Page 56 of Savage Obsession

Bella and her mother.

Sitting stiffly on the sleek leather couch, they look like a pair of cornered animals. Bella’s hands twist in her lap, her nails digging into the fabric of her dress. She stares at the floor, avoiding my gaze completely. Her mother, usually a woman of practiced elegance, grips her designer clutch like a lifeline, her manicured fingers trembling against the leather.

A warning prick at the base of my spine.

Something is very wrong.

I glance at my father, who sits behind his massive desk, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. His face is unreadable. “The Galanis women have some important information to share with you.”

All of a sudden, the air in the room becomes heavy—too heavy.

I move to the chair across from them, lowering myself into it slowly, keeping my expression neutral, though my instincts are screaming.

The silence stretches.

I let it.

Then, in a voice as sharp as a blade, I finally speak.

“What the hell is going on?”

Bella shifts uneasily, but it’s her mother who answers.

“We need to talk,” she says, her voice wavering.

I arch a brow, unimpressed. “Then talk.”

Sabastian leans back in his chair, his tone casual—too casual. “Bella’s mother has something to share. Something that might interest you.”

I shift my gaze to the woman in question, my patience wearing thin. “I don’t have time for games. Spit it out.”

She inhales deeply, as if summoning courage. Then, in a voice just above a whisper, she says the words that change everything.

“Lazaro is behind the attack on Yelena.”

The room turns to ice.

The breath I exhale is slow, controlled, but beneath my exterior, my rage begins to coil, dark and violent. I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees, my pewter-gold eyes locking onto hers.

“Do you realize the gravity of what you’re saying?” My voice is quiet. Lethal.

She nods. “I do.”

I tilt my head, studying her, watching for any sign of deception. “And you suddenly decided to turn on your husband? Why?”

She grips her clutch tighter. “Because I can’t stand by and watch him destroy my daughter’s life. I ignored a lot of things over the years—his cruelty, his hunger for power—but this? This is too far.”

I glance at Bella, who still refuses to meet my gaze. “And you?” My voice is sharp, cutting through her like a blade. “You went along with this?”

She flinches, her lip trembling. “I didn’t know.”

I scoff, unimpressed. “Bullshit.”

“I swear, Aithan.” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “I had no idea.”

I lean back, exhaling through my nose. “Start from the beginning.”

Her mother does.

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