Page 48 of Masked Hearts

“It’s like you went from one prison to another,” she says, and I can’t help but nod.

It’s a prison, but in a completely different way. In some ways, I have more freedom than I did at home since my father and his security aren’t breathing down my neck. But here, I can’t help but feel like I’m still always being watched. Antonio hasn’t explicitly told me to stay in the apartment, but he’s also made sure I have everything I could ever want so that I wouldn’t consider leaving, anyway.

“At least this prison comes with money and a significant lack of Kylian and my father.” I sigh.

I can hear the chatter of whoever Antonio’s having over grow louder as he brings them towards the entertainment area on the balcony. I don’t bother to turn my head, but Eleanor does, and she gasps in surprise.

“Does he always bring his work colleagues to his house?” she asks.

The question intrigues me, because he doesn’t. “No,” I say calmly as I turn to face the group, as well. They’re all faces that seem oddly familiar, and I assume it’s because they were at the wedding. The conversation seems light-hearted, and I even spot Antonio laughing as a few men light up cigars. “I think they’re family,” I confirm.

“How do you know?”

“I’ve heard him on the phone with investors; he's a lot more formal. He looks too relaxed.” As the words leave my lips, the Vitale twins walk in and wave over at us.

Both Eleanor and I wave in response, and now I’m even more intrigued.

“He looks like he’s planning something,” she says, eyeing my fake husband.

“Of course he is. If you were forced into a marriage and had your family threatened, wouldn’t you be, too?” I raise a brow at her, and she frowns.

“And you’re okay with it?” she asks.

Suddenly, I’m confused by her question. “You’re not? I don’t care what he does, the only thing I care about is whether he’s planning to take me with him when he gets out.”

Silence settles between us for a bit before Eleanor speaks up again. “You’d leave this all behind?”

I push my sunglasses onto my head and meet Antonio’s eyes from across the balcony.

“In a heartbeat.”

I don’t expect Eleanor to understand, especially since our home situations have always been different. Her father may be a part of the cartel, but since he’s not high-ranking, she gets a lot more freedom to go out and do whatever she wants. My father would never have let me visit her in another country, especially not Monaco.

My phone rings from the lounger where I was sitting, and my eyes shoot up to Antonio again. All the men’s eyes travel over to Eleanor and me. It’s the exact situation he was trying to avoid, and now that all eyes are on me, I wish I listened to him and just covered up instead.

I step out of the pool, and I can feel the heat of all their stares. I feel so exposed that I grab the towel along with my phone.

“Hi, Dad,” I say and sandwich my phone between my ear and shoulder as I attempt to wrap myself in a towel.

“Hello, Theresa, how has your first week away from home been? Depressing, I hope.” He chuckles lightly, but I don’t find it funny at all. Especially since nothing could be worse than being trapped in his house.

Antonio jerks his head towards the house, and I know it’s him trying to tell me to head inside. Even though most of the men have stopped looking, I can still feel a few lingering.

“It’s been okay, a bit of an adjustment.” I slip my flip flops on, ready to actually listen to Antonio this time and head inside.

“I can imagine. Theresa darling, is your new husband around?” I freeze in my tracks and look up at Antonio, who’s looking at me as if to sayget the fuck inside.

“He is, but he’s busy with a meeting at the moment.”

“Give him the phone for me, Theresa.”

I sigh. I know it’s not a request, it's a command. I assume it’s because my dear husband has been avoiding my father.

I walk over to Antonio, and he immediately starts walking towards me to meet me halfway and away from the group.

“What are you doing?” he grumbles.

“He wants to speak to you.” I extend the phone out to him, and his face contorts in annoyance before he grabs it and holds it to his ear.

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