Page 194 of Poison Vows

In fact, I discover that she’s been to Ibiza, sunbathing on the beach, shaking her sweet ass on a yacht she bought and named Pandora.

She’s been living her life, completely ignoring me, even after I got a new phone.

I confirm that she did, in fact, block me and that put me in a pissy mood so bad, I couldn’t stand it.

“Biting your men’s heads off just because you are having marital issues is very unmanly of you,” Grandfather says after a shit meeting where I’m given shit news with no progress.

“Gee, thanks for the observation,” I snap, running a hand through my hair for the thousandth time this hour. “We’re at war and she’s on vacation? Is she out of her mind?”

“Did you take her on a honeymoon?”

“What?”

“Alessio, the whole reason I wanted you to take a break was because I wanted you to take your bride on a honeymoon to really connect, but who knew you were this shallow and daft?”

“Why do we need a honeymoon when we can do all that right here?” I snap. “She wants a pool? This residence alone has two of them and each one has a bar! If she wants to be on a freaking boat, the lake is right there! I had the library refurbished! Sheliterally had half the books in there moved out to place all the new books she bought recently. What more does she want?”

“Alessio.” The old man shakes head. “You’re an idiot.”

“Grandpa, my wife’s safety is nonnegotiable! Until this world is safe, I won’t have her running around like it’s all sunshine and rainbows.”

“And there’s your problem, right there,” he says in that judgmental tone of his. “After getting to know my granddaughter the days you were gone, I realized that you are most definitely the problem. She has confessed her love for you, hasn’t she?”

I pause, eyeing him. “Yes, but that was?—”

“When you rejected her because all you see are the risks!” he snaps. “All you ever see is what could go wrong. You make your calculations from and nothing else.”

“Because I’m a realist!”

“No, you’re a cold cynic and that’s my fault! What happened to your mother changed you, Alessio. And now your head is buried under sand so much, you can’t even hear what your wife is trying to tell you!”

I hate being scolded like a little boy, but I can tell the old man is truly angry with me.

“Revenge is not everything,” he says silently and that sets me off.

“This isn’t about revenge. It’s about justice!”

After completely stripping Giovanni of his status, money, and assets, he knew I was coming for his life. So he ran.

Emilio has been quacking in his rathole, while his fake son has been watching me, waiting to see what will happen.

“You might have a soft spot for your sons but take a look at your daughter! She was brilliant and they reduced her down to someone who doesn’t even remember her own glory! I’m going to repay them in kind and get my justice!”

“Yeah, because you are the law?” he scoffs. “Well, you’re not God! You don’t have the power to control everything but yourself,” he states in a rough low tone. “And you need to get over yourself, Alessio. Go get help if you need it, but get over yourself or youwilllose her.”

And with that, he presses the button on his wheelchair and leaves me stewing.

Everything’s collapsing around me. I feel like I’m losing it.

I grab my phone from the table and call my wife. It goes straight to voicemail again.

And just when I want to leave another voicemail demanding that she come back home, I’m told her mailbox is full.

What the fuck?

My week goes from bad, to worse, then straight to hell in a matter of quick, accurate but blindsiding strikes.

Kai calls me to come outside to the main gate where something was delivered.

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