Page 216 of The Counterfeit Lover

Rattledby the encounter with Michele, I get behind the wheel, getting out of the parking lot. I drive away from the building before I risk getting caught by the guards.

What the hell is Michele's deal?

In that one short interaction he revealed more than he wanted—probably more than he realized. Though he is actively keeping himself from harming Raf, he unwittingly let me know his boiling point.

Venezia.

She matters.

Regardless of how much he would like to pretend he cares nothing for her, she matters. Enough that he would kill his brother when thousands of otherworsereasons couldn't convince him otherwise. But that only means he gave me more ammunition to use against him should the opportunity arise.

If he dares pull anything with Raf, I will be waiting, and Iwillact.

I feel sorry for Zia.

It seems that all her life she's been passed from one person to another, never truly getting any type of affection until Michele.

Until he threw her away too.

Though I feel sorry for her, Raf is where I draw the line. Michele does something to him and all bets are off—including Zia.

But the issue at hand isn't whether Michele will harm Raf or not. It's whether he will tell him the truth or not. And on that note, just how much does he know?

Lucero had been aware of almost everything going on in my life.

At that point in time, she'd been the only person I could lean on. As such, I'd unloaded all my secrets onto her—all the harm that I'd done.

She knew about Raf—she knew all about him. And that information… If she revealed it to Michele then it's game over.

"Fuck!" I curse, hitting the steering wheel just as I stop at the red light.

Adrenaline dances in my blood—the murderous, unleash a river of blood type.

I can't let Michele do that. I simply can't let it happen.

If Raf finds out… If he finds out what I've done…. He'll never look at me the same, much less forgive me.

Because he was right all along.

Iwasthe monster at the hacienda. And I was the monster who hurt him…

Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to calm my clamoring heart and the fact that I feel so fucking useless. Yet despite everything, I know one thing.

He can't know. Ever.

Digging into a compartment for my phone, I grab it and dial up a number just as I speed down the highway, crossing the state lines.

"Yes," Sisi's voice answers after the first ring.

"Sisi, hey. Sorry to call at this hour," I add some sweetness to my voice. "I don't know if you've heard but Raf has a small accident," I give her a quick rundown of everything that had happened and the fact that Raf is currently in the hospital under medical observation.

"Good Lord, that's awful. Anything we can do? You know you can always count on us."

"No, don't worry. We have everything under control. Raf is already on it, and our security is top-notch. But since he's going to be in the hospital for a while, I was wondering if Zia would like to come hang out after school. I'm not used to be in the house by myself and it can get quite lonely."

"That's so sweet of you, Noelle. As a matter of fact, Zia's been asking about you and I just know she'd love to meet up. Why don't I talk to her and ask her driver to drop her off later around noon?"

"That's perfect. Does she have a phone? That way we can stay in touch easier."

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