Page 95 of All's Fair In Love & War

“Yeah, whatever he said.” I threw my thumb in his direction.

“Hmm.” Tatum sipped her water, her gaze glued to me. “Interesting. I didn’t think you kept anyone around long enough to hit the ‘months’ mark. Didn’t you tell me not too long ago that you were married to the game, and that money was all you needed?”

Khalil shrugged. “Things change when you meet the right woman.”

“Umm-hmm.” Tatum squinted her eyes at Khalil before directing her next question to me. “When and where did you two first meet?”

A slow, evil smile crept across my face as I stared at Tatum, refusing to let the sweetness of her tone fool me.

For some reason, she was fishing for answers, and it made me wonder if she’d be on my side if she knew what was really going on. Obviously, no one had told her that I was Veneto property and had been sold off like cattle.

“Oh, it’s quite a funny story.” I giggled, deciding to use this opportunity to blow this entire shit up. “Khalil kidnapped me when our families were at war, and my brother, Dallas, sold me as part of the peace treaty.”

“What the fuck did she just say?” Tatum’s glass slipped from her hand as her head snapped in Naeem’s direction. “Did she—nah.” She shook her head, her gaze snapping back to Khalil, her expression transforming from curious to livid in an instant.

“Felicity,” Khalil bristled, his voice low and tense, his grip on the table tightening.

The heat creeping up his neck betrayed his calm façade, and I didn’t care one bit how he felt. If he thought he could drag me into this charade without consequence, he was sorely mistaken.

“How come I'm just now hearing about this?” Tatum shouted, visibly shaking.

“I planned to tell you—”

“When, Naeem?” she asked, cutting him off before he could finish his sentence.

“In Pari, but we both know how that went.”

“Oh, don’t you dare try to flip this shit on me! You’ve known about this shit for months.” She jabbed a finger in his direction.

“Did you not know about your secret for months? I say we’re even.” He shrugged, and Tatum looked like she wanted to murder him in cold blood.

“Fuck that!” She slammed her hands on the table. “We agreed that our families would no longer take part in these outdated traditions!” she spat angrily.

“We did, but—” Naeem started, but couldn’t finish because Tatum cut him off again.

“But nothing! This shouldn’t be happening,” Tatum interjected, her tone a mix of disbelief and irritation.

“You damn right. No woman should be forced to marry against her will,” I chimed in, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. “One moment, I was shopping, and the next, I was being tossed into a basement and told I’m getting married.” I let my words hang in the air, daring Khalil to refute me.

The silence that followed was deafening. Tatum’s eyes narrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line. “And you were okay, Khalil?” she asked, her voice quieter but no less dangerous.

Khalil sighed, his jaw tightening. He glanced at me briefly, and I could see the storm brewing in his dark eyes. “Yes. I’m doing this for our family.”

“Of course that would be your answer,” Tatum shot back, her sarcasm.

“What would you have suggested I do?” Khalil started, his voice calm but firm.

“Not this!” She whispered with tears clouding her eyes as she returned her attention to her husband. “Is this the kind of legacy you want for our family?” Tatum asked him.

“We understand your take on arranged marriages, but this was the only way to make peace. Many people were dying,” Alejandro answered, but Tatum paid him no mind. Her focus was on her husband.

Naeem’s mouth opened and closed as he struggled to find the right thing to say. “It wasn’t... We didn’t... It was a complicated situation.”

“Complicated?” Tatum repeated with a bitter laugh. “I don’t care what the situation was. Forcing her into an arranged marriage wasn’t the way to handle it.” She turned her sharp gaze to me, her expression softening slightly. “Felicity, I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. I know what it’s like. The same thing happened to me with your brother.”

“We were engaged to be married just last year,” Tatum continued, and Naeem growled, making her head whip in his direction. “You shut the fuck up!”

“Tell him, girl.” Daphne snickered into her glass of wine, and so did Riley.

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