Page 41 of King of Greed

“Yes, but it’s still Thanksgivingweekend.” His smile, though brief, hit me harder than I cared to admit. “It counts.”

I crossed my arms, grateful for any barrier that separated us. “And of all the places in the world, youhappenedto vacation here?”

A shrug. “I love Brazil.” His simple reply didn’t conceal the intimacy of his meaning.

I love Brazil.I love you.

The unspoken words wrapped around me, holding me captive long enough that Marcelo cleared his throat. Loudly.

I startled and tore my eyes away from Dominic. I’d forgotten my brother was there.

“So, uh, where are you staying?” His gaze darted between me and his ex- brother- in- law.

This time, Dominic’s smile contained a hint of devilishness. “At Villa Luz.”

Villa Luz belonged to a Brazilian socialite who occasionally rented it out to VIP guests when she wasn’t using it. It was famously large, lavish, and decorated to the nines.

It was also located smack dab next to our own villa.

CHAPTER 18

Alessandra

FUCK.

CHAPTER 19

Alessandra

“HE LOOKS LONELY.”

“That’s none of our business.” I stared at my drink and forced myself not to look next door. “He chose to go on a solo vacation.”

Marcelo and I were having homemade caipirinhas on the rooftop deck while the feijoada cooked. I shouldn’t ingest any more alcohol after our boozy beach day, but I needed to take the edge off after my run-in with Dominic.

“True,” Marcelo said. “Still, it’s kind of sad.”

Curiosity played tug of war with my better instincts. The former won, and I glanced to my right, where Dominic was sitting by his pool. Six-foot hedges separated our villas, but my high vantage point gave me a direct view of his backyard.

He was scrolling on his phone and eating the saddest-looking sandwich I’d ever seen. Lantern lights swayed in the trees, casting a soft glow over his features.

The cynical part of me wondered if he was eating by the pool because he’d heard us on the rooftop and wanted to gain our sympathy. The empathetic part of me couldn’t help but feel a pang in my chest.

Marcelo was right. Hedidlook lonely.

My brother followed my gaze. “The town feels a whole lot smaller, doesn’t it?”

“It’s big enough. He does his thing, we do ours.” I kept my voice low, but Dominic looked up at that exact moment like he’d heard me. Our eyes locked, and a shiver of electricity ran beneath my skin.

I tore my gaze away before it intensified into anything more dangerous.

“You feel bad for him, don’t you?” I said when Marcelo frowned. “What happened to always having my back?” I was only half joking.

My brother owed a lot to Dominic, who’d gotten him his first job as a junior chef in one of the Laurents’ restaurants before he graduated to his current role as executive sous chef. I didn’t expect him to shun him just because we were divorced, but his obvious soft spot for Dominic made me uneasy simply because I could see myself sliding toward the same feelings.

I was too susceptible to others’ opinions. I didn’t want to be, but I couldn’t help it.

“It’s still true, but I also feel bad for him,” Marcelo said. “We both know why he’s here, and it’s not for vacation.” He nodded at the man in question. “When was the last time Dominicwillinglytook time off work?”

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