Page 94 of Masked Hearts

I switch my focus from the water to my brother and raise a brow. “What do you mean? I thought Kylian already told you.”

“Well, you know there’s two sides to a story, Kylian’s dramatized version and the truth…”

I snicker. “And what did Mr. Dramatic say?”

“Anything he needed to make sure Antonio was in the wrong. Did he really punch him square on the nose?”

“He deserved it.” I shrug.

Pierre frowns and starts eating his meal. We’ve both openly worried for Kylian ever since news broke about Pierre and Sixtine, leading Dad to withdraw Pierre’s title as underboss. Kylian has been running around with his head so far up my father’s ass trying to make sure the same fate doesn’t find him.

“He tries too hard. Even Dad can see that. What did he say that pissed Antonio off to the point of punching him?”

“It’s been a build-up over the last few weeks. Comments about me eating too much, not talking enough, talking too much, what I’ve been wearing lately. Oh, and he called Antonio a little bitch for listening to me when I begged him to let go of Kylian the first time.”

“He did?” Pierre’s eyes flash wide.

“Yes, which is ironic because he’s the same person who said I’m getting too caught up in all of this, and that Antonio doesn’t care about me.”

Silence.

The waves crash, seagulls squawk, and there’s some distant chatter from the staff, but other than that, silence.

“I agree with him on the last part. You’re foolish if you think this man cares about you, Theá; you’re just a pawn to him like he is to us.”

Like he is to us.

I’ve been pushing this idea to the back of my head since the night of Natalia’s birthday dinner. Refusing to acknowledge that he could’ve possibly been doing and saying anything necessary to get me wrapped up in his web.

“I fucking know that. Everyone has thrown it in my face every single day since this all started, but you don’t understand how difficult it is to not get consumed by someone you practically spend every second with.”

“The problem is you’re thinking with your hormones and heart instead of your head.”

I grab the wine glass and toss back nearly all the cool liquid.

Pierre and Kylian have always been more logical with the way they think. More calculated than I am. Where I consider emotions first, they dive head first with no regard for petty things like feelings.

Antonio is a lot like my brothers in that sense. I can see it in the way he considers every action before he does it. It’s a few seconds, nothing more, nothing less. As if every decision is as simple as black and white. As simple as yes or no.

Whereas I’ll weigh every single colour between black and white, not to mention my favourite word in the world:maybe.

It’s a trait I so unfortunately inherited from my mother. I care. I care about every fucking thing, and unfortunately I care just a bit too much about a certain billionaire.

“I don’t care if you sleep with him, Theá, I really don’t. But you cannot fall in love with him. You’re just going to hurt him, or worse,yourselfby getting caught in the crossfire between him and Dad, and now Kylian, too.”

“I know. I won’t,” I grumble.

“Besides, how is he going to feel when he finds out you were never planning on staying, anyway? That you have this entire plan to leave him behind.”

Do I?

I had completely forgotten about the stupid plan until now. His plan. I’m merely just a pawn in another plan once again. But I suppose at least this time I’m getting something out of it in the end. My well-deserved freedom.

It’s not just about me. It’s about Noelle, as well. It’s for my mom, it’s what she would’ve wanted. It’s what she deserved.

Lunch passes in a cloud of grey and morbidity. After his very clear warning about Antonio, Pierre continues to discuss random odds and ends about his newest flavour of the month, but I can’t think about anything else excepthim.

Antonio Vitale consumes every single thought for the entirety of the meal, and leaves me with just enough brain cells to respond to my brother without suspicion.

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