He Hated Me, I Revealed His Family's Truth

Under the crystal chandelier, the ultrasound photo sat beside the main course like a carefully prepared insult. "Sera," Sal said, swirling his wine lazily. "The Romano family hasn't had good news in three years. Now that we've got an heir on the way, shouldn't the lady of the house offer a toast?" He deliberately emphasized lady of the house. The Capos seated around the long table kept their heads down. No one laughed out loud. But every pair of eyes was fixed on me. Chloe rested a hand over her stomach. Her eyes reddened at exactly the right moment. "Sera, I know this must be hard for you. It's all my fault." What a performance. "Sure," I said, rising with my glass. "I'll toast." The entire table froze. "But first, Sal, let's settle the books." I looked directly at him. "The Romano family has spent three years demanding justice for Bianca." "But the truth is---you've been hunting the wrong culprit the entire time." My glass hit the table. Hard. Red wine splashed across the white tablecloth like blood. Sal narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?" I held his gaze. "I'm saying the real killer has been walking free for three years." "And all you've managed to do is take your anger out on a Lawrence woman." I raised my glass slightly. "So here's my toast." "To three years of blindness." A Capo behind Sal slammed both hands onto the table. "Watch your mouth!" "Everyone out." Matteo finally spoke. Three words. The dining room emptied instantly. Even Chloe was escorted out. The door clicked shut. The second it did, Matteo seized my wrist and dragged me into his study. The edge of the desk slammed into my lower back. Pain shot through me. "You're feeling brave tonight." He leaned over me. Fire simmered beneath those dark eyes. "The divorce papers have been sitting in your drawer for three years, Matteo." I tilted my chin up. "Sign them." "You'll never have to look at my 'disrespectful' face again." He laughed once. Somehow colder than silence. Then he opened the drawer. Pulled out the divorce papers. And took out his old Zippo. Click. The flame licked the pages. Three years of waiting turned to ash between his fingers. "I told you before." He flicked the ashes into the trash. "If you want to leave me..." "...it'll be over my dead body." "You hate me." "Yeah." He leaned closer. His breath burned against my ear. "But you're mine, Seraphina." "Even my hatred belongs to me." His thumb brushed my jaw. Almost gentle. Yet his eyes looked like a man inventorying private property. Suddenly, I felt sorry. For him. And for the woman I used to be. The woman who had actually loved him. Something twisted inside my chest. Three years ago, those same eyes stared at me over Bianca's coffin. Those same eyes threw a wedding ring into my face. I had loved those eyes once. Not anymore. At our wedding three years ago, he never looked at me. Not once. When we exchanged rings, his grip around my wrist was so tight I thought he might break it. "Remember this, Seraphina," he whispered into my ear. "This isn't a wedding." "It's a prison sentence." "Life without parole." That was the night I realized he hadn't married me for peace between our families. He married me so he could keep me where he could see me. Every day. Every hour. Every minute. A punishment he could personally supervise. "Whatever you say." I slipped out from between him and the desk and headed for the door. "Sera." His voice stopped me. "What did you mean at dinner?" "'The wrong culprit.'" My hand rested on the doorknob. I didn't turn around. "When you're finally willing to investigate with your brain instead of your hatred..." "Ask me again." Back in my room, I locked the door. A new encrypted message appeared. 【The witness will only meet with a Lawrence blood relative. Tomorrow. 10 PM. Red Hook. Pier Nine.】 I pulled back a corner of the curtain. Across the front gate, beneath a streetlamp, sat a gray sedan with its lights off. Rico. Sal's favorite errand boy. The snake had smelled blood. Good. Predators only expose themselves once the prey starts moving.