Page 101 of Forbidden Deception

Venezia destroyed me.

She used me. She faked everything. She took my love, my care, and my affection and twisted it into something ugly.

She had the nerve to cry, to tell me she would choose me in another lifetime, then listened to me confess my feelings, which probably felt like a joke to her. Something to laugh at.

What the hell even were we? A tragedy? A love story bound to doom?

My front door crashes open, and light filters in, but I remain frozen in place. My knees weaken, and I can’t stop the shaking in my hands, my body, my whole being. I’m fracturing.

“Rafael? What the hell happened here?” Khyros’s voice filters in. The door shuts softly, and silence follows.

“Did you do this? Why?” he calmly asks. He is not the brother who would show up to console someone. He won’t be of any help with this emotion shit.

A hand lands on my shoulder, but I shrug it off, walk over to the sofa, and drop into it.

“Rafael,” he says carefully, slowly.

I cover my face with my hands, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. The sofa dips beside me, and Khyros’s presence surrounds me. His cologne, his quiet. He doesn’t say anything, and he doesn’t need to. I can feel his support like an invisible shield that has always protected all us brothers.

“It’s about Venezia,” he states.

I don’t answer.

“Did she leave you? Or betray you?”

No answer from me.

“I think you should take deep breaths and truly think everything through. Whatever it may be, remember you are a strong man, a powerful one. You don’t need anything or anyone to continue moving forward.”

I drop my hands and lift my face to Khyros. He watches me, his eyes a mirror of my dark ones. The cropped hair and strong body are very similar to mine, though he is trained to be a boxer.

“She’s Remo Cainn’s sister.”

My eyes widen at his words, but he only shrugs, leans back on the couch, and crosses his arms like it’s another normal day.

“I was a bit suspicious of her the day the breach in our security happened. I was making sure the firewall stayed strong even while I was away. I guess Remo did manage to break intothe Rafael Gustav’s security-infused home. Also, they look like siblings.”

He rolls his head to me; his eyes, though calm, feel like they are piercing you right where it hurts.

“I didn’t say anything because you truly seemed to care for her. But it seems my worst fear has happened, and she’s left, with your heart and soul in hand.” He reaches for the glass of water on the coffee table and takes a sip.

I am burning here. The blood in my veins feels like poison she injected inside me. I feel like I could die right now and it would hurt less than the way it stung when I realised who she truly was.

“Would you set fire to the world for her? Even knowing who she is?”

When I don’t answer, he turns to me.

A beat of silence follows.

“Would you, Rafael?”

I blink, my jaw ticking when I realise the truth. Fuck yes, I would.

“Are you hurting enough to hurt her back? Do you want her to suffer the way you are right now? Could you bear to see tears in her eyes because of you?”

His words make me fist my hands, and a headache begins throbbing at my temples.

“If yes, then let’s go to London. Let’s go and show her who Rafael Gustav exactly is. Let’s go show her what playing with a monster feels like.” He stands up.

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