Page 194 of Sinful Lies

“Well, shit. All this just to save your ass from the feds on the day of your goddamn New Year’s party.”

I slammed the passenger door, rubbing my eyes as if I could scrub away the exhaustion, the nerves, and the simmering anger.

Vittori’s hand gripped the wheel as he steered the car out of the parking lot.

“Yeah,grazie. Who knew you fucking their head agent would actually pay off one day, huh?”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he slowed for a red light, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and offering me one. I took it, and he lit both mine and his, drawing in the smoke with a satisfied inhale.

The chill air bit at my skin as he rolled the window down.

“Beautiful Alia Jasper.” A lazy grin spread on his face. “I’ve always known how to pick my women, Lazzio. You, on the other hand…” He gave a low scoff, shaking his head like I was the dumbest bastard he’d ever met. “Still haven’t figured it out, apparently.”

My glare could’ve burned through stone.

“Can’t believe your littlediavolettaalmost ruinedyouentirely—just to bring your empire down. And for what?”

“She thinks I killed her sister.”

A beat of silence.

His brow barely lifted. “Well… did you?”

I exhaled sharply. “No. I didn’t even know shehada fucking sister—let alone that she died in a damn explosion!”

Doubt and fucking shock now swam faster in my mind.

I still couldn’t fucking believe it.

Six years.

Six fucking years I’d been obsessed with a woman who’d turned out to have a hidden agenda sharp enough to gut me. Six years of wanting her, needing her like an addiction I didn’t want to kick—only to find out she was plotting my downfall from the start.

All because of something that wasn’t even fucking true.

But now, I couldn’t even separate the truth from her lies anymore.

Every touch, every batting eyelash, every moan, every goddamn caress—how much of it had been real?

What had been part of her little performance?

She’d told me she fucking loved me.

The words I’d dreamed of hearing for years, spilling out of her mouth like salvation. And now? I didn’t even know if that was a lie too.

Fuck.

I’d told her about my past—the things I’d buried so deep.

I’d handed her my scars, my truths, my fucking trust.

And what had she done? She’d wrapped it up in a pretty little bow, just to hand it over and ruin me.

“What are you gonna do now?”

He pulled the car into the parking lot of my condo, throwing it into park.

I sat back, closed my eyes for a moment, and let out a slow breath.

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