He places another call, never taking his eyes off my face. There’s no remorse. If anything, there are flashes of anger, but I don’t know if they’re meant for me or for the person he’s talking to.
“I’ve sent a car for you. It should be there within ten minutes—perhaps less.” Antonio pauses for a few seconds. “I don’t care if you have the president of Portugal’s dick in your mouth, I advise you to get your ass into the car the minute it arrives.”
He’s not playing. If it were me, I’d be waiting at the curb.
Is this how he’s planning to get rid of me?I’m sorry, dear, this will have to wait. My appointment is here.“Who was that?”
“That was business.”
“You don’t seem to understand. I’m not going anywhere until we’ve had a discussion. It doesn’t matter who shows up. I don’t care if you summoned the president of Portugal himself, he’ll have to wait his turn.”
His mouth quirks at the corners. “We have a little time, and there are some pressing matters I need to discuss with you. As much as I hate people showing up in my office without an appointment, this might be a good opportunity to talk.”
I sit up tall. “I’m not people. I’m your wife. First, we discuss my business.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “My office. My business. We’ll get to yours in due time.”
He’s stalling. “I’m not leaving until I have answers. If you don’t like it, you’ll have to have security drag me out.”
“If I don’t like it, I’ll drag you out myself.”
He’s such a smug bastard.“What do you want to talk about?”
“I want you to listen carefully to what I’m about to say,” he cautions, like I’m a teenager who has broken curfew again. “Put aside your misplaced anger and use your common sense to think it through.”
My common sense? Because I normally shoot from the hip, making all my decisions based on emotion? The man is insufferable.
He goes over to the bar and pours himself a drink. “Do you want something?”
“I’ll have some water.”
Antonio hands me a glass before sitting at the edge of his desk.
I consider dumping the water on his crotch, but that’s foreplay for him.
His Adam’s apple bobs, and a sense of unease settles over me. Antonio doesn’t hedge—but that’s exactly what he’s doing.This can’t be good.
“I want Valentina to spend a couple of weeks at summer camp.”
The unease has become pure dread. Is he punishing me for interrupting his workday?No.“Camp? What are you talking about?”
“St. Philomena’s School runs a camp outside of London. She’ll have an opportunity to spend some time with girls her age. It’ll be good for her.”
What will be good for her is if I strangle you right now and shove your body out the floor-to-ceiling windows.I stand. “I’m not sending her away.”
“I wasn’t asking for your permission. She will be going to camp.”
“Are you insane or just evil?”
“Perhaps both.”
I turn to leave, because while he’s in this kind of mood, I’m not going to get anywhere. Better not to have the discussion at all. The photos are nothing compared to this. He can fuck Sonia anywhere and everywhere he wants. But he’s not taking my child from me.
“Sit down.”
“I need to get back.”
“You showed up here uninvited. Now we’re going to see it through. But first, you’re going to listen to everything I have to say.”