Page 113 of Scorching Sienna

“Soon to be Mrs. Deangelo is busy with wedding preparations.”

Her eyes flash with anger, and then she smiles sweetly.

“Are you really going ahead with that? Even after what happened at Lady Chatman’s? I hear about that unfortunate incident.” She fake pouts, shaking her head.

“I mean, how do you feel about that? Your future wife defiled like that…” Her words are meant to incite anger, and they do, but I do not give her the benefit of a reaction, something that makes her angry when I smirk instead.

“The man responsible paid.”

She sips on her wine, an action meant to hide the sneer.

“Do you recall the warning I gave you and Luciano at The Barcelona?” She shakes her head in response and leans back in her chair, trying to appear relaxed, though I can see she is starting to get worried. Her provocations are not working, and my way too calm façade is having the desired impact.

“Ucciderò chiunque provi a toccarla.I will kill anyone who tries to touch her. That goes for the puppet and the puppeteer.”

There it is—a flash of fear before it is replaced with a nervous laugh.

“Are you trying to imply something, Damon?”

Sip. Silence.

Her blue eyes hold mine—a challenge.

“Did you know that there were cameras installed at Lady Chatman’s? Cameras that recorded that incident.” She shakes her head, schooling her features as she waits for me to continue.

“Cameras that were bought on the black market by a company called Spectre Eventer. The same company that paid one of Lady Chatman’s cleaning staff to install those cameras at her mansion three days before the Masquerade Ball.”

He was already dead, dealt with early this morning.

I observe her, looking for any signs of reaction. But she is a chameleon—a monster who knows how to hide.

Sip. Silence.

“That same company and the person behind it facilitated that incident and even aided the now late Lowrens Briar in his obsession with his next victim, my future wife. The recording of the incident in the bathroom with Sienna was then posted on the internet.” Saying it incites the same level of rage it did the first time, and the bitch must feel it because she flinches slightly, a flash of fear in her eyes.

Sip. Silence.

“His death matched my wrath. It was slow and torturous. Imaginewhat is in store for those other players in this game.”

“W-well,” she stutters, clearing her throat before speaking again, with more confidence this time.

“Well, I don’t know why you are telling me this, Damon. I have nothing to do with it.”

Sip. Silence.

“The same way you had nothing to do with Nicolo's death?”

She laughs, her eyes leaving mine briefly before meeting mine again.

“This again. You know I had nothing to do with that.”

“Just like you had nothing to do with any of what I have just told you? It's funny, you almost had me, especially with that whole Bright Simpson character entering the scene. But then, thanks to Sienna, all the pieces fell into place. You made it quite obvious. I was just slow to catch on.”

Sip. Silence.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

I laugh, but it sounds malicious, even to my ears.

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