Page 37 of Tainted Ties

Something disturbing passed through me, leaving me bare. I felt used, like the skin on my bones was tampered with.

My voice shook with rage, and I hated that I couldn’t tame the tears burning a path down my cheeks. “You’reexactlywho you said you were. You’reworsethan horrible.”

He raked a hand through his hair, pinning me in place with his daunting eyes. “That’s right.Thisis who I am,” he confirmed maliciously. “Whether you like it or not.”

My vision blurred as I turned to Raphael. “It was all a lie,” I murmured, my voice breaking. I rubbed my palm in a back-and-forth motion against the nagging pain in my chest. “Our relationship was a lie. You were my first in every way and… and—” I stopped abruptly, feeling faint as a renewed realization of the situation seeped into me.

Roman had sent his brother to spy on me. His brother, who I had given years of my life to. A relationship built on lies.

Blinking away the haziness, I saw both Roman and Raphael step toward me.

“Don’t come near me.” My hands shook in surrender. “Either of you,” I whispered in defeat.

“Aurora,please. It’s not like that,” Raphael choked, pulling at his hair. “Yes, I was given a task, but I fell in love with you and when I did, I stopped giving him information. I’mstillin love with you,dammit!”

His words brushed past me like the subtle touch of a breeze. It came and went like the last bit of love I’d held for him.

Without a glance in either of their direction, I turned my back and walked away.

Chapter13

Roman

You’re exactly who you said you were. You’re worse than horrible.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Aurora’s tear-stricken face from that night, like I had truly disappointed her despite her knowingexactlywho I was and what I was capable of.

At least now she would believe me.

Yet, hurting her with that information hadn’t brought me a semblance of satisfaction as I had expected. Instead, it felt like a loss when it was supposed to be a victory.

That night, a foreign sensation had clawed its way up my spine when she walked away, and the feeling hadn’t gone away since.

Maybe that’s why I informed Gianna to tell Aurora that her friend from New York could visit.

I ran a hand down my face. It was infuriating enough that my wife occupied not only my house but my mind and now I was experiencing an emotion I never had before because of her.Guilt.

“Tell me something good, Roman,” Uncle Stefano requested, pulling me away from my unwelcome thoughts.

“I stayed at the penthouse this month to ensure shipments were going through smoothly. I wanted to assess the crew, too. They’re competent, but I don’t trust them. No feds circulating the premises, though. For now.”

In response, I received a glare and arched brow from the bearded man sitting across from me. “That’s not what I’m asking, and you know it. What of the girl?”

I ran my tongue across my teeth in distaste. “She now knows that I’d been keeping tabs on her before the contract.”

“Hm. You don’t seem happy about that.”

Simmering rage rushed into my bloodstream without warrant. “I should’ve never sent Raphael to New York. I can’t trust him.” Because he fell in love with Aurora, and it unsettled me that I had the urge to snap my brother’s neck in half.

“I never did ask you about that,” Uncle Stefano muttered to himself, wrinkle lines etched onto his forehead.

“Excuse me?”

“The intel you gathered during yourstalkerphase. I never asked,” he repeated.

“Superficial information that couldn’t be used to my advantage,” I rasped, recalling the simple facts I knew about Aurora. How she drank her coffee iced, never black, or when she was engrossed in her work, she forget to eat. I had made Raphael run through every single one of their interactions, no matter how insignificant. “That girl is under wraps, but I plan on unfolding every single layer till she’s nothing but scraps.”

“Don’t disappoint me further. Consummate the marriage. That girl is here to breed and serve, nothing more.” He eyed me with skepticism before standing to his full height. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

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