Page 33 of Ruthless King

“I’ve been … good. Enough.”

“I’m sorry I’m working so hard. That we don’t have a conventional marriage.”

“It’s what I signed up for.”

Nico sighs. “Still. I’m glad you’re doing well.” With that, he turns back to his phone. I glance at Enzo and see him watching Nico.

That gives me the chance to grab the knife and slip it into the napkin on my lap. Enzo turns back to me. I just hope he doesn’t notice the missing knife. He’s not the one who does the dishes—the maid does.

I get up from the table and bring my plate and napkin into the kitchen. Before Enzo can come in, I shove the knife into the waistband of my skirt. My top covers the top of the knife.

Enzo walks in. I did it. I grabbed the knife without him noticing.

Without talking to him, I walk right past him and head to the bedroom. At least he won’t look in here. He’s not allowed because this is Nico’s and my private space.

I shove the knife under the pillow. The maid doesn’t clean the sheets until the weekend, so no one will be looking under my pillow until then, which means I only have a couple of days to kill Nico.

I still need an escape plan, and Beatrice has stubbornly refused to help me with that.

I need to talk to her again.

But when I reenter the dining room to ask Nico if I can leave, the doorbell rings.

Nico frowns and walks into the foyer to answer it. I follow behind. Judging by Nico’s expression, he wasn’t expecting anyone to come over, which means it isn’t Andrew.

After he opens the door, Nico tenses. I lean around him to look who’s here.

Two men stand in the doorway, both in suits—though not expensive like Nico’s. They hold out police badges.

“I’m Detective Chase,” the man with a buzz cut says. He nods at the man beside him, who has intense blue eyes that make me feel like he could stare right into your soul. “This is Detective Morgan.”

“Officers,” Nico says. “How did you get past my gate?”

“Your guards let us in once we showed them our badges.”

“Of course.” Nico sounds at ease, but the tension radiating off him is obvious. “What can I do for you, officers?”

“We’re here investigating the disappearance of Giovanni Costa,” Chase says.

The sound of my father’s name makes me stand ramrod straight. Morgan glances at me, his eyes narrowing.

“I’ve never heard of the man,” Nico says. Is he telling the truth?

“That’s interesting because we’ve been digging into some of his business deals leading up to the day he died, and your name was in one of his reports,” Chase says. It seems like he’s the talkative one of the two of them.

Why are they investigating my father? There’s no way his body was found. Someone must have put in a missing person’s report. But who?

“I do a lot of business deals,” Nico replies. “Still, I’ve never heard of this man. Now, you can leave. Or I’ll get one of my guards to make you leave.”

Chase narrows his eyes. “Is that a threat?”

“Do you have a warrant?”

When Chase doesn’t answer, Nico nods. “Exactly. So, you have nothing on me. You have no reason to question to me. You come to my house and disrupt my breakfast with my wife? I don’t think so. You can leave now.”

Morgan slams his hand against the door. “You have a wife?” He nods at me. “That her?”

Nico places himself in front of me. “It is. Now, you can leave.”

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