— Chapter 6 “Catherine, please.” Luciano’s eyes were bloodshot, his vision blurred by tears. “Don’t go.” He blocked the doorway, refusing to let me leave. “| know | was wrong. | know | hurt you.” His voice trembled. “But we can fix this. We can start over.” “Start over?” A laugh escaped my lips, cold and empty. “And build on what foundation? More lies?” “No, with the truth.” He reached for me, but | flinched away. “I’ll tell you everything. Maya, she-” “Enough.” | cut him off. “| don’t want to hear another word about her.” “Then what about us?” Luciano looked at me, desperate.
“Catherine, think about our empire. Everything we built.” “That was your empire, Luciano,” | corrected. “Never mine.” —- “No! It’s ours!” he insisted, grabbing my arm. “I’m nothing without you. You made me better, stronger. You’re my queen!” | thought about what happened a year ago. Sophia Castellano, the daughter of a rival family. Luciano had gotten too close to her during a deal. There were pictures. We were in a cold war for a whole month over it. Back then, Maya had comforted me. “Catherine, all men are like that. It’s just business on the outside.
As long as he still loves you in his heart, that’s what matters.” Looking back, her words had a double meaning. She already knew Luciano was cheating on me. Because she was the one he was cheating with. “Do you remember what happened with Sophia?” | asked. Luciano froze. “That was different-” —- “It was the same.” | looked him dead in the eye. “You told me it was just business. Just an act. You swore you would never betray me.” “I didn’t betray you!” “No?” my voice was sharp. “Then who was that at the club?” Luciano opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“You know how your mother died,” | continued. “The price of betraying the family. And you? You betrayed our vows.” “Catherine-” My voice was a whisper, but it cut through the room like a blade. “This wasn’t Maya. This wasn’t a rival family. This was you. You broke us.” Tears streamed down Luciano’s face. I’d never seen him cry with such desperation. “| love you,” he choked out. “I really do. | can’t live without you.” “Love?” | shook my head. “You don’t know what love —- is. “| do! More than anyone!” He dropped to his knees, grabbing my legs. “Catherine, I’m begging you.
Give me one last chance.” Looking at this once-proud man kneeling before me, | should have felt some satisfaction. All| felt was disgust. “Luciano Carbone,” | said, looking down at him. “Our engagement is over.” | pushed him away and walked toward the door. “You’re not leaving!” Luciano scrambled to his feet. “| won’t let you!” He lunged at me, trying to grab me again. Seeing him like this, the pain and disgust in my heart exploded. “Fine,” | said, my voice dangerously calm. “| won’t leave.” | walked to the photo wall, grabbed the nearest heavy chair, and started swinging. Glass shattered.
—- Frames splintered. | destroyed every single smiling memory. “No! Don’t! Don’t destroy them! Don’t destroy our past!” He dropped to his knees, gathering the shattered glass and smiling faces as if he could piece our past back together with his bare hands. | shut out the sound of his cries and walked out the door. And there was Maya, her motorcycle blocking my path. There was blood on her face, her hair was a mess, but her eyes were wilder than ever. “You think you’ve won?” | kept walking, and she followed, taunting me. One look at her disheveled state told me everything.
Luciano had cut her loose. “| never wanted to win,” | said calmly. “| just wanted the truth.” —- “The truth?” Maya sneered. “What truth do you want?” “When did you start wanting my man?” “A long time ago,” she said, without a hint of shame. ” Longer than you think.” My heart ached, but | didn’t let it show. “Why?” “Why?” Maya’s eyes glinted with venom. “Because | was sick of being your sidekick. Sick of watching you have everything.” “| saved your life,” she went on. “But you were never grateful.
You treated me like one of your charity projects.” “| loved him, too!” she shrieked, her voice raw. “We’re the same, him and |! We crawled out of the same gutter. But he chose you. He wanted his ‘queen’ to be a perfect, spotless saint.” “So | decided to take back what should have been mine.” | covered my ears, not wanting to hear any more. —- If Luciano’s betrayal was humiliating, Maya’s hatred was agonizing. Ten years. We were best friends for ten years. | tried to drown her out, my pace quickening, but her next words froze me in place. “Catherine.” | turned to face her.
Her hand was raised. Slap! The blow landed hard on my cheek.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
