Page 53 of His Cursed Heart

I take a black canvas, my new watercolors, my brushes and I do what I do best.

I paint.

I exit my wife's painting room with a boner.

She needs to stop being a little vixen because the dreams I have with her might come alive.

It's the way fire engulfs her eyes every time she thinks of me dead that makes me so damn obsessed with her. It's the kind of fire that will burn both of us, not just me.

And her goddamn mouth. Oh, I want that mouth on me every second of the day and night.

She might consider me the enemy, but I can see the desire in her eyes when we're fighting. She is so turn on by me and that’s killing her.

And my new mission is to make that desire win so she can surrender to me.

And the times when her face almost softens makes me want to destroy the walls she build around herself.

That's why I made her that painting room. I want her to have a place where her walls are down, a place where she can be herself.

When Keres told me Althea is a painter, I was a little shocked. Althea is a fighter so I thought she might have a dangerous part.

But looking at her awe at the canvases and those damn watercolors made me finally understand that this is the way she breathes.

What I vowed to her in front of the altar is going to be my main reason to live.

I will find out what happened to her even if it's the last thing I'll ever do, even if it will break me.

I walk into the living room and I see my father looking at the forest that surrenders the house with a glass in his hand.

I know why he's here and I know that this conversation was needed a long time ago.

I'm twenty-seven years old and while most heirs take their place as Boss in their thirties, my father is eager to give me his position much sooner.

Seth Moretti is an amazing Boss, but he's even better at being a husband and father. He fought for my mother until he almost lost his place in the mafia.

My father always wanted true love for his kids, the kind of love that makes you want to give your heart in your hands to the other person.

And I thought I had that. I can still feel the fascination I had when Keres saved me.

But something changed when I saw her again.

And because of that I tried to cancel our wedding until I was sure that she is the one.

Until our fathers got ahold of it.

"You know why I'm here." He says and turns to face me.

"You're not even gonna ask about my wedding night?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you want me to?" My father eyes me curiously. I shake my head and motion him to speak.

He sighs and drinks what's left in the glass.

"When you decided to marry Keres I was unsure of Outfit's future, but you described so mesmerized the scene when she saved you that it made me see reason of this union." He looks at me and smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "An empire is powerful if the Boss is powerful, and while others might think differently, he can't be like that if he doesn't have someone by his side. A queen."

"Dad-"

"I watched you getting angry at the news of Keres's death, but not heartbroken. You never loved her."

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