Page 3 of His Angel

When she wakes, she will remember whose air she breathes, whose name is etched into the corners of her mind.

Chapter2

EVERLY

Past

It’s cold here. It always is. Even if it’s halfway through summer, there’s always a chill permanently creeping up and down my spine every second I spend under his roof.

Michele Rinaldi. World’s fakest husband and snakiest stepdad.

If it were up to me, I would never live here—even moved to live with my dad, the cheater, the man who ruined our lives. But I chose instead to live with the man who destroyed our family rather than stare into a devil’s eyes that are vacant, hollow, and void of any real human emotion. At least my dad felt remorse. Guilt. Even though I never forgave him…until the day he died. It was after he took his last breath that I chose to forgive him.

Too little, too late.

And now I’m here, in New York, stuck in an overly lavish penthouse drenched in ostentatious artifacts and insincere grandeur since I was fifteen. Even with all the priceless furniture and art, the penthouse, like its owner, exudes emptiness under all the opulence.

Granted, the man has charisma, knows how to get people to do what he wants and still looks like the good guy. Manipulation in disguise. But I know better. I realized what a snake he was the night I overheard one of his conversations about drugs, women, and little girls being taken from their families and sold to princes around the world, all so he could make his millions.

I told my mother about it, but she refused to believe me, blinded by his false charm and lies of love. No man who sells children is capable of loving anyone. Not even a beautiful woman like my mother.

I’m pondering my demise, convinced this house will one day suffocate me, when Anthony walks in. Heir to the Paladino family dynasty, and the one true friend I have in this world.

“Hey.” I smile, and he takes a seat next to me.

“Have you been summoned, too?”

“Yup. I was told to be here at noon and look my best, which is why I opted for a pair of torn shorts and an oversized shirt.” I pull the hem straight, showing him the wording on the fabric.‘I’m a fucking delight.’

Anthony bursts out laughing, and I smirk. “Bought it especially for the occasion.”

“And what is the occasion?”

“To piss off my stepdad.”

The rumble of his laughter sets me at ease. It’s always been like that, Anthony having this calming effect on me. We became friends the day I arrived here after my dad died. I was out on the top deck, crying in the rain like I was in the middle of my own drama movie when he came to sit next to me. Not saying a word. Just sitting there, the rain soaking what I suspect was a really expensive suit. Now, some people would instantly stop crying if a stranger sat down next to them.

But not me.

It was like Anthony’s presence opened the floodgates, and I sobbed uncontrollably. Like my insides had been torn out of my body and lain out in front of me. After I managed to breathe again, the sobs slowly subsiding, I leaned my head on his shoulder, the silence between us so easy and warm.

He didn’t touch me. Didn’t try to comfort me. He was just…there. And that’s exactly what I needed, just for someone to be there.

A bond was forged from that moment, a silent pact of friendship and trust. Only later did I learn he had lost his mother a year before, and that he knew my pain. The heartbreak of loss and the agony of grief.

And now, a few years later, here we are. If it hadn’t been for our friendship, I wouldn’t have survived the last three years under Michele’s roof.

“What do you think he wants?” I ask, trying to peek into his office.

Anthony shrugs. “I just got a message from my dad saying to meet him here.”

“Hmm.” I wrinkle my nose and narrow my eyes. “I don’t like it.”

“Smells like trouble,” Anthony mimics my expression, a playful glint dancing in his eyes as he chuckles at my notorious wariness.

“Oh, stop.” I nudge my shoulder into his, and we both chuckle just as Michele appears, his face instantly making me nauseated.

“Come on, you two.” He nods toward his office. “We have some things to discuss.”

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