Page 33 of Surprise Pregnancy for Villain

“How did you know I love those things, anyway?”

“Found your Instagram page,” he says simply.

“Stalker much,” I joke, but he doesn’t smile. In fact, his features tighten. He shifts his attention to the plate and takes another bite.

I uncurl my legs and shimmy off the bed, perturbed by his tense response. “This is going to sound weird coming from me, but are you okay?”

Ezio lifts his eyes to me. I see something in those depths. Turmoil. Uncertainty. Sadness?

“I’m just fine. Thank you for asking.”

I shake my head. “No, you’re not fine.”

He gives me a long stare, then blows a rough breath. “And if I’m not? What can you do about it, anyway?”

With a shrug, I rest the plate down. “It always helps to talk.”

“Talk.” He dry laughs. “If only it were that simple.”

“It is. Let me prove it. There’s something I need to get off my chest.”

The tips of his brows gently lift, but he says nothing. I sit at the edge of the bed facing him.

“This kidnapping was probably the best thing that happened to me in a while,” I confess.

Ezio sits up, his expression now alert.

“I’m engaged to marry my father’s friend. It’s not what I want. I hate my fiancé. Yet, Daddy won’t change his mind about the marriage, no matter how much I beg. I’ve been searching for a way out since we got engaged. Maybe being here is a blessing in disguise.”

“It is?” he murmurs, surprise flicking across his features.

“I mean, the jury is still out and everything, but I can’t help feeling that I’m about to get the break I need. I can’t marry that monster. I’d rather die first.”

Ezio stands, the lightness in his eyes fading to black, the tips of his brows almost touching as he frowns. “Why do you hate him?”

“Because he’s cruel.”

“Did he threaten you?”

The hint of danger in his tone makes me pause a beat before muttering the response I didn’t give my dad. “He did more than that.”

“What did he do to you?”

My eyes flick from his fists to his scowling face. I swallow. “There was an incident a few months ago.”

Ezio doesn’t even blink.

“He called on my father, but Dad wasn’t there. Since we’re engaged, he’s allowed in my quarters. I’d been lying on the bed reading when he barged in. I screamed at him to leave. He responded by choking me.”

My hand flies to my throat as the memories of that night assaults me. Seeing the evil in his eyes, feeling that grip on my throat, not being able to breathe at all, clawing at his hands, choking out the words…

“Let me go!” I gasped.

Lucca tightened his grip. My eyes rolled over. “If you dare raise your voice to me again, you bitch, this will be a fucking cakewalk compared to what I’ll do to you.”

It didn’t matter that he released me and stormed out afterwards. The damage had been done. I’d already gotten a preview of what my life with him would be like, and it looked like hell.

Fury creases the skin on Ezio’s forehead. He clenches and unclenches his fist. “What’s his name?”

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