Page 37 of Masked Hearts

I swear, we left the girls alone for all offiveminutesto take pictures. The next thing we know, they were all drunk off tequila.

And, of course, it resulted in Selena bursting into tears over the bouquet toss and Natalia throwing champagne in Adriano’s face because he told her she looked like she belonged at Santa’s workshop. I’m sure those five minutes and my family’s inability to keep their mouths shut are the reasons Theresa decided to even bring up the Valerie situation in the first place.

The doorman opens the large glass doors at the entrance, and we exchange greetings as I head towards the private elevator that leads right up to the penthouse.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Ambrose?” she asks as I step into the elevator.

I raise a brow and look down at her. Her brown eyes are the size of saucers and slightly glassy, too, showing just how much she has had to drink tonight. “I thought we agreed on one emotional conversation per night.”

“I mean, technically, it’s still part of this conversation. Aren’t they connected?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Do you hate him?”

The air in the elevator feels suffocating as the words leave her lips. I can’t bring myself to look at her. Or to even think about anything else because all the memories rush back in at once.

Ambrose sent me to the States on some wild goose chase with the Corsos, only to come home and have both of them lie to my face.

The dinner. Mattheo.

I killed Theresa’s uncle. I killed a person.

My brother has pushed me into so many uncomfortable situations over the last year that I’m not sure if I even have an answer to that question.

Soft skin meets my cheek, and her hand turns my face to hers. “You’re allowed to be upset at how things panned out.”

Her words reach up and wrap around my neck like a noose as her eyes drink me deeper.

“You don’t know what you’re saying.” I try to turn away, but she grabs my face with both hands.

The elevator dings as the doors slide open to our floor. I exhale as we both just stare into each other’s eyes. “We should head in.” I break her gaze and swallow down the lump in my throat.

I am upset about what happened, but with the way things have been developing lately, I haven’t had much time to really process my thoughts and feelings. I’ve been constantly cycling between wallowing in anger and sadness, and ignoring the situation. And I’m sure now, more than ever, I won’t have time to deal with it.

We step into the huge penthouse, and immediately, I know Gus was the one who decided on the place and furniture. It’s the perfect blend of ultra-modern pieces, but still has a touch of comfort to it. There are so many plants in the living room area it border lines a greenhouse, but it’ll suffice for now. My only request was two bedrooms.

“Wow,” she says as she raises her head from my shoulder, taking in the room. “This is an upgrade from the manor. I guess being married to a billionaire has its perks.”

“It’s just for a bit of space from your dad. You can still go visit your siblings whenever you want,” I explain, placing her down and tossing my blazer onto the back of one of the couches, following behind her cautiously.

“It’s fine. I need some space from all of them, too.”

“Why?”

“Things have been…tense.” She walks around the room, observing it cautiously.

“Really?” I ask, walking towards the stairs.

“Yeah. After my mom died, my father became a different man. He’s more overprotective. We barely leave the house, and when we do, it’s always with security.”

I stay silent, not wanting to interrupt her. As selfish as it sounds, any information she gives me could help us in the long run.

“My sister is lucky since she goes to school in Paris, so she gets a bit more freedom since the guards can’t follow her every move there.”

“You didn’t want to study anything?” I ask as we reach the top floor. I peer down the hall, thankful to see multiple doors. I head to the first one, presumably hers, and turn the doorknob.

“I did, I wanted to be an author. But after my mother died, my father refused to let me. Since I was there when it happened, I was pretty shaken up by it. He didn’t want to let me out of his sight.”

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