Page 124 of Made for Sinners

“But I trust you,” he said.

I froze.

He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face. “I trust you, Emilia. With this. With me.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“I know I haven’t made it easy,” he said, his voice low, rough. “I know I’ve given you every reason to doubt me. But I need you to know something.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay.”

He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks. “I know what it's looked like in the past... I’ve never cheated on a woman. Not once. Not ever. And I wouldn’t start with my wife. You're mine and I am yours. She’s a tool. A resource. Nothing more.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it. I swallowed hard. “Okay.”

He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine. “You believe me?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

He exhaled slowly, like he’d been holding that breath for hours. Maybe days.

And then he said it.

“I love you.”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest.

I pulled back just enough to look at him, my eyes wide. “What?”

“I love you,” he repeated, his voice steady now. “I’ve loved you for a long time.”

I stared at him, my mind racing, my heart stumbling over itself.

“How long?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

He smiled, just slightly. “Since I chauffeured you around.”

I blinked. “What?”

He chuckled, the sound low and warm. “Back before all this. Before the marriage. Before the money. When you were just the sharp-tongued daughter of a man I didn’t trust. Driving you around for Adrianna's wedding and your errands, you spent the entire ride complaining about the music and threatening to jump out of the car.”

I flushed. “I did not.”

He grinned. "You practically did, but that was the moment I knew you were going to be a problem.”

I raised a brow. “A problem?”

He nodded. “The kind I couldn’t stop thinking about.”

I laughed, the sound shaky. “So you’ve just… been in love with me this whole time?”

He shrugged. I stared at him, my chest tight.

“You should’ve told me,” I said softly.

“I couldn’t,” he said. “Not until I was sure.”

“And now?”

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