Page 56 of The Rancher's Vengeful Heart

"I've got some investment recommendations."

"At midnight?" Lucius finally straightened in his seat and looked at his brother. "How about telling me why you're really here?"

"I'm not lying." Marius placed a memory stick on his brother's desk before sliding into the leather seat across from Lucius. "I bought Black Carpet."

"Congratulations," Lucius said, his voice devoid of inflection. "Are you here to ask how much I'd like to invest in it?"

"In the company I just acquired? A hundred mil. In your marriage? That depends on whether you can ever get your head out of your ass."

Lucius' gaze glinted."Don't."

But the warning only made an identical pair of copper eyes glint back at him just as fiercely.

"You fucked up, Lucius." He pushed the memory stick forward. "Let's just hope it's not too fucking late."

Lucius watched his brother walk away with the same abruptness with which he had appeared. It was unlike this brother of his to interfere in anyone's personal relationships, and tension turned his body rigid as he reached for the memory stick.

The storage drive contained several video files. He clicked on the first, and his stomach clenched as Tassina's face filled his screen.

She was in a conference room, presumably in her workplace, and surrounded by colleagues. She was awarded a promotion...at the same time that asshole chose to break up with her.

The second video showed her talking to her department VP, and his chest tightened at the way her eyes softened when she shyly admitted that their marriage was a love match.

The third video, however...

Lucius shot to his feet at the sight of her ex nearly succeeding in forcing himself on his wife in what appeared to be a medical room, stopping only when Stella arrived.

Rage flooded his veins, but this just as swiftly turned into agony when the last video showed Tassina crying in the hallway, and he heard her sobbing out,"I love him."

His blood turned cold.

"I love him, I really love him..."

Lucius could feel himself whitening at every word she choked out, every sob that tumbled past her trembling lips.

"I love him...b-but I don't think he ever l-loved me...if he can hurt me like this."

His fists clenched, memories that he had tried to repress suddenly devouring his mind.

God, oh God.

He remembered teasing his Tassina for the first time in the airport lounge, and how easy it was to make her question whether he was flirting with her or not.

He remembered playing with Tassina in Foxtown, and how she had ended up second-guessing herself because of someone simply professing their innocence...

He remembered Tassina in his parents' ranch, and how easy it had been to surprise her.

He could go on and on, but he realized now, just when it could be too late, how she had always been so damn sweet...to the point of being gullible. How could he have forgotten this part of her?How could he have forgotten how fucking innocent she was...to the point that he had managed to fool himself into thinking his Tassina was a cold-hearted bitch who would lie about falling in love with him just to get revenge on her ex?

The Tassina he knew and had fallen in love with...could never have it in her to deceive anyone.

But because of his own damn fears...he had ended up throwing away the most important thing in his life.

The realization hit him like a physical blow, leaving him gasping for air.

God.

Oh God.

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