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“Still, was it not her intern?” Cesare’s voice booms. “You have some nerve coming here with her,” Cesare sets his glass on the table and leans forward, never looking in my direction. “You disrespect me by bringing her here. You are still a part of my family.”
Ronan adjusts in his seat and clears his throat. He takes a long breath and then lifts his eyes to meet Cesare’s piercing gaze.
“I’m here to discuss precisely that.”
“There is nothing to discuss. Barbara is dead, so you’ll marry Sofia, you know that,” Cesare clips, and Ronan clears his throat again.
I blink, not sure what I’m hearing. It’s not that Cesare is saying he is marrying Sofia that has my brain twitching. It’s the fact that Ronan knew.
Ronan knew he would be married to someone else. He knew and still made love to me.
Where does that leave me?
“Dad,” Sofia approaches the terrace wearing a turquoise two-piece workout outfit highlightingher toned figure. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, showing what a stunning face she has. “I was told you were looking for me.”
“Sit,” Cesare orders, and the air changes in an instant.
I flip my eyes between Ronan and Sofia, seeing how good they look together. I’m the odd one here, with my denim overalls and my light green tank top.
I stand, pretending to excuse myself as if I want to give them privacy, but I’m actually bolting out of here. I scamper down the short stairs of the patio until I walk past Ronan’s car and onto the main street of the estate.
It doesn’t matter what we feel for each other. Just as with Barbara, he will have to marry Sofia because it has been arranged.
I swipe away the tears streaming down my cheeks with the back of my hands and keep hurtling down the street of the estate, not stopping until I find myself in front of the main gate. The men guarding the entrance of the estate do not spare me a second glance.
I step out, and it is now I can finally let out the sob I’ve been suppressing. The dredging pain of knowing I can never have Ronan to myself is catching up with me now.
I don’t know where I’m heading, but I start walking, needing to get to a main road so I can find my way around. After all, I’m now a free woman.
A vehicle screeches to a stop right before me, making me jump back. I see it’s a van. Before I can gather my senses, three men hop out of the vehicle and throw me in.
I kick and punch, kneeing one of them close to his crotch. He curses in a language I can only guess to be Russian. He jumps in after me while the others go to the front seats.
“What are you doing?” I scream at them, my blood simmering in my ears. No one says anything to me, but the driver seems to be in a fit of rage, cussing in Russian. When he mentions the word stupid and girl, I understand he is cussing at me.
Me? What have I done now? I hear the sound before I feel the sting. Something heavy jams into the side of my head, and it comes with a brain freeze before I shut down altogether.
My body drops, and my mind quiets.
Chapter Twenty-Six
RONAN
The only thing I want to do is to go after Olivia. But I cannot. Not yet. Certainly not before finding a way to settle this matter with Cesare. I can’t offer Olivia empty-handed apologies. I need something concrete.
Cesare is a stubborn man; when he wants something, he must get it at all costs. Not to mention, I gave him my word. As a man of honor, I am expected to keep that.
But circumstances have changed now.
I can’t keep my word, and it is not just because I want to be happy, although that in itself could be considered a worthy cause.
“I’m sure we can come to a satisfying agreement,” I rest my elbows on my knees, seeing how I’m not the only one who wants out of this arrangement, but I seem to be the only one permitted to speak, “I have a lot to offer, just name your price.”
“And what do you think I might need from you or your family that I do not have myself?” Cesare grits.
“You tell me.”
“A marriage alliance is the strongest form of alliance. It is what was agreed on, and it is what I will be getting from your family,” Cesare is unwavering, and I nod, thinking of another way to get through to him.
