Page 127 of Darkest Deception

“Right. I will ask you one more question, and I want the truth. The complete truth. No lies. No deception.”

Remo’s lip quirks up.

“Helia has done some questionable things, and I have been in the midst of them, or sometimes the cause. Unintentionally. How long have these ‘things’ been going on for?”

Remo doesn’t answer. In fact, he doesn’t even look to be in a mood to answer.

“What ‘things’ Ms Ambrose?”

I slam a hand on the table, leaning forward. “Murders, Mr Cainn. Murders.”

Remo looks me dead in the eye for a moment, then he throws his back with a taunting laugh.

“I cannot believe it. With the number of bodies I had to clear up, you were bound to find out,” he continues, looking me directly in the eyes. “Helia is a murderer. Yes. And I hide them. We have never boasted of being clean businessmen, as other people do. No one at the top is a sweet, innocent angel. Every single one of them has made a deal with the devil. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

I blink.

“Everywhere you walked, Helia followed in the shadows and left bodies behind him. You only have to look back and see the bloodied path he has created for you. Helia… doesn’t know how to deal with emotions like a normal person, as you have no doubt gathered.” Remo gets out of his seat and walks around the table.

“He is unhinged, too carefree, but he isn’t stupid nor someone to take lightly. Helia’s obsession with you began as soon as he saw you the first time. He argued with me. He gave me, Remo Cainn, an ultimatum. You are not something he will lose or easily let go of.” Remo leans down, grabs the arms of my chair, and narrows his eyes. My words climb up my throat and lodge there.

“You are his obsession. A very dark, very twisted obsession. If you are here to find a way to get rid of him, it’s best not to linger in that delusion. It won’t be happening. If you are here to confirm what has been going, especially with the recent news of the Madden sisters, then yes, your suspicions are correct.”

Pushing my chair back, so he has to release me, I get up, crossing my arms.

“I have suspected it for a while but didn’t want to believe. But then I realised that if my father could fake his persona in front of the media and still be a monster behind closed doors and sell his daughter? Anything could happen, honestly.” I shrug.

It’s hard to maintain contact with such a powerful figure like Remo, but I’m going to stay in my place and not back down.

“How did it happen? How did you pull off the Madden sisters? I’m sure you are aware of their father and what position he holds in society.”

Remo nods, looking to the side as if to hide a smirk. “Of course I do. Just as you know my position in society, Ms Ambrose. Because of Helia, I know exactly how and where Fox Madden has been smuggling lab-made diamonds into the UK. It brings in billions of dollars but at what cost? All it took was one meeting and a little video evidence, and it shut him up.”

Remo moves away from me towards the floor to ceiling window of his office wall.

“Everyone loves money to the point they will even sacrifice their own children in this city. It’s disgusting because they gamble lives for money, not even seeking justice, but at the end of the day, we all are power-hungry humans.” Remo looks over his shoulder at me, his black hair slicked and not a single strand out of place as he stands at the top of the city he owns.

“Someone is willing to protect you in this city, in this country, this world, so be grateful. Especially since that someone is Helia. If it were up to me, after finding out about what happened to Aurora, I would have dug your grave long ago.”

My heart stops.

His words pierce a wound in my heart, but I keep my mouth shut.

“Thank you.”

I turn around to leave when he stops me.

“One more thing. Don’t think Helia doesn’t know about this marriage of yours with Erik Kellias. He’s keeping quiet about it to help you come to terms with everything. He not only has been bothering me and Aurora about what to do with you and how to approach about his feelings without scaring you off, but he has also been trying to put you in my and Aurora’s good graces, to save your relationship with her, because in his words ‘my emerald looks very sad these days.’ That motherfucker is getting too sappy for his own good.”

My heart pangs inside me. I lift my hand to soothe it, but it doesn’t work.

Nor does it work when I am in my kitchen, waiting for Mum to come home, to tell her that I am going to publicly announce that I am breaking off my engagement with Erik Kellias. It has to be done.

Remo’s words keep repeating in my mind while I wait in the quiet kitchen.

My emerald looks very sad these days.

I look sad, he said. My emerald, he called me.

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