Page 23 of Ruthless Match

Angry that his plan had disintegrated around him, he walked to the far corner of the room and opened another safe. He took out the remaining copies and threw them at me.

“Here, that’s all of them. Take them and go. And as for my daughter, take her as well. I needed her for one thing, and she couldn’t even do that. If it were up to me, she’d be written out for good, but her mother loves her and…”

“And you know I’d make your life a living hell before I killed you. You don’t deserve a daughter as incredible as Aurora. She’s beautiful, smart, and not a coward like you. She deserves the world, your precious hotels included, and I’ll see that she gets it. Just for the record, I never would have killed Aurora, but I wanted her to see your true colors. Now that she has, we will be going.”

I wanted him to understand how angry and disgusted I was with him, so I walked to him and grabbed him by the shirt collar.

“Let me make something clear, DeSantis. If you try anything to keep Aurora away from inheriting what is rightly hers or if you try to hurt her in any way, by the time I’m through with you, you will wish I had pulled the trigger and put you out of your misery.”

I put my gun away and walked to Aurora, who was shaking from shock. I gently grabbed her arm to break her trance. “Come on, Aurora, let’s go home.”

She looked at me, and when she did, my heart broke. She didn’t look angry or hurt; she looked lost.

“I have no home to go to, Matteo. I’m not welcome here, and we are only married legally. I’m not wanted anywhere, but I’ll find my way. I always do.”

There was no chance in hell I was leaving without her, not now. Not when we finally had a chance to start over. At least, I needed to believe that.

Making no room for argument, I calmly stated, “My wife is coming home with me where she belongs.”

Gently, but firmly, I grabbed her arm and led her out of the house. She was still too shocked to put up a fight. As far I was concerned, it would be the last time she ever stepped foot in her father’s home. Other than her mother, there was nothing there for her.

Marco was waiting when we arrived outside. I helped Aurora into the car and slid in beside her.

I tried to take her hand in mine, but she quickly pulled it away.

“Aurora, I know you’re angry and have every right to be. But please, talk to me.”

My plea was met with silence. Aurora looked out the window for the remainder of the drive, refusing to acknowledge my presence. It was worse than yelling. At least if she was yelling, I’d know what was going through her beautiful mind.

I had to make things right. I didn’t know how, but somehow, I would fix this. I couldn’t lose, not when the stakes were higher than they’d ever been. Because this time, my heart was on the line.

CHAPTER 14

Aurora

The drive to Matteo’s estate was a blur. My head was spinning from the events of the last few hours. If someone had told me I’d wake up to this, I’d have gone back to bed and stayed there. I’m angry at Matteo for lying and, well, for so many things, but I’m most upset about my father. I always knew he didn’t love me the way a parent should love a child, but I ignored it. Why? Who knows. Maybe it was out of self-preservation. If I convinced myself it was normal, then the hurt wouldn’t be so bad. At least that’s what I thought.

I was wrong. Now that I saw Dominic DeSantis, my father, for who he really was, it hurt. Bad. My degree from Yale, my business savvy, none of it mattered to my father. When he looked at me, all he saw was disappointment. Not that I had done anything wrong; I just wasn’t what he wanted. I wasn’t a son.

All I want to do is make it to my bedroom, close the blinds, lock the doors, and crawl into bed. But Matteo won’t let me.

Since we arrived, he has been following me through the house like a lost puppy. Finally, he cornered me in the hallway.

“Damnit Aurora! Stop walking away from me! We have to talk!”

Spinning on my heels, I glared at him. “Talk about what, Matteo? About how you were planning on killing my father or about how you only married me to keep the tapes from being turned over? Or maybe about how less than an hour ago you pulled a gun and threatened to kill me? Is that what you want to talk about?”

I was yelling but I didn’t care. I was letting all my hurt and anger out, and it felt good.

Matteo took a deep breath and walked closer. “I never would have shot you, Aurora. I made a mistake, but I needed to call Dominic’s bluff. But you have to understand, I was trying to protect you, protect us.”

I shook my head, tears spilling down my cheeks. “Protect me? That’s rich. Was killing my father going to protect me, Matteo?”

I could see the frustration surging in the vein above his eye. “Your father is a threat, Aurora. One you needed to be made aware of. I did what I thought was necessary for both our sakes.”

I crossed my arms, my eyes blazing with anger. “And what about my feelings or do they not matter? What about trust? You lied to me, Matteo. You betrayed me.”

He reached out to comfort me, but I stepped back. I wasn’t ready to forgive him. I wasn’t sure I ever would be.

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