Page 70 of Sinful Lies

But why the hell was it all resurfacing now?

I sank into the couch, Georgino jumping into my lap as I replayed the interview with Jade and me, trying to see it from an outsider’s perspective. His velvety fur brushed against my fingers, as he sniffed and licked them. But my attention kept snapping back to Jade, watching the clip for the third time. There was something in her eyes when she’d spoken—something elusive, unfamiliar, and damn near impossible to place.

I couldn’t shake how effortlessly she had played her part. For a second, I almost believed Pauline had been her best friend growing up, even though I knew damn well they’d never met.

She’s damn good at lying.

Too damn good.

It made me wonder what lies she had fed me—what else she’s kept hidden, buried beneath that perfect facade. And the worst part? I want to dig until there’s nothing left to hide.

I grabbed my glass, drained it in one go, and decided it was time to call it a night.

Turning off the TV, I dragged myself to bed, but sleep wouldn’t come.

We wouldn’t want anyone thinking Angelo Lazzio actually has a heart.

Of course, I fucking didn’t.

Grazie a Dio.

If I had, I wouldn't have made it past the age of nine.

The second that thought hit, everything flooded back.

The Hamptons.

My parents, laughing, carefree, the sun burning on our backs. Me, playing with sand, building castles.

Then—darkness.

It had happened so fast, I hadn’t seen shit coming.

Neither had my parents.

But the one thing I remembered, the only thing that had stuck—a tissue had been shoved against my mouth, and then… nothing.

Just fucking darkness.

I’d woken up choking on mildew and blood, shirtless, shivering in an empty basement. My wrists and legs had been tied up, ropes digging into my skin, meant to keep me there.

Forever.

Those fourteen days had changedeverything.

And now, after all these years, I knew the truth: revenge isn’t a sweet release—it’s a double-edged fucking sword.

One moment it fills you, the next, it rips you apart.

But it’s a blade I’ve never been afraid to use.

Chapter

Seventeen

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

? Coco Chanel

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