Page 33 of Lords of Ruin: Cherished

I exhale sharply, the edge of my patience wearing thin. "Tell me something I don’t already fucking know," I growl, my fists clenching.

She doesn't flinch, just continues to eye me with that irritating calm. "Did you know the Beaumonts are broke?"

I blink, disbelief momentarily freezing me in place. "Excuse me?" The words come out harsher than I intend, but it’s hard to hide the shock from my face.

Valentina’s smirk deepens as she watches me process the information. "Broke. The Beaumont family, Vincent included. Their estate’s crumbling. They’ve been living in debt for years, and now they’re desperate." She leans back casually, as if this is some trivial gossip. "The only thing that can save them now is a strategic marriage—Vincent’s marriage to a socialite with money."

The words hit me like a blow to the chest. "You’re telling me he’s been faking all of it?" I hiss, my mind racing. "Everything—the power, the connections, it’s all a lie?"

Valentina nods, almost savoring my reaction. "It’s not just a lie. It’s a front. They’ve been trying to keep up appearances, hoping no one would catch on to how far they’ve fallen. But now it’s too obvious. Vincent’s father is pressuring him to marry a woman with a name and a fortune. The Beaumont name means nothing without that kind of cash flow."

I stare at her, my thoughts scrambling to make sense of it all. "That doesn't make sense," I counter. "Vincent is married to Willow."

Satisfaction flashes in Valentina's eye, and I feel as if I've stepped right into her trap.

"No," she says, her voice dropping to just above a whisper. "They're not actually married."

My breath catches. "What?"

"It never officially happened," she continues, studying my reaction carefully. "The papers werenever filed."

I run a hand through my hair, trying to process this betrayal on top of everything else. "Does Willow know?"

“Yup,” she says, popping the ‘p’.

“Fuck,” I curse, looking up at the smooth, tiled ceiling.

"So now you have a choice," Valentina says quietly. "What are you going to do with this information?"

“I’m not going to keep my promise to Willow.” I snarl, pushing past her and towards the chapel doors.

“Wait! My mother?”

“Supervised visit next Saturday.” I call, moving into the empty hallway.

I storm into the waiting room, blood boiling, and there he is—Vincent, standing there like nothing’s wrong. I don’t even think, just act. My fist connects with his jaw, sending him crashing into the chairs with a sickening thud.

“¡Maldito!” I yell in Spanish, fury seething through me. “You were going to cheat on Willow, weren’t you? All to get money for your family?!”

Vincent stumbles back, wiping the blood from his lip, eyes wide with shock. He’s taken off guard.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he spits, wiping the side of his mouth.

“You’re done. You hear me? Done.” I snarl. “You stay the fuck away from Willow.”

“That's laughable, you want me to stay away from my wife?” Vincent growls, stepping up in my face until we're nose to nose.

“I know you two aren’t fucking married,pendajo!” I laugh, and his face pales. “That’s right, motherfucker, you’re done.”

His eyes flicker with panic, and for the first time, I see the fear creeping in. The arrogant bastard knows I’ve got him cornered, but I’m not done yet. He opens his mouth to speak, but I slam him back into the wall, my fist still clenched, the fury in my chest threatening to boil over.

“You’ve been using Willow the whole time, huh?” I hiss, my breath ragged with anger. “Making her think you’re her goddamn savior, but you were just passing the time until you could get some rich bitch cunt.”

“Get off me!” Vincent snaps, pushing against my chest, but he’s weak—he’s got nothing.

I shove him harder, his back hitting the wall with another thud. Hospital staff rush in, trying to pull me away, but I don’t care. I shake them off, shoving them out of the way with a grunt.

“The minute Willow is out of surgery. I am telling her.” I snarl.

---