Page 21 of Indigo Deception
"Not for you." He presses a kiss to my forehead. "Not unless you give me a reason to make it one."
He leaves first, straightening his tie as if nothing happened. I remain staring at my reflection in the mirror. My lips are swollen, cheeks flushed. I look like exactly what I am—a woman who just had sex in a bathroom during a family dinner.
But it's my eyes that disturb me most.
They hold a question I'm not ready to answer.
What have I done?
I think of the evidence I've gathered. These are the files I've documented. I have recorded the conversations. The meetings I've documented in reports to Kaif.
I think of Angelo's hands, his mouth, the way he felt inside of me, his green eyes, his lazy smile.
I think of Olivia's warning.
If you're hiding anything from him, make sure it'sworth the cost.
Is it?
As I smooth my hair and adjust my clothing, preparing to return to the room full of criminals who've welcomed me into their home, I wonder for the first time since taking this assignment:
Is bringing down the Bellantis worth losing the woman I'm becoming when I'm with him?
Is justice worth what I'll see in Angelo's eyes when he learns that Sarah Bennett doesn't exist—that she's nothing but a fabrication designed to get close enough to destroy everything he loves?
And the question that terrifies me most, the one I don't dare articulate even in the privacy of my mind:
When this is over, will I be able to live with what I've done to him?
I shake my head and straighten my spine. I reapply my lipstick, and smooth my hair. Agent Gianna Rossi doesn't have the luxury of doubt. She doesn't have the freedom to fall for her target or question her mission.
When I go back to the garden and I see them laughing and strengthening their bonds over dinner, something plummets within me. It gets worse when I lock eyes on Angelo and he gives me a wide smile, showing his dimples.
I manage a weak smile in return, but I can't silence the whisper in the back of my mind:
What if Angelo Bellanti isn't the villain in this story?
What if I am?
8
Gianna
Myphonebuzzesagainstthe nightstand, shattering the silence of my apartment. I check the caller ID, and my heart stops.
Angelo.
"I need you at my penthouse. Now." His voice is all business. "We have a situation with the Hong Kong restructuring."
I try to keep my voice level. "I'll be there in thirty."
The elevator ride to the penthouse feels like descending into dangerous territory. Every floor that passes brings me closer to the man I'm supposed to destroy, the man whose kiss I can't seem to forget.
When the doors open, I step directly into Angelo's sprawling penthouse. It's my first time here, and I am once again reminded of how filthy rich he is.
"Little Auditor." His voice comes from behind me.
I turn to find him standing in a doorway, wearing designer jeans and a simple black t-shirt that clings to his chest in a way that makes mymouth go dry. It's jarring seeing him like this—casual, approachable. Dangerous.
