Page 200 of Divine Obsession

The public elevator chimed, and the doors slid open again. This time, Maria stepped out, her expression a mix of worry and determination. She slipped an arm around Zach’s arm, leaning into him like she belonged there.

“She’s just upset, Trevor,” She said softly. “Let me talk to her. I’ll explain everything.”

I stared at her, then at Zach, my frustration simmering beneath the surface. “You think you can fix this for me?”

“Yes,” Maria pressed. “Natalia trusts me. She just needs to hear it from someone who isn’t you right now.”

A sardonic laugh escaped me, as I glanced away. “Someone who isn’t me.”

Zach’s hand moved to Maria’s back, a silent vow of loyalty. “She’ll listen to Maria. Give it a day.”

I clenched my jaw, every instinct screaming at me to shove past them and fix things myself.

“Fine,” I bit out, stepping back. “But I’ll be here in the morning.”

Maria nodded again, and Zach gave me an apologetic look. They left, taking the public elevator, and I stood there in the quiet lobby, the weight of this stalemate pressing on me.

I hated relying on anyone else.

But tonight, I had no choice.

I took their advice.

I gave Natalia space.

I didn’t barge in like an asshole.

It turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life.

The night had been unrelenting, a storm of thoughts crashing against the walls of my mind, each more vicious than the last. Sleep wasn’t an option; it hadn’t been for hours. I’d spent the night pacing my SoHo apartment, my sanctuary feeling more like a cage than a home.

I was a minimalist. I enjoyed having a simple space, in comparison to my friends. Though I’d switched out my old condo for a larger apartment when I moved back from Tokyo earlier in the year.

Natalia haunted me – her sweet voice, her soft smile, the way she looked at me with so much love and trust before it all south.Before I fucked everything up again.

Her absence was a constant weight in my chest, and no amount of whiskey or distraction could make it leave.

When the first rays of morning sun stretched across the city, my spirits lifted knowing I was going to return to Zach’s building in a few hours.

I wandered into the silent kitchen, my hand hovering over the coffee maker before I finally pressed the button to start it. As the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air, I leaned against the counter, staring blankly at the blank wall.

My phone buzzed on the counter, the sharp vibration cutting through the quiet. I grabbed it immediately, a stupid part of me thinking it was my love.

An unknown number.

My fingers tightened around the sleek device as I looked at the screen. I swiped the message open.

Unknown: The Family wants Natalia and Gìovanni to marry. They’re meeting atThe DeMoneto sort out the details.

The words seared into my brain, and I froze, rereading them twice.

Three times, as if they might change.

My grip on the phone turned ironclad, my jaw tightening until it ached.

My first thought was disbelief. This had to be some kind of sick joke. An elaborate ploy to get under my skin. But the longer I stared at the message, the angrier I became.

The idea of her withhimmade my blood boil.

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