Page 50 of Beautiful Enemy

I’m once again reminded that I mean nothing to Dante. That he’s just using me. He’s trying to punish me because he can’t punish my father.

Aria eyes me over with suspicion. “You never said she was pretty.”

“Why does that matter?”

“Because you’re a man.” She says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “And men tend to think with their penises. She’s your prisoner. You can’t get attached.”

Elio chuckles nervously. “Ok. That’s enough about this. Dante, I really think you should go. I don’t want any of Erik or his men to find Nadia here. They might announce war on me and that’s the last thing I want. So just… go.”

“Elio, I thought your housekeeper was making usdinner.”

He sighs. “She did.”

“So, we’ll eat and then we’ll go.”

“Ok.” Elio seems so dejected as he heads towards the kitchen. Aria continues to glare at me, even after we take our seats at the dinner table.

An older woman puts a plate of food in front of me. Well, more like she drops a plate of food in front of me. The action causes the red sauce on the pasta to land on my dress.

I gasp.

Aria busts up laughing so hard, you’d think she just watched the funniest thing in the world.

I sink lower in my seat. I’ve dealt with my own father despising me but he had his reasons. It’s strange to be sitting at a table with people who hate me on principle rather than for who I am.

“Aria,” Elio scolds gently. “Cool it, please. Dante is our guest. Behave appropriately.”

“He brought the enemy into our house,” she snaps back. “I’m not sure he’s behaving appropriately.” Aria turns her cold eyes onto me. “So, how does it feel knowing that your family is in pain?”

I blanch. “Not good,” I whisper.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you. Don’t act like you’re some shy, scared little thing. I was twelve when I was kidnapped and I was more brave than you.”

“Aria is a bit feisty,” Dante says. You can say that again…

“So, how does it feel?” she repeats.

“Not good. My sister doesn’t deserve this. She’s a good person.”

“Your sister… married to Erik Koslov, correct? Erik helped kidnaped me along with your father. If she’s married to him then that makes her just as guilty.”

I stare right back at Aria. She’s younger than I am. I don’t have to be afraid of her. “My sister never agreed with our father taking you. We were both horrified when he did that. So no, my sister isn’t guilty. She was forced to marry Erik. She had no choice in the matter.”

Aria scoffs dismissively. “She’s still married to him. So she’s not innocent.”

“You can’t help who your father is. You can’t help that your father is friends with Dante. Just like I can’t help who my father is and who my brother-in-law is. I am not the one to be blamed for their actions.”

“I. Don’t. Care. Your father gave me nightmares for years after it happened. So I don’t want to hear that he’s really misunderstood or whatever. He is not a good man.”

“You’re right. He’s not and I never said he was.”

Aria’s eyes widen just the tiniest bit. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting me to say that.

“You think I’m the enemy,” I continue, my voice moving throughout the room. It’s crystal clear for once. “But I’m not. I know my father is a bad man. I know he hurt you. I never agreed with his actions when he kidnapped you. I would never want a young girl to get hurt in this world because men can’t stop their battles.”

I give Dante a pointed look at this and he smirks.

“So, I am sorry,” I say, turning back to Aria. “I am sorry you had to go through that. I am sorry the pain my father caused you. If I could take it back, I would but I can’t. And now Dante has created a vicious cycle where he kidnapped me and is now hurting my family, which will mean they’ll come after anyone he cares about and so on and so forth. It will never end. I know you want justice. But hating me isn’t going to give you that. It’s my father you’re angry with.”

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