“Don’t you say a fucking word. Continue, please, Lorenzo.”
“Certainly. Megan’s landlord was kind enough to give me details about her and her late husband, Hunter Reid. Then I received further information from Bill Rodriguez, who told me Megan was working at the Dark Odyssey. It seems that Cristiano only met her a few months ago. There’s no evidence of contact before that, like we’ve been led to believe or that she’s a humanitarian worker. I also found over a million dollars paid into her account from Cristiano. Clearly, their relationship was all fake and fabricated to get the business and that money was to pay her off.” The sneer he issues me cuts me deep because I landed myself in this mess.
Levi did all he could to cover certain things, but there are some things that can’t be covered up. Once Lorenzo found out Megan’s name from wherever the hell he did, he found all those parts too. Clearly, he started investigating me from the night of the dinner and worked overtime to dig for the truth.
“Grandfather, please let me talk.”
“Okay, Cristiano, tell me you didn’t pay this woman to be your fiancée.” He stands and balls his hands into fists by his sides. “Tell me that’s not you and your friends on that video fucking her. Tell me you didn’t lie to get the business. Go on, do it.”
My body goes rigid and I can’t look away from his overbearing gaze.
“It’s true. I did all those things,” I answer and Lorenzo laughs.
My temper blazes when the asshole claps as if he’s giving a standing ovation.
“Telling the truth is the first right thing you’ve ever done.” His taunts slice into me deeper. “Seriously, did you really think you’d get away with grabbing some whore off the street to play your wife?”
“I’m not a whore,” Megan snaps before I can answer him with a bullet to the head.
I forgot she was here. Here right next to me with Knox and Levi at her side, who look like they're ready to kill Lorenzo too.
He laughs again and shakes his head. “So what do you think you are, my dear? You were purchased for your body and your services at a sex club. That sounds like a fucking whore to me. You—”
I land my fist in his face and send him flying into the bookshelf. I grab my gun and I’m about to launch at him, but I’m held back by Knox and Levi.
“Fucking let me go.” My voice echoes around the room.
“Cristiano, control yourself!” Grandfather yells.
“That’s my girl you’re talking about.” I snarl at Lorenzo like a feral animal. “My wife.” Rage is clouding my mind, but I know what I said, and I don’t care.
The guys continue to hold me back using their full strength. If they weren’t, Lorenzo would be dead now, not just looking at me with terror entrenched on his fucking face. That terror is there because I’ve never struck out like this before and God knows there have been enough times.
“Cristiano, stop it.” Megan’s meek voice is the only thing that reaches me and I feel my calm returning.
She comes up to me, tears streaming down her cheeks as she touches my arm.
“Stop. He’s right. He’s right, Cristiano.” The desolation on her face and in her voice breaks my heart.
The guys release me when she walks out of the room and we go after her.
I catch her arm when she gets to the top of the stairs and pull her back to me.
“Baby, it’s not true.” I tighten my grip on her.
“What part isn’t?” Tears run down her cheeks. “I became a whore when I signed my contract to work at the club. I became the whore long before the ink dried on the paper. Lorenzo is just pointing out the obvious.”
“None of us care about that. I don’t.”
“But I do, so please just let me go.” She tries to pull away, but I don’t release her.
“Where are you even going?”
“Anywhere. Cristiano, we were always going to come to an end. It may as well be now. You don’t need me anymore. So, just let me go.”
Levi rests a hand on my shoulder and nods. “Let her go, Cristiano.”
I turn to look at him and when I see the hardened expression on his face, I release her. Levi would only tell me to do something like that if he knew it was the right thing.