Page 21 of The Devious Husband

My heart twists painfully, and I turn around, rushing away to the restrooms in need for a moment to myself. I stare at myself in the mirror without really seeing myself — all I can see is the way Valeria just grabbed his arm, and the way he instantly turned to look at her with pure tenderness in his eyes. I should’ve known there’d never truly be trust and loyalty between us, but a small part of me had hoped that he meant what he said, that things would’ve changed, and he’d have come here alone. If I’m truly honest with myself, that’s why I’m here, to see for myself what my marriage to Xavier would look like, what his word is worth.

“Sierra?”

I blink in surprise when Valeria walks in, her long, dark, wavy hair cascading down to her waist, enhancing the way she looks in that deep crimson evening gown. I’ve never seen her up close, and it pains me to admit that she’s even more beautiful than I thought she was. She’s a natural kind of beauty, the kind that barely needs to wear any makeup to look perfect, like Raven.

“It’s Sierra, isn’t it? We’ve never formally met, but I’m Valeria.”

She wrings her hands, seemingly growing more nervous by the second. She gives off a sweet and innocent kind of vibe, kind of like Faye, and I can easily see why Xavier is so protective of her.

“I… um, well, I just wanted to clear some misunderstandings about Xavier and me.”

“And why would you need to do that?” I ask, trying my best to push aside my distaste. For years, I’ve caught glimpses of her, built an opinion of her based on nothing but my own perception, and now that I’m facing her, I don’t know what to make of her.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve congratulated you first. It’s just that I saw the way you looked at Xavier when you walked in, and the way your expression fell when you saw me.”

Had I been that obvious? Insecurity unlike anything I’ve ever felt before renders me speechless, and Valeria smiles shakily.

“I know what Xavier is like,” she says, “and he’s just not the best with words. He tends to hide behind this facade he’s crafted, and I’m concerned he’d just let you misunderstand because he doesn’t know how to explain himself. It’s all my fault, but he tends to be scared to say the wrong thing, so unless he loses his temper, he just doesn’t really say anything at all.”

I tense and look away, something akin to jealousy putting its claws in me. “I don’t need you to make excuses for my fiancé,” I tell her, my tone more hostile than I’d intended. “Nor is it necessary for you to show off just how well you know him, or how close you are. I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing that for myself over the last few years.”

I study her for a moment, my heart aching. So this is Xavier’s type. She’s my polar opposite. I’m much taller than her, curvier, and I’m most certainly not soft-spoken, like she is. Disappointment blends with helplessness as I step away from her.

“No, please,” she says. “You’re misunderstanding. Oh god, I didn’t mean to… I just thought…”

I look over my shoulder and raise a brow, uncertain whether that desperate look in her eyes is all an act. “I suggest you think twice the next time you decide to educate me on anything related to my fiancé.”

My entire body is tense when I walk out, and my steps falter when I find Xavier waiting just outside the restrooms. For a second, it crosses my mind that he might have come looking for me, but then his gaze moves past me, pausing on the door.

“She’s inside,” I tell him, my voice carrying a hint of bitterness.

He looks at me in a way he has never before — with suspicion and blame. “What did you do to her?” he asks, his tone threatening. He’s never spoken to me that way before.

My heart twists painfully, and I step closer to him, pure fury rushing through my veins. “What do you think, Xavier?” I ask.

No woman has ever been able to inspire that kind of emotion in him — until her. Is this what I’ll have to contend with throughout our marriage? He clearly has no eyes for anyone but her, and I’m not sure why that hurts as much as it does.

“Xave!” Valeria says from behind me. He instantly steps away from me, and I stumble back as I watch the two of them together. He looks her over and exhales in relief, and his behavior answers every unspoken question I had, destroys every last shred of hope.

“Xavier, if this is what fidelity and loyalty look like for you, I don’t want it.” My voice breaks on the last few words, and I hate myself for it.

Twenty

Xavier

I trace a finger over the silk waistcoat Raven sent me, and I can’t help but wonder what Sierra’s expression would look like if she found out her best friend is helping me make sure that my wedding outfit will match hers. She’d be outraged, and it’d be a beautiful sight.

I haven’t had a chance to speak to her since the charity auction, and even if I did, what the hell do I say? One wrong word spoken to the wrong person, and Valeria’s life could be in danger, and she’s only just regained it.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the ringtone Elijah set for security breaches, and I frown as I pick up. “What’s wrong?” I ask as I begin to unlock my weapons cabinet.

Elijah chuckles, and I instantly relax. “You will not believe this,” he says.

“What?” I say dryly, irritated he used this emergency line for something that clearly isn’t an emergency. “The Windsor brothers just tried to breach our system. From what I can tell, Lexington is trying to shut your security system down from just outside our gates, so I can only assume they’re planning to break in.”

“No,” I mutter. “They’re planning something far worse.”

“Oh?”

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