Page 107 of Forbidden Deception

Remo shakes his head. “They don’t mean anything when I can’t give my sister what she wants and needs.”

I look at Aurora to see her smiling sadly at me. “We love you, Venezia. Never forget that. Nothing comes before you.” She grasps my hand in hers and kisses my forehead. “The choice is with you and Rafael now.”

***

I have a guard trailing after me, but I stand still in the darkness of the hall. I couldn’t care less what it is about. I’m only have one purpose and one alone.

To see Rafael. To talk to him if I have the courage.

So far, I haven’t seen him, and it’s taking me a long time to gather the strength to walk out there to face him.

It has been over two weeks since I have seen him.

I’ve been standing here for over an hour, and my feet are starting to hurt. I don’t come to places like this. I hate these kinds of events. I looked all around the room and couldn’t find him. Is he even here today? Did he decide not to come at the last minute?

I grab a drink from a waiter walking by and take a sip, my eyes looking all around the room until I finally look up at the stairs. The two grand staircases, lead down into the hall with white ribbons around the railings. My gaze drifts around the room until a man in a suit walks through the double doors.

My whole body stills.

He buttons his jacket and slips a hand inside his trousers.

Rafael is here, in London, and he is the most handsome man in the room.

I stumble a step back, so the shadows cover me.

He walks down the steps, his face set in a hard expression, like he would be anywhere but here. No one approaches him, probably too wary of the look on his face.

It all reminds me of how much he smiled and laughed in my presence, how soft he became with me. He melted before my eyes, revealing every part of him.

He gave me pieces of himself, and I plunged the knife of betrayal deep into him.

I hurt him.

I betrayed him.

I ruined our rhythm. I ruined us.

The glass in my hand shakes. My breath falters when a woman approaches him with two glasses. She gives him one, and he accepts it but walks off without addressing her. My eyes follow him as he greets people. He nods and engages in conversation, but even the sight of Remo doesn’t make his stony expression change. He doesn’t talk to him, nor does he tease, and throughout the hour or two, nothing disastrous happens.

Rafael isn’t acting like himself, and who else is there to blame except me?

He looks in my direction every couple of minutes, but he can’t see me. I am standing near a heavy curtain that hides me well.

When he doesn’t find anything, he looks away and continues on his way around the hall.

“A dance?” A voice interrupts my spying. I look towards the man and find that it’s a familiar face.

Remo told me about him. The smile on his face is mischievous. Here I am, heartbroken, and Vance Hartley has decided he wants a dance with me. Me, of all people.

With dark hair, a smile that seems far too innocent, and a tall, lean build, Vance is the public’s sweetheart despite rivalling Orion Phelum, who is an investor like Remo. They both love being in the public eye, blowing kisses and winking at cameras everywhere they go. They make the headlines almost every day.

Not to forget, because this is an inner circle party, many people here aren’t famous because of their work but due to their finances.

From military generals, political figures like Vance himself, Kiara Emris, Griffin Teisser with his wife, and even people like Orion, who is currently flirting with the daughter of a popular bank’s CEO. Everywhere I turn, there are people who are ready to hide crimes, dirty money, and laundering of all kinds. This party is high class and not where I should be.

I didn’t study all of them, but I know enough that I shouldn’t step foot in here. But I needed to.

“Vance, get out of here.” I sigh, turning away from him, only to be stopped by his hand on my arm.

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