Page 72 of Beautiful Sinner

I stop and turn to her. “What?”

“Julia will be ok.”

“What do you mean she’ll be ok? Matteo just fucking kidnapped her! She’s in the hands of that bastard and Dante.They will hurt her. I am going to find them and torture them until they beg me to end their lives.”

She sets her hand on my arm. “Just take a deep breath.”

“Inessa-,”

“Just do it.”

After a beat, I take in a long breath and let it out slowly. Instantly, I feel better. “Happy?”

“Yes. Now listen to me. I believe that Julia will be ok.”

“How can you say that? They’ll hurt her. Dante kidnapped a woman once before, Nadia. He hurt her.”

“She’s his wife now. So clearly he didn’t hurt her that bad if she fell in love with him. And you’ve met Matteo before. He’s never given me the sense that he likes to torture women. Do you honestly believe he’ll torture Julia?”

I sink into my seat and drop my head into my hands. “I don’t know what to think anymore. I’ve raised Julia since she was five years old. I’m more her father than her brother.”

“I know. And I know you’re scared. So am I. You could have died today. We all could have.”

“This is what Dante wanted. He wanted to come in and hurt me. Kill me and Connor. Stop us from taking over.” I frown as an idea hits me. “How did Dante even know we were there? The only people who knew were us and…”

“And all of the guests you invited. There were around fifty guests in attendance.”

“You think I have a mole?”

Inessa winces. “I’m worried who that mole might be.”

“Who? Connor? You think he was trying to betray me? Marry Julia and then fuck me over?”

“No… not Connor.”

“Then who?”

She sighs. “Don’t freak out.”

“You can’t tell me not to freak out and expect me to not freak out.”

“I think it’s Julia. I think Julia told Matteo about her wedding.”

“What? Why?”

“Because she never wanted to marry Connor. Because she… because it’s Matteo she wants to be with.”

My wife’s words don’t make any fucking sense to me. “Julia would never betray me. She’s always been loyal and I to her.”

“Viktor, she likes Matteo. She’s been seeing him in secret. She never wanted to be with Connor. I think Dante and Matteo were there at the wedding today because Julia told them about it. So, I don’t think Matteo is going to hurt her because there’s a good chance he loves her.”

The only thing I feel is my heart being ripped out of my chest. My own sister has betrayed me. Nothing could hurt more.

Chapter Twelve

Julia

Now that Matteo and I don’t have to sneak around to be together, it makes things… a little awkward, like neither of us knows what to do with each other.

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