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My heart shatters into a million tiny pieces, each one cutting deeper than the last.
All of this, every moment has been a lie. I'm still just a pawn, a piece to move around the board. And he's been moving me this whole damn time.
Worse, I've let him.
I've believed every single word he's said.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push away the hurt, but it's futile. The pain is raw and relentless, tearing at my heart and soul.
"Please," I whimper, a plea for this nightmare to end. But there's no escaping the truth: the man I love, the one I thought loved me back, only tied himself to me to protect my brothers.
I've been so afraid to trust him with my truth, terrified it'd break us, but there was never anything to break in the first place. It was all just a lie.
A tidal wave of pain crashes over me, intense and infinite. It threatens to sweep me off my feet and drag me under, killing every last ounce of hope I have left.
I stumble away from the bathroom door, tears blinding me as his words continue to echo in my head over and over again. They sing in twisted distortions that bounce around inside my skull, taunting me like some child's playground song.
I regret marrying her
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down.
I want to storm in there and scream and rage at him, but I don't have the strength. And he doesn't get to see me cry. Not now. Not ever again.
My thoughts race, searching for something—anything—to cling onto, some semblance of hope to give me a little strength. But all I find are fragments of memories, bittersweet reminders of the way I love him…now tainted by betrayal and deceit.
I thought he gave me everything, but he's no better than Brio. He's just as manipulative. Just as dangerous. And damn it all, I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.
"Stupid, stupid girl," I mutter. Once again, I let someone in this world manipulate me. And once again, my mother is going to pay the price. It hurts like hell this time. Because I always hated Brio, but I actually believed Mattia. I fell for him.
Well, no more.
I'm done being a pawn. I'm done being manipulated. And I'm done playing by their rules. He doesn't get to break me.
They don't get to win.
I won't let my mother die because of my mistakes. If he regrets marrying me, so be it. I'll make sure he regrets every damn second.
Taking a deep breath, I tiptoe from the bedroom and then down the hall. My mind races with plans, desperate and reckless, but I'll do whatever it takes to save my mom.
As I reach the front door, I pause, my hand hovering over the handle.
My heart screams at me to stay, to fight, but there's nothing here to fight for. Mattia doesn't want me. He never did. His loyalty was never mine. Neither was his heart. He had every piece of me.
And all I had were beautiful lies.
I was just too blind to see it.
With a quiet sob, I slip off his ring, leaving it on the floor alongside the fragmented pieces of my heart.
Chapter Eleven
Mattia
Irush through my shower, Coda's revelation playing through my mind the entire time. He knows where Brio is keeping Aurelia's mother. At least, he strongly suspects he knows where she is. He did some digging today while the rest of us were tied up at the fucking fire.
For the last two months, a woman has been living in the mansion Elio Cascella died in. Ordinarily, that wouldn't mean much. Brio probably has women stashed all over this city. But a doctor has been visiting the mansion regularly for the last two months.
