Page 116 of Company Ink

"I can only practice law in the States, and Giovanni wouldn't budge." Adrian lets out a long, pained breath "He was adamant that the oldest Cavallero son would marry his only daughter, Mariela, that way, the two companies would always be linked, no one would have more power."

How European. Let's solve all our problems by forcing a marriage. Fucking aristocrats.

Wait... I frown. "I'm confused though. You're not the oldest son."

"Yes, I'm aware, Cassie." Adrian shakes his head, sighing. "My brother Gabriel was set to marry Mariela; they were engaged to be wed but then he went tofuckingPortugal."

I lean in closer. "What happened in Portugal?" I ask in a whisper, invested in the story, almost forgetting that the man in front of me has caused me so much pain.

"He met Seraphina," Adrian, swallows. "They fell in love and—my brother couldn't do it. He refused to marry Mariela. So, I…I took his place."

My eyes widen. "What?" No... God.

Adrian stands up, his breathing rapid. "I didn't lie to you, Cassie. Everything I told you was the truth, well aside from the being married part." He looks down at me. "I've never had a girlfriend, I've never been in love, I just…I didn't care. So, what was the big deal, right? This was my family's legacy, a company my grandfather built from the ground up, and it was going to disappear—" Adrian snaps his fingers. "Like that."

I blink at him, trying to wrap my head around this whole mess. "So, you got married?"

"Yes, two years ago," he says taking a seat on the coffee table in front of me. "But there wasn't a wedding, there were no headlines, press, nothing. This was an internal business deal, not for publicity or marketing, it was done quietly." He lets out a low exasperated chuckle. "I only ever met the woman once before we signed the documents, and I've seen her maybe twice since then."

I let out a long exhale. Am I supposed to feel better? Less dirty? "Why didn't you just tell me all of this? You lied to me, Adrian. You... Youlied."

Adrian puts his hand on my knee, squeezing it. I don't move it away. "When we first met, I didn't anticipate how much you'd mean to me, Cassie," he whispers. "It was nothing at first, harmless flirting, and then... it somehow became real. I started—" He sighs. "You filled my every thought. You were all I could think about—"

My heart clenches. "But you're married, Adrian. You'remarried.How does your wife feel about all of this? Doesn't she care?"

A deep sardonic laugh spills from his lips. "Mariela has a boyfriend, Cassie. They live together. For two years now. She doesn't care, she only ever calls me when she needs my signature on something. That was the 'emergency' call last night."

I don't know what to do with all of this information. A part of me understands the situation, regardless of how unorthodox it is, I get it. It's business. But at the same time—he's stilllegallyunavailable. And he lied to me. Point blank.

"I asked you before, what changed your mind," I muse, thinking out loud. "Why you finally decided to make a commitment to me—was it because I said I never want to get married?"

"Yes." Adrian looks away from me, his face laced with regret and shame.

I tilt my head. "So, you weren't ever going to tell me? I was just going to be your mistress,forever?" My blood thrums. "You should have told me the truth when I asked you! I gave you the opportunity to explain yourself! But you lied!Why?"

"Cassie, you're making it seem like you're the other woman, you're not," he says, shaking his head, his eyes glossy. "You're not some secret, I wouldn't have hidden you."

"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" I ask sternly.

Adrian places his hand over his face. "Because I was scared," he admits. "I was afraid you'd run away. That you'd—"

"Get angry?" I ask, my voice rising. "No shit, Adrian. Months, you had months. We worked together every day! You had ample opportunity to pull me aside and be like 'hey, by the way, I'm in a fake marriage for business, but I'd like to date you'."

"And what would you have said?" Adrian asks, his voice low, vulnerable. "Would you have said yes? Would you have agreed?"

I flap my hands. "I don't know because you never gave me a chance to figure it out! You took that decision away from me and instead you lied, you broke my trust, Adrian. You let me believe that you care about me. That you—"

"Idocare about you, Cassie!" Adrian cries, grabbing my hand. "More than I've cared about anyone, ever. That's why I didn't want to lose you. You're the first person that has ever made me feel...anything."

I snatch my hand away, my eyes welling up with tears. "That was a very selfish thing for you to do," I whisper, my heart seizing, hurt. "How am I supposed to trust you now?"

"I promise you, Cassie," he pleads, his tone breathy and turbulent. "I will never lie to you again. Ever, I promise."

"No," I whisper, sniffling, wiping my nose on my sleeve. "That's not good enough. That doesn't change the fact that you're still married."

"Why does it matter though? It's not real, Cassie! There's nothing romantic or even friendly between me and Mariela. You said you don't believe in marriage, you said it was antiquated. So why does it matter?"

I pause. Whydoesit matter? If it's just a business arrangement, why should I care? They're never together. She lives in Italy as far as I can tell. They're strangers. But itdoesmatter, I just can't figure out why.

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