,” he admitted, his gaze locking with mine. “But sometimes I wonder if I’m just pretending to be better.”

For a moment, we stood in silence, the distance between us shrinking. “We all have ghosts, Armando,” I said, surprising myself with the admission. “But it doesn’t mean we’re doomed to become them.”

His hand brushed mine, and for a fleeting second, I let myself lean into the warmth of his touch.

---

The next day, the danger of Armando’s world became starkly real. We were at an upscale café, pretending to enjoy a normal afternoon, when a man approached our table.

“Moretti,” the man said, his voice low and threatening. He was older, with sharp features and an air of menace.

Armando’s entire demeanor shifted. Gone was the charm, replaced by a cold, unyielding presence. “Vincent,” he said coolly. “What a surprise.”

“You’ve been making waves,” Vincent said, his gaze flicking to me. “Careful you don’t drag innocent people under with you.”

I stiffened, feeling the weight of his words which confused me and narrowed my eyes spontaneously. Armando’s hand found mine under the table, a silent reassurance.

“Olivia has nothing to do with this,” Armando said, his tone deadly.

Vincent smirked. “That’s what they all say—until the bodies start piling up.”

The man walked away, leaving a chill in his wake. Bodies? I was perplexed.

“What was that about?” I demanded as soon as we were alone.

“It’s nothing,” Armando said, but his clenched jaw told another story.

“It’s not nothing!” I said, my voice rising. “If being with you puts me in danger—”

“You’re safe with me,” he interrupted, his eyes burning with conviction. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He insisted and nodded his head.

I remained mute. I knew something was utterly wrong but I just couldn’t place my hands around it and I knew pushing forward with the questions wasn’t going to help at that moment.

---

That promise was tested that very night. I was leaving the penthouse to get some fresh air when I noticed a shadow moving in the parking lot. Before I could react, a man lunged toward me, a glint of metal in his hand.

“Olivia!” Armando’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

The next moments were a blur. Armando tackled the man in black suit, his movements were very precise and brutal. By the time security arrived, the man was unconscious, and I was shaking uncontrollably.

Armando pulled me into his arms, his grip firm but comforting. “I told you, you’re safe with me,” he said, his voice low and soothing. He held me as though I was his precious egg that he didn’t want anything to happen to.

But for the first time, I truly understood the cost of being in his world. The world I barely knew details about.

---

That night, Armando didn’t leave my side. We sat in his study, the room dimly lit by a single lamp.

“I know you have a lot of questions” Armando broke the silence. I guess my countenance ratted me out.

I looked at him and I sure did have a million questions. Someone I didn’t even know came to me with a gun and wanted to kill me. Who wouldn’t have questions.

“Who was that Man and why did he want to kill me” I asked, trying to hold my trembling body and voice still.

Armando stared at me as though contemplating the right words to use but finding it hard to get them. “They are business associates who just don’t know the right way to settle scores” He finally spoke.

I narrowed my eyes “business associates? Scores? You are getting me confused” I couldn’t seem to understand him. The more he spoke the more cryptic it sounded. I was in the business world as well and I didn’t just randomly see people trying to kill my Mom because of some business deal gone wrong with my Dad.

“You have nothing to worry about. I’ll make sure nothing of that sort happens again” Armando gazed at me as he spoke with confidence.

I could feel some sort of bitterness in my stomach. “What if you weren’t there at the right time? What if he had used the gun on Me?” Questions kept trooping out of my mouth while my heart raced with my eyes still locked on Armando.

“Olivia!” Armando snapped, holding my face with his right hand firmly and controlling my reaction. “Nothing would have happened to you and nothing will. Nothing has happened to you the months you have been with me and I’m going to make sure it remains that way. I’ll protect you with my life!” He spoke words that sounded so genuine but that didn’t stop my heart from racing even as we locked eyes together and our breath bounced on each others faces.

“Why would you protect me with your life?! You could as well be lying. I’ve heard words like this from James and it obviously ended up being bunch of lies!” I shook my head.

“I’m not lying to you” he tilted his head.

“How do you I believe that?”

“Just trust me!” Armando insisted with his eyes locked with mine.

“And why? Why should I trust you?!” I snapped.

“That’s because I love you!” Armando growled with rage.

My jaw dropped.