Page 91 of Sin and Deception

His eyes widened as he processed her words, a mix of disbelief and anger boiling inside him.

“How dare you imply such a thing?"

"You have some nerve with your outrage," Nerine continued,her voice laced with disdain. "Get over yourself. I'm sure those poor kids are praying they don't inherit any of your genes."

Tobias felt the sting of her words like a physical blow. He clenched his fists in frustration, knowing that Nerine was right. He and Gusto were no match for her in this verbal sparring match.

"This is completely fucked up!" Tobias exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the table. "We demand to know where our children are!"

Instead of providing an answer, Nerine smirked and shook her head slowly. "I'd be more concerned about discovering who their real parents are," she taunted.

Tobias's face turned beet red with anger at her insinuation.

“How about you tell me where my sister is first, Tobias?” Nerine asked. “Then maybe I’ll update you on the legitimate and illegitimate offspring of everyone in this room.”

But before he could respond, Gusto interjected. “Do you really think we'll just hand over whatever you want, Nerine?" he growled. "Do you think you're the only one who can stoop this low? Don't forget that Hayes and Charis aren’t as safe and untouchable as you might believe.”

Rage surged within me. The very mention of my sons' names by these heartless monsters unleashed waves of anger. I understood that it would require strength to refrain from lashing out.

I pictured them bleeding out on the floor, their lives slipping away as I watched with satisfaction. In reality, however,I had to settle for imagining their destruction while keeping a watchful eye on Nerine.

“Do you dare to threaten my boys, Gusto?” Nerine asked. “I must admit, I greatly underestimated your intelligence.”

"Enough!" Simon's voice resonated in the room as he stood at the table.

The tension in the air shifted, and I shared a warning glance with Theo. "Gusto, this is only making things worse!" Simon exclaimed. "You're not just harming yourself and your family, but also future generations to come. Have some foresight, and stop focusing solely on yourself! Don’t forget we're all in the same boat. If one goes down, we all go down together."

His words struck each of us like a brutal reality check. He was right. We were all guilty of turning against one another at times, but ultimately, we needed each other to survive.

Nerine leaned back, a cold smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Simon, your words might be lost on Gusto," she said, locking eyes across the table. "His interests have always consumed him. But did you think I wouldn’t know? That I wouldn't find out?"

“Find out what?” he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. “You know nothing!”

"I know you killed my brother," Nerine replied calmly. "And I know it was a pathetic attempt at revenge for your brother's death."

Despite her accusations, Gusto lifted his chin defiantly, challenging herto take action.

But instead of reacting with violence, Nerine simply took a calming breath and stood up. She strolled around the table.

"Round and round we go, huh?" she mused with a sardonic smile.

"Apparently," Gusto grumbled in reply.

"How about we call it even now?" Nerine suggested. “An eye for an eye. A brother for a brother. We can end this here and now.”

Nerine strode purposefully, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor until she stood directly across from Gusto and Tobias. She paused to take a deep breath, her piercing gaze sweeping across the table before settling on Gusto again.

“But if that’s not satisfactory to you, there is always another option,” she said coolly.

Gusto raised an eyebrow in response.

“Is that so?” he asked, his voice tinged with skepticism.

“Absolutely. I don’t like it very much, but I won’t hesitate to carry out my plan if needed. Make no mistake, despite my recent venture into motherhood, I am still a ruthless businesswoman.”

The Godfathers around the table sat still, hanging on every word that fell from Nerine’s beautiful yet unforgiving lips.

Tobias could no longer contain himself. “Well, spill it,” he demanded. “We don't have all day."

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