AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Vincent’s eyes widen at the sight of Kit and the realization that his daughter was the one to slaughter him.
“How did you piece it together?” Andrea asks.
“Kit was too skilled for the boy I grew up with. He shouldn’t have known how to fight or use a gun, but he did. He tried to hide it, but it was too obvious.” Rialta’s eyes water. “He pretended to be kidnapped and faked his injuries. He took River. He tortured her, trying to figure out if I was pregnant or not. It was no longer enough for him to simply kill everyone; he wanted to keep one heir alive to continue the torture. And when she wouldn’t tell him—he caused her to miscarry.”
Tears drip down her cheeks, but she’s never looked stronger as she continues. “Kit said he loved me, but he didn’t. I didn’t realize it until I fell in love with Lennox and knew there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him, including giving him up to keep him alive. So that’s what I did. I tried to force Lennox to leave so you wouldn’t kill him. I hate you and wish you were dead just like Kit for making me terrified for Lennox’s life.”
I tuck my arm over her shoulder and give her a squeeze. She leans into my chest.
“You’re both going to be constantly afraid for each other for the rest of your lives. Even if you get out, even if you run for it like your sister is, this world will catch up with you one day. And you both need to know that you’re strong enough to face whatever happens. Now you know that. You know you’re strong enough together. You’re strong enough to have babies and to make the tough choices when it comes to my empire. You can hate me for it, but I’ll sleep soundly with my decision,” Vincent explains.
We both glare at Vincent. He’s a cruel man. He doesn’t get his reputation for nothing.
Rialta wants to kill him. He’s put her through hell but now isn’t the time. We just got our life back—I’m not going to ruin it by letting either of us kill Vincent.
“You took things too far,” I glare at Andrea.
Now it’s Rialta’s turn to hold me back. “He didn’t.”
“He fucked you. He hurt you. He—”
“He didn’t do any of those things. He did hurt you, and I’m so sorry for it. But he didn’t touch me.”
“I saw him. I saw—”
“You were drugged. It was easy to make you believe whatever we wanted you to believe. He didn’t fuck me. He drugged me too, and just pretended to have sex with me. I guess we both wanted to pushed you to the brink. Me to get you to hate me, to divorce me, to run away and be safe. And Andrea pushed you to follow Vincent’s orders—thinking you’d fall even more in love with me and stay with me forever.”
I narrow my eyes in Andrea’s direction.
“I understand if you want to kill me or fire me at the very least, when you take over the Corsi empire, but I’d be happy to serve you as your right-hand man, Lennox. You are truly worthy of the job,” Andrea says.
And for some reason, I immediately trust Andrea as much as I trust Hayes or Gage or Beckett. But I’ll leave that for another time.
Vincent looks to me. “I accept you as my heir, as my daughter’s husband. You have fulfilled your end of our deal. When I die, everything I have is yours.”
And then Vincent walks out of the church as Rialta and I cling to one another.
“Should I clean up this mess, or are you going to kill me?” Andrea asks me.
I look to Rialta. “It’s your choice who lives and dies. It’s always been your choice.”
She looks to Andrea. “Clean up the mess. Clean up all of our messes, and we might let you live.”
Andrea nods with a small smirk on his lips as he begins cleaning up.
“Andrea taught you how to fight?” I ask her.
“Yes, I didn’t know before. But I asked him, and he taught me. I wasn’t hiding some persona from you. I truly didn’t know how to do anything before Hayes gave me that first lesson, and then you taught me how to be brave. Andrea just taught me the mechanics.”
“I’m grateful.”
She nods, looking at Andrea.
And then she looks back at me. “Take me home, husband.”
Chapter 30
Rialta
