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My eyes stay on Barbara’s fingers as Cesare comes down to our level to lift Barbara’s hand.
“Poison.” His face goes blank as he looks at the cake a little away from us.
I saw Barbara scoop some frosting from the cake earlier. I know she has a sweet tooth, and that information came as a shock, considering how obsessed she is with her image.
I was playing the kind host with Damien when she collapsed.I had totally missed that she had slipped away to secretly pick at the cake.
I refuse to accept the possibility that Olivia poisoned my bride, I refuse to connect the dots and conclude that the cake is the reason behind her death.But she does have the motive. That day in her pantry,she wanted me to kiss her. And I wanted it, too.
I stand, and Riley follows suit, plastering herself to my side like I need the comfort. She is the one who needs to be comforted because I know her enough to know that things like this break her very easily.
“Liam?” I take Riley by the wrist and lead her over to him. “Stay with her and make sure she doesn’t eat anything.” He doesn’t need me to emphasize the importance of that part; still, I do.
I’m not about to take my chances.
I stride to the cake, ridding myself of the bow tie around my neck and tossing it away. Cesare looms behind me, and we both confirm what we suspect when we see the marks at the back of the cake.
“She killed my daughter,” Cesare growls.
If this is true, he will kill Olivia.
“We cannot be sure until it’s proven,” I say, observing the magnificent cake. Beautiful, yet deadly. Just like the baker.
“Not sure?” Cesare barks, and I shrug.
He doesn’t faze me. I was trained by his kind. And whatever authority he thinks he possesses, I do too, in my own right as the leader of my clan.
“For now,” I move away from the cake as a medic team in blue scrubs rushes in and, amidst the mild chaos and wailing of Sofia, gets Barbara on the stretcher, wheeling her out of the hall.
Sofia and Pietro follow them. Riley is about to do the same, but Liam, and the glare from my mother, hold her back.
“In that case, I will get confirmation,” Cesare shoves a hand into his pocket. “But consider her dead if I find out she is behind this,” he stomps away. He quickly gives a trembling Olivia a death glare, and she shrinks into the corner.
I know Cesare is going to the clinic to get the information himself. And I bet the autopsy will confirm it. Olivia did it. She has the right motive. Jealousy or perhaps wanting to get back at me. And the way she looks, she knows the worst is yet to happen.
What was she thinking poisoning my bride on my fucking wedding day? And messing with a family like the Ferreris?
I step down from the platform of the cake, hating her for making me go through with the whole fucking wedding only to have Barbara killed. Admittedly, I never fucking wanted any of this, but killing my bride was never on the table.
I start striding towards Olivia, but Damien intercepts me.
“My condolences,” he offers without really meaning it, not in his eyes or his tone, but I nod, accepting it as if he does.
“Thank you,” I snap.
Something is offsetting about him. I know we each have our own shades of evil and are capable of great damage, but Damien has always felt like a different breed of demonic to me.
I'm not fooled by his polished appearance, neatly styled hair,and trimmed beard, or those deep brown eyes hidden beneath thosebulky frames. He wears his nature like a second skin, so I doubt he can foolanyone. When he steps into a room, the atmosphere changes.
“She was poisoned by your ex,” he chuckles. His eyes light up in excitement, “The problem with not letting women know their place,” he drags out his handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit and offers it to me. “If you need me to step in…” I politely refuse the tissue, so he puts it back into his pocket, “… I can clean this up,” he tilts his head in Olivia’s direction. My stomach twists, “Consider it a wedding gift from me.”
I remain silent, glaring at him with restrained wrath.
“See you around,” Damien tips his head in his usual courtesy bow.
While most of the people here would want to kill her for this because of their loyalty to the Ferreris, they also know that they can’t take matters into their own hands because this is the kind of situation in which you let the scorned dole out their revenge as they want to.
So, for now, she is safe. But why do I even care?
