Page 30 of And Back

Dante lets out another scoff. "Because I'm pissed off too," he admits bluntly. "Virgilio always gets what he wants. Tonight’s no different."

The car slows down as we approach Virgilio’s estate.

"There you go, sweetheart," Dante says with a smirk as he stops the car in front of the gates.

I don’t wait for another word; I’m out of the car in a fraction of a second. The cold night air hits my face like a slap as I rush towards the estate, each step fueled by anger and hurt.

Virgilio lied to me—used me—and now everything is crumbling around us. But I won’t be their pawn anymore; I won’t let them control my life any longer.

As I reach the front door and pound on it with clenched fists, only one thought echoes through my mind: I will find out the truth—no matter what it takes.

I storm into Virgilio's room, the door slamming behind me with a deafening crash. My eyes blaze with fury, and my movements are quick and forceful. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, each beat an anthem of anger and heartbreak. I need answers, and I need them now.

Virgilio stands up abruptly from his chair. He moves towards me, but I step back, raising my hand to stop him. "Don’t," I say sharply, my voice trembling with emotion.

"Zoe," he begins, his voice soft but urgent. "Please, let me explain."

I cut him off with a glare that could melt steel. "Explain? Explain what, Virgilio? How you used me? How you and Dante played me like some pawn in your twisted game?" My voice rises with each word, the pain in my chest almost unbearable.

Virgilio’s face contorts with regret as he takes another step forward. "It’s not like that," he insists, his tone pleading. "I had no choice?—"

"No choice?" I scoff, the sound bitter and hollow. "You always have a choice! You chose to lie to me, to manipulate me!"

His hands reach out as if to touch me, but I step back again, shaking my head. "Don’t you dare," I warn him.

"Zoe, please," he tries again. "It was the only way to keep you safe."

"Safe?" I laugh humorlessly. "Do you think I feel safe now? Knowing that the one person I thought I could trust has been lying to me all along?"

He flinches at my words, pain flashing in his eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you," he says quietly.

"But you did," I whisper back, my voice breaking. "You hurt me more than anyone else ever could."

Virgilio runs a hand through his hair in frustration, his green eyes filled with anguish. "I know," he admits softly. "And I hate myself for it."

I step closer to Virgilio, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dig into my palms. The sting is grounding, keeping the flood of emotions at bay. I glare at him, my eyes burning from the unshed tears that blur my vision. Virgilio stands there, his posture tense, his hands raised slightly in a placating gesture.

My body is trembling with the effort to hold myself together.

Virgilio takes a tentative step closer, reaching out to touch my arm. The moment his fingers brush against my skin, I jerk away violently, crossing my arms protectively over my chest. His touch is like fire, burning through the thin veneer of control I’ve managed to maintain.

His shoulders slump in defeat, and for a moment, I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. But the betrayal is too raw, too consuming.

"Why?" The word escapes me in a whisper, barely audible over the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears. "Why did you do this?"

He looks at me with those green eyes that once held so much warmth and now only reflect his regret. "I thought it was the only way to keep you safe," he repeats softly.

"Safe?" I scoff again, shaking my head incredulously.

Virgilio’s face contorts with pain as he struggles to find the right words. "I never wanted you to be hurt," he says finally, his voice breaking. "I thought if I could just keep you close?—"

"Keep me close?" My voice rises again, cutting through his explanation like a knife. "You mean keep me under your control."

"No," he insists desperately. "No, it’s not like that. Zoe, please believe me."

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The tears I've been holding back finally spill over, hot and relentless down my cheeks. "How can I believe anything you say now?" My voice cracks under the weight of my anguish.

Virgilio reaches out again but stops short when he sees me flinch. He drops his hand back to his side and looks at me with such profound sorrow that it almost makes me want to reach out and comfort him.

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