Page 69 of King of Obsession

‘So when the administrators often returned my checks, citing overpayment, or sometimes waived the costs due to a generous donation from a wealthy sponsor, it was you?’

I shrugged. ‘Si.’

What I didn’t mention was that I’d bought the whole fuckin’ facility, every brick, nail, and door.

She stared at me, astounded.

‘You fucking piece of shit,’ she snarled when I was done.

I twisted my lips and arched a brow. ‘No thanks then?’

Her eyes blazed with fury as she unleashed a torrent of accusations. ‘You know I’m not reaming you for the latter revelation, which I’ll return to later. I’m freakin’ outraged by you holding Nonna over me as a threat. Of making me think she was in danger.’

‘Needs must,’ I drawled.

‘You selfish bastard! How dare you use my grandmother like that?’

I clenched my jaw, the muscles ticking beneath my skin.

Her words cut deep, each one a precise incision exposing the ugly truth.

‘She is old and vulnerable, and still, you exploited that to keep me in line. What kind of monster does that?’ Her voice rose, echoing in the early morning air.

I stood motionless, letting her verbal daggers pierce myarmor.

She paced, her hands gesturing as she laid bare my transgressions. ‘Manipulating an aging woman, using her as a pawn in your twisted game. You’re nothing but trash, Calibrese.’

She stalked closer, her eyes blazing with a fire threatening to consume me. ‘I should have guessed you’d have no scruples taking advantage of the one person I adore most as a bargaining chip?’

The venom in her tone seeped into my veins, burning through my defenses.

I wanted to argue and justify my choices, but the words became ash on my tongue.

I raised a hand, a feeble attempt to stem the freakish tide of her fury.

But she was relentless, her voice rising to a crescendo as she laid bare the extent of my betrayal, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. ‘You took advantage of my devotion, employing it as a weapon to keep me hostage. How low can you sink?’

Each accusation hit its mark, exposing the cracks in my façade. The truth was bitter, but I endured her righteous anger.

I chose silence, allowing her to vent the pain and treachery I had inflicted upon her.

The weight of my sins pressed down on me, a suffocating reminder of the depths I had plumbed in pursuing my goals.

She shook her head, a mirthless laugh escaping her lips. ‘You’re a boss manipulator, aren’t you, Alessio Calibrese? Weaving your web of deceit, pulling the strings like a puppet master. Well, I won’t be your marionette one second more.’

Her truth cut deep, exposing the ugly truth I had tried tohide from myself.

The façade I had constructed crumbled under the force of her righteous anger, leaving me bare and exposed.

The words scorched like hot embers, but I forced them out regardless.

‘I get it; I’m a piece of vile pig shit,’ I drawled. ‘Here’s the deal, cara; you can continue spewing at me, or we can take my car to your neighbors as you want. So you can call and wish your Nonna a happy birthday. What’s it going to be?’

Seconds ticked by, each one an eternity of its own.

The tautness between us was palpable, a living, breathing entity that threatened to suffocate us both.

I tagged the war behind her eyes, spiraling from anger at me to concern for her grandmother.

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