Page 147 of Dangerous King
He quirks an eyebrow, like he has his doubts about me being a lady. Well, honestly, after the things we did last night… I have my doubts too.
"Nothing is going to happen to me between here and the powder room." I kiss his lips.
Thankfully, Toni comes up and occupies Enrico, so I can make a hasty getaway. Of course, there is a line at the powder room; this isn't a multi-toilet bathroom like what was at the Arsenyev's estate. Luckily, I know my way around, and I head toward another bathroom just off Fabrizio's office.
All doors are closed, and it's quiet in this part of the mansion. I quickly finish my business, feeling a bit guilty and wondering if maybe I should share my secret with some of the women waiting at the end of the hall, but when I come out of the bathroom, I notice the door to Rizio's office is open, and all thoughts of hospitality cut off. I am sure it was closed when I went to the bathroom.
A sense of déjà vu overpowers me, and every cell in my body tells me to leave it be. But just like someone who's compelled to touch the red-hot burner just to see if it's still hot, I can't help myself, and my legs carry me forward to the office. Low voices carry over to me. I can't hear what is being said, but I can tell it's a man and a woman talking.
The moment I peek around the doorframe, I'm thunderstruck. There is Sabine, again, with the same man I saw her talking to at the Arsenyev's ball. This time, though, my heart freezes as I recognize the man. It's the same one whose picture is on Enrico's phone, and now I know where I know him from. Back when Enrico showed me the image, I knew I had seen him before, but I just couldn't place him. He was at the Giordano's house.
"Sabine?" I ask because my brain is fried. I should be running to Enrico with this news, but right then, all I can think about is that this man is a monster, and that monster is standing right next to my little sister.
The two of them break apart from their too-cozy conversation. Sabine's face turns white, while the man just… smirks. I don't have a chance to scream or yell, but there have to be bodyguards around here. The man pushes by me, and I swear it's like a ghost moved through me. I shudder, and icy cold wells from within me.
"You just have to stick your nose into everything, don't you?" Sabine hisses, also walking by me.
"Sabine, do you know who that man is?"
Sabine spins around so fast her heels skid on the polished wood floor. "Yes, Catalina. I do." Her voice drips with venom, her expression tight with rage and something more terrifying—conviction.
I blink at her, stunned. "He's Ledyanoy Prizrak, Sabine. He's a killer. You can't trust him; he's working with people who hurt our family."
"Oh,nowyou care about family?" she snaps. "Now you're the protective sister, the one who justknows better? God, do you even hear yourself?"
My pulse thunders in my ears. "This isn't about me. That man is dangerous."
"And you think Enrico isn't?" Her voice cracks. "You thinkyour husbandis some noble prince? Wake up. You're just another pawn in a game you don't know the rules of."
"I know exactly who Enrico is," I say tightly. "And I trust him with my life."
Sabine scoffs, stepping closer. "Of course you do. Catalina always gets the hero. Catalina always gets the crown. Catalina gets the mansion and the dress and the fairytale wedding, while I rot in the back row of her story."
"You think this is afairy tale?" I yell, and my voice catches with fury and pain. "I grew up locked in the Giordano estate like a goddamn prisoner. I watched things no child should ever see. I was bartered like property. Enrico didn'trescueme; Isurvivedlong enough to finally choose someone who wouldn't hurt me."
She laughs, bitter and low. "And now you think you're safe? You don't even know who you married, do you?"
The slap of her words stings more than a physical blow.
"Sabine, I love you. If you're in deep with him, if you're in trouble, let me help you."
Her eyes flash. "I don't need your help. I never have. I was just trying to survive, the same as you. Only difference? A man finally picked me. A good man. He's an undercover cop, and he's going to blow your whole goddam fairy tale right into your face."
And with that, she storms further down the corridor, heels echoing like gunshots on marble. People have begun to notice us. Heads turn. Conversations stall mid-sentence. A hush ripples through the corridor like wind over tall grass, then sharpens into the buzz of whispering mouths. I catch fragments—Is that her sister? What did she say? Undercover cop?
Sabine's words echo in my head, looping like some kind of nightmare refrain.He's an undercover cop… blow your whole goddamn fairytale right into your face.
She's out of her mind. I don't care about the whispers. I don't care about the stares. Let them talk. My heels click hard and fast on the marble as I chase after her, my stomach is filled with a fury I've never experienced before. But I'm also so confused. Why would Sabine say all those hurtful things to me?
"Sabine!" I call after her.
But she doesn't stop.
She marches right into the dining room where the wedding cake—a towering, glistening monument of sugar and dreams—is being set up by the catering team. The waitstaff scatter when they see her, sensing something is wrong.
"Sabine," I say again, slower now. My breath is ragged; the dress and heavy train were not made for running. Neither were the six-inch stilettos. "Just stop. Talk to me."
She whirls around so suddenly that I nearly collide with her.
