Page 116 of Violent Attraction

And it’s possible at this point that he doesn’t.

As we walk in, my father looks up at us like we are bothering him and taking him away from important business.

“Leonardo. Santiago. Is there a reason why the two if you are here? I was under the impression that you two only wanted to come and talk to me when it involved business. And given that one of my daughters is here, I’m guessing it’s not.”

Has my father always been this smug? Or is it something that I always overlooked because of who he was to me?

“This is business.” Leo takes a seat in front of his desk and leans back crossing his legs and showing that he doesn't have a care in the world.

Santos waves for me to take the second chair, which catches my father’s attention. I keep his stare as I make my way around and take a seat, trying to convey as much confidence as my brother.

“Then if it’s business, then you should know that the little stunt you pulled cost me millions, because you decided to murder Emilio.”

The second I hear the words, a coldness rushes through my body.

Emilio is dead.

Santos killed him.

Holy crap.

I don’t know how to handle this piece of information. Should I be happy that the asshole is dead? I think so. Am I though? I don’t know.

“You don’t look very happy about the news, Isabella. I thought that you would be jumping for joy that the man that you were set to marry is dead.”

I look at my father in disbelief.

Does he really think I’m coldhearted?

I square my shoulder and hold my head up high. It’s time to confront my father.

“The man that I was supposed to marry saw me as a transaction and only that. I was a prize to him; he didn’t care about me or my life. If you would have been a good father, you would have seen that before you arranged anything. I wouldn’t have survived that marriage. Apparently, everyone in this room knows that. Except you of course.”

“He would have made a good husband.” My father’s response, not even affected by my words.

“Like hell he would.” Leo spits out but I hold up a hand up for him to stop talking.

“Leo’s right. He wouldn’t have been. Had we gotten married, he would have made my life miserable. A month before the wedding, he said that he couldn’t wait to put me in my place on our wedding night. That’s not something a future husband should say to his bride. If that wedding was successful, I would have ended up like my mother.”

That’s what changes my father’s facial expression, the mention of my mother. I can see him get angrier by the second.

“Leave your mother out of this,” he growls through his teeth.

“Why? It’s true. It may have taken a few years but given the personality that Emilio had, he was bound to piss someone off and make me pay for his mistakes. Just like my mother paid for yours. Or did you also have her killed like you did Cristiano?”

The last part was supposed to be a sarcastic comment. Something that wasn’t meant to be true but the way he is looking at me, it has to be.

I always suspected that my father had something to do with my mother’s death, more than just being her husband.

Now I know there is more to her death, I just don’t know what.

“You did, didn’t you? There is more to her death, than just someone that was after you, isn’t there?” I feel anger boiling inside of me, and it’s just getting worse as he sits there in his chair looking pissed off.

Like I have no right to ask about my mother’s death.

I’m done.

“You can’t even be honest to your own daughter.” I shake my head and push all emotions down.

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