Page 15 of Blackmailed Marriage

“You hate me,” Aria said. “How can that be good for anyone?”

This time, he did smile. “Maybe, IthoughtI hated you.”

She did scoff, but he wasn’t about to be silenced. She could scoff all she wanted. He wasn’t done.

“You’ve heard what people say about you, aboutus, aboutthis marriage.”

“What of it? They’ve been saying stuff about me for years. Being married to you hasn’t changed that.” She tilted her head to the side.

Dante stepped closer, using this to his advantage. With her distracted by his touch beneath her chin, with his other hand, he pressed it against her back, keeping her in place. She would have to fight him now to gain any distance between them.

“What if you and I could make them miserable?”

Aria’s eyebrows rose. “We make other people miserable? That is an interesting one. How exactly are we going to do that?”

He smiled. “Simple.” He leaned in close so his lips were against her ear. “We find our own happiness together. They won’t know what to do. We show a united front. After all, Aria, you are my wife. What better way to irritate them than to be happy?”

She pulled back. “I thought you’d suggest killing them. Torture. Isn’t that what you’re known for?”

“I have hurt my share of people. I’ve garnered information by being a cruel bastard, I’m not going to pretend otherwise.” There was no point. It was the truth. He was cruel and he knew what to do and how to make it hurt for every man and woman.

“Then a man who knows how to inflict suffering, why are you suggesting we act happy?”

“Because, it would be a turn for the books, wouldn’t it?” He hadn’t exactly thought this through. Following his wife had inspired this train of thought. Phillip and her family were happy in their gloating at parties when they saw how miserable he was. How Aria didn’t quite measure up. He’d played right into their hands. He could change all of that by making Aria the woman he wanted to be with. He saw it clearly now, even more so than ever before.

This is what he was going to do to change it.

“I don’t know.”

“Aria, you have a choice. Spend the rest of our married life being miserable, or take the chance with me and have some fun.”

“And what about our deal?” Aria asked. “What about … if we end up having children?”

Dante looked at her. She would never have their children. Aria would get her freedom, but any children they had would stay with him. There was also the chance she might not even get to see their children, but he wasn’t going to burst that reality. Not yet.

“We’d come to some arrangement,” Dante said.

He didn’t for a second believe she was going to find the evidence he needed. They were married, for better or for worse.

And he was going to make the most of it.

Chapter Five

The following evening, Aria paced the floor of her bedroom. Dante’s offer was appealing. He might be under the impression that she was easily fooled, but she wasn’t. If it came to them having children, an arrangement wouldn’t be made quite so simply. Other women who’d been divorced had been cast out and never got to see their children.

This was a huge risk.

Aria didn’t want to have children, but the thought of seeing the faces of those people gloating at them was a massive temptation. She knew Isabella would warn her about making any kind of deal with Dante.

He was a man of his word, or at least, that was what the rumors were. She didn’t know for sure.

Sinking her fingers into her hair, she blew out a breath as she paced. Several times, she had gone to her door intent on finding Dante, but she would cower at the last hurdle.

None of this felt right and yet, it was kind of exciting at the same time. Aria didn’t want to live a life of misery, where she dreaded Dante’s arrival. They had spoken more in the past couple of days than they had the whole eight months of their marriage.

They had been to so many parties together, standing on opposite ends of the room. She had no choice but to watch the women attempt to draw his attention. What would it be like to be on his arm and not be sent away as if she were some wrongful child? That was how he’d treated her in the past.

Aria didn’t know when she was going to find the time to get that evidence. Her opportunity would arise soon, but until then, did she want to keep feeling this way? Without another thought, she stepped out of her room and made her way toward his office.

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