Page 66 of Forgive Me, Father

“He is a Don.He can do what he wants.It’s how he was raised.He doesn’t need to explain.I am his wife and will accept my place in his life.”

He frowned.“I don’t understand?”

“It’s all good.He can do what he wants.I signed a contract for the next ten years and I’ve decided to stick to it.After all, it’s a business deal.It wasn’t as if I was in love with him or anything.”I took a bite from my pastry to rid myself of the taste left by the lies I just told and carried on reading the story in my book.

A few moments later, Nico got up and left.It felt as if I could breathe again.

And then the giant came to sit down next to me.Him.I pretended not to see.

“What is going on here?I can see you are still highly pissed off but it’s confusing when you say all is fine.I can see it’s not.”

I looked at him.Fuck, why did he have to be so damn handsome?

“Camilla,” Alfonso repeated my name to get me to say something, but I didn’t want to fight.I just wanted to do the ten years my contract called for and move on with my fucking life.

“It doesn’t matter anymore.It’s okay,” I said with a plastered-on smile.

He frowned, clearly confused, clueless about how deeply I’d loved him just a day ago.I would’ve taken a bullet for him, without hesitation.And he didn’t care.

Now, all I wanted was for him to leave me the hell alone.He said he was mine as I was his but that isn’t true.

“I don’t understand?”He waited for me to explain.

“What don’t you understand?It’s a business deal, Alfonso.You set this up.”

“No, I know that, but I don’t understand what is happening here.”

“Nothing.Nothing is happening here.”

“Camilla?”

“What, Alfonso?”

He stared at me with furrowed eyebrows.“Can I please explain where I was?”

“It really doesn’t matter.Do whatever you want.”I stood up and walked away, the sting of tears rising again.

I just needed to make it back to my room, somewhere I could pull myself together, shove down everything I still felt for him, and breathe.

I walked into my room and got pushed against the wall.Alfonso was in my face, staring at me.

“What’s happening?”he asked, his voice tight with confusion.“Why are you acting like none of this matters?”

“Because it doesn’t,” I said flatly, holding his gaze.“I’d never make that mistake again.”

His brows drew together.“What mistake?”

“The one where I thought I actually meant something to you.”

His expression cracked, pain flickering across his face.“Youdomean something to me.You mean every-fucking-thing, Camilla.That’s why I was there yesterday.”

"Please," I said, rolling my eyes, my voice thick with disdain.The anger simmered hot in my veins, but at least I didn’t feel like crying anymore.“Go talk shit to someone else.”

He pushed his lips on me, and I fought with all of my might.I slapped him as I tried to push his tongue out of my mouth.

He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head, his grip firm, his body pressing into mine.

I bit down on his lip, sharp and defiant.He pulled back, breaking the kiss, breath ragged.

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