Page 5 of Rialta

I still haven’t taken a pregnancy test, but if my nausea is any indication, I’m definitely knocked up. I can’t think about it, especially not now, without breaking into a million little pieces on the floor.

My grief is overwhelming. It’s in every fiber of my body. It’s a shadow I will always live under. But I can’t face it either. Right now, I need to appear strong. I can’t break down anymore in front of all these men.

I don’t trust Andrea, let alone any of his men. I don’t trust men in general. I know what they are all capable of, and Andrea’s intentions with me are still unclear.

I know what my intentions are: revenge.

It’s what’s going to prevent me from drowning in grief. It will shield me from the pain of the loss. And it will make me appear strong, which I’ll need to survive.

“You’re not touching your food,” Andrea says.

“I’m not hungry—at least, not for food.”

“What are you hungry for?”

“Revenge,” I say viciously.

Andrea’s lips curl up into a sly smile. “Good girl.”

“Don’t patronize me,” I snap.

He chuckles. “I hope I’m worthy of you someday, Rialta Corsi. I know you’re grieving and technically still married to that monster in the basement, but soon you’ll be free. Soon you’ll be ready to move on to new, better man, and I hope I’m that man.”

I narrow my eyes. “It’s not really my decision, is it? It’s my father’s. He already passed over you when he selected Lennox; what makes you think he’ll pick you now?” I raise my eyebrows at him.

Andrea leans back in his chair, lifting his scotch and rattling the ice around as he takes in my words. If he wants me, he has to know the real me. I’m not a meek princess that will yield to his commands.

“You really think you don’t have a say? You think your father makes decisions about your future without considering your wishes?”

“Well, since I was forced to marry a man I hate instead of the love of my life, yea, I do.”

“There is so much you don’t know, Rialta. So much I want to teach you.”

I frown, not understanding, but the man sitting to his left gets his attention, and the conversation ends. And I’m left without answers.

Knowing I’m going to need sustenance to get through this, I pick at my food while plotting my revenge in my head. I think of all the ways I can hurt him. I could stab him, burn him, mark him, kill him. He deserves to die for what he did. And I know soon enough, it will happen.

But then what?

Will I ever be free?

Will I ever be able to choose?

What happens to me? To this baby?

I’m still destined to die. There are still enemies who want to see the Corsi line dead—that includes this unborn baby. We’re all fated to die, and there’s no way to stop that.

So does it really matter how I spend my final days? That’s what this feels like—the end. Death has been chasing me all my life, and it’s finally about to catch up with me. The only thing I have left to do is get revenge.

Andrea pulls out his buzzing phone. I see my father’s name, Vincent Corsi, flash on the screen, and I freeze, knowing my future might be decided by this phone call.

“Yes,” Andrea answers, showing no respect for my father. That’s something I know he won’t tolerate.

Andrea listens carefully as the rest of the room is silent.

My heart beats frantically in my chest. What is Vincent saying? I have no idea how he’s going to react to all of this.

But then Andrea’s lips curl up in a wicked smile, and I know the answer before he hangs up. I know what my father has decided before Andrea tells the room, “Vincent has given us permission to kill Lennox.”

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