Page 108 of The Billionaire's Pact

I looked at the pages again. My father hadn’t just used his name to get personal loans; he’d used Mama’s, Jacob’s, and my own. I only tried once to get a credit card and was rejected, but I hadn’t needed money—my grandparents covered most of my expenses in college. Or I did with my small family trust.

But there were more pages.

My stomach lurched, and my hands shook. I didn’t know if I could go on, but I couldn’t stop myself.

The first was a screenshot from a phone: Luca Marini with Willy and Mrs. Ashford. They stood next to a car in front of a house. Mr. Marini had admitted that he knew the Ashfords had backed out of my arranged marriage that very night I texted him. I never wanted to marry Willy Ashford. Surely Mr. Marini wouldn’t have used my past to ruin that arrangement, would he? A cut sliced inside my heart just thinking about it.

I flipped to the final page. It was a picture of my father burning a pipe over foil with a man standing over him. Luca Marini. Why would they have been together? Who took these photos of Mr. Marini with my father? What was going on? Could he have known my father was hurting Mama and me? Did he purposely make my grandfather poorer?

He was so remorseful about revenge when we talked at his home.

He’d even said to me in Italy, “If it hadn’t been for Aurora, I’d still be hellbent on revenge. It consumed me for years, and I deserve hell for all I’ve done, but I ask for your forgiveness.”

Mr. Marini spoke of revenge, but what exactly did this mean? The man I’d grown to love and care for had helped my father destroy my family? Impossible. Judge Colby was a menace. Nothing in the papers changed my hatred for him. Did Mr. Marini know how Mama and I had suffered because of him? Did he help him in anyway? But he did ask for absolution, and I thought more about his anger for my grandmother Constance Belfiore, who he claimed to have loved and she left him for my grandfather. Was there another plan for me?

I had so many questions and I didn’t know where to find the answers. Most of all, I needed to know how much Rocco knew about his grandpa. If he hated us so much, why did he arrange for Rocco to marry me? It was all so devastating, and my heart couldn’t put it together that Luca Marini would ever hurt me.

My stomach lurched, and the papers grew wet with tears. I dropped the papers and wanted to shove them away. But something else caught my eye on the back of the last photo. It had a familiar bank number at the bottom of the page. I recognized it. Mr. Marini had given me that same number many times over the years. Next to it was a handwritten note.

The words were a match that burned me to nothingness. That dreadful night, Judge Colby, my father had told Mama he intended to sell me….

His hand slammed the motel door shut, then pushed my shoulders. I stumbled into the room, dropping the fast food bag I’d brought back for Mama from my shift.

“Bout time you came back,” he stepped on the bag and smashed the food into the rank carpet. “Been waiting for you.”

“Don’t talk to me,” I snapped at him and glared over at Mama. Was that man outside in here?

I hadn’t asked, but my look was enough. She knew I knew.

Her face pinked and she clinched the bathrobe she had on.

“What’s going on?” I said and took a step towards her.

He stepped in front of me blocking my path.

“She’s where I told her to stay,” he said. His eyes were bloodshot. “It’s time you earn your keep. Your Mama isn’t bringing in the money like she used to.”

My eyes shot to Mama. Her hands covered her face and her body shook with sobs. He’s been selling Mama? No. No. No. But she can’t even look at me.

“No. Oh, Mama,” I sobbed, and my fist clenched. “Get out and leave us alone you piece of shit.”

He hit my jaw. My teeth rattled, and I spat out blood on him.

“You fucking bitch. Think you’re too good?” He grabbed my neck, and snarled, his breath hot and rank. He fisted my shirt and I clawed at his hands. “I bet you are a slut, too.”

“Let me go,” I hissed.

“Lorelei says you’re a virgin, but she lies. The men want to know what they’re paying for.”

“Leave her alone, Eric,” Mama yelled, grabbing him.

The fabric on my uniform top tore and the clasp on my bra broke. My hands covered my chest.

He leered.

“Stop it,” Mama said, placing her hand on his shoulder. “That’s your daughter.”

He grabbed her and threw her across the bed, and tugged open his pants. “You need to show her how to fuck.” He stepped on the foil and crushed his drug pipe. “Look what you made me do, you bitch.”

---