Page 52 of Queen of Vice

“Stay in the car,” I demanded, grabbing the folder and stepping out, my heels clicking against the pavement as I marched straight to the front door. Without knocking, I pushed it open and didn’t bother to shut it behind me.

I headed straight toward Mateo’s study, where I could hear voices. They all fell silent as the sound of my heels echoed down the hallway.

“Give me a moment,” I heard Mateo say just as I reached the threshold.

Two younger men in suits exited the room as I entered, both giving me cursory once-overs before they disappeared down the hall.

“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, skipping all pleasantries.

Mateo’s eyes roamed over me, a slow, deliberate appraisal that made my skin prickle with awareness. “Good morning to you, too,” he replied, a hint of amusement in his tone. He leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. “You were supposed to sleep in. And you walked a little too fast for my liking. Clearly, I went too easy on you last night.”

I shot him a glare, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck. “Why did you steal my car?” I demanded, my frustration bubbling to the surface.

Mateo laughed, a real, genuine laugh that caught me off guard. “Stole? More like recycled. I did something good for the environment.”

I snapped, “That wasn’t your decision to make.”

He grinned, completely unfazed by my anger. “Don’t tell me you were attached to it. Elena, you will be my wife. I would sooner cut off your legs so driving wasn’t an option than allow you to drive that disappointment to engineers.”

“Do you hear yourself talk?” I snapped, disbelief and anger warring within me.

Mateo’s grin widened, unfazed. “No, but I’ve been told I have a lovely voice.”

Mateo’s grin faded slightly, though the amusement in his eyes remained. “Shut the door so we can talk properly,” he instructed.

Without hesitation, I turned and kicked it shut with the heel of the wedges he’d left for me. The sound echoed in the room as I faced him again.

He laughed lowly, his gaze lingering on me. “I like this side of you, very cute.”

He circled behind his desk, opening a drawer with deliberate ease. From it, he removed a woman’s bag that made my breath catch. It was black and crocheted, adorned with various pins. Eva’s bag. I hadn’t realized she still had it.

Mateo dumped the contents onto the desk without a second thought. Condoms, lipstick, lotion, feminine wipes, blood-tinged cash, and a small black book spilled out in a chaotic mess.

“Where—where did you get that?” My voice was shaky, my mind reeling.

“So you recognize it?” His tone was casual as if we were discussing something trivial.

I stared at the bag, my heart pounding. “That’s Eva’s… But where did you find it?”

Mateo picked up the small black book, turning it over in his hands before circling back around the desk. He leaned against the front of it, his gaze fixed on me. “Do you know howmany people died because of this? My men have been searching for it for months."

“I don’t even know what that is. What the hell does that have to do with your name on my father’s estate and my car being torn apart?” My voice was louder now, panic creeping in.

“Well, it was found in your car. Under the passenger seat,” he said smoothly, watching my reaction closely.

I froze. She hadn’t put that there. “I’ve never seen that before. Just the bag.”

“Don’t you think I already know that? Give me some credit," Mateo's voice was calm, yet edged with a certain gravity. He held up the small black book, his gaze piercing. "The issue is this little book? It’s caused more problems than you could ever imagine."

“I don’t understand,” I replied, confusion tightening in my chest.

“The book was in your sister's bag, in your car. Why would she frame you?” he asked, histone probing as if trying to dig deeper into a truth I couldn’t see.

Anger flared up inside me, sudden and hot. Eva may have been many things, but she would never use me as a scapegoat. I refused to even entertain the thought. “Eva would never do that to me,” I snapped, my voice firm. “I don’t know what’s going on or what the fuck you’re playing at, but I want nothing to do with it. Or this.” I tossed the folder toward him. It fluttered open as it fell to the floor, the papers scattering across the polished surface.

Mateo clicked his teeth at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Your father would be so very disappointed to hear that," he remarked, the words cutting deeper than I expected. And he knew it.

I swallowed hard; my throat suddenly dry. That comment had more of an effect on me than it should have, and he could see it in the way my resolve faltered for a moment.

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