Page 80 of Forever Fake

CHAPTER 36

Ginevra

Iunderstand perfectly. Blake will always choose his family over me, and that’s okay, right? His love and devotion to his family is part of what makes him a good person, despite all of his flaws and lack of moral compass in all other aspects of life.

But I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to be second, or third, tier down on his priority list. If I’m going to be in a relationship—even a fake one—I need to be number one. I won’t settle for less. I don’t deserve less than that.

Blake will never love me and that’s also okay. He’s done enough for me, more than I ever thought possible, so it’s time for me to repay him however I can. To make everything even between us and end this charade. If I thought there was a chance Blake would fall for me in the next eleven months, I might hold out hope, but I see the light now. It’s time to move on.

It’s been two weeks since the disastrous confrontation in Oliver's office. In that time, I’ve been planning, setting things in motion that all lead me up to today.

Sitting at my vanity, I study the two objects in front of me. One’s a small vial of a substance called syrup of ipecac, that when added to a person’s drink will induce vomiting. It’s fast-acting, but short-lived. Harmless, really. This little potion I gotfrom Ravenna, after swearing her to secrecy. I could have asked one of my sisters, but I have a hard time letting them see my darker side, and I know Ravenna can keep a secret better than anyone. She hid her identity from her husband for weeks when she swapped places at the altar with her twin.

The other object is a mini flash drive. This I ordered online.

I have a confession to make… Ever since Lexa mentioned that Yve keeps the dirt she has on Blake close to her, I suspected it was on her charm bracelet. It’s too blatantly obvious. Hiding in plain sight. No one would think Yve might put something that important so easily accessible. But she did, and I know her secret.

Guilt coils around my throat. Could I have stolen the bracelet and set Blake free before our wedding? Yes. I probably should have, too.

But hope stopped me. Hope is a dangerous thing at times. Especially when you’re in love, especially when that love is unrequited.

Today I’m going to right that wrong.

My phone chimes with a new text.

Lexa

The meeting’s set for noon at the location you wanted. Good luck.

Ginevra

Thank you for doing this.

Lexa

Anything to help.

I finish my hair and makeup, then pack the rest of my suitcases. After I’m done with today’s business, I have a flight to Milan, Italy, where I’ll be staying with my cousin Elena until I can get my life sorted out.

When eleven rolls around, I take everything down to my car in the garage. Once I’m ready to go, I leave a goodbye note for Kyla in the kitchen, and one for Fleur in the foyer. They’ve both been so nice to me while I’ve lived here, and I wanted to thank them, just not in person because I can’t risk either of them notifying Blake of my intentions.

The restaurant where I’m meeting Yve is almost an hour away with traffic. I arrive right on time, immediately spotting her security detail inside. As soon as she sees me, she frowns.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Lexa?” she demands.

“She’ll be here soon,” I reassure her. Lexa won’t, in fact, be here at all, but Yve doesn’t need to know that yet. “Let’s sit down.”

“I don’t want to sit down. I want my daughter.”

“If you’re on good behavior, I’ll notify her to come in. Sit. Down.”

She purses her lips, but settles back into her seat. She’s already ordered a coffee, so I do the same. While the server partially blocks the view of us from Yve’s bodyguard, I quickly spill the vial’s contents into the cup. It’s been a while since I’ve stolen anything, and I’ve never used sleight of hand to poison someone before. I guess there’s a first time for everything, and this is for a good cause.

I mean, none of this could happen to a nicer person, right? The strangest part is, I’m not nervous at all. I thought I’d be an emotional live wire, but a strange, peaceful calm has settled over me since this morning.

“So, where has Lexa been hiding all this time?” Yve starts in. “You must know, since you two are so very close all of a sudden.”

“Lexa will have to fill you in on what she’s been up to. It’s really not my place to say anything.”

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