Page 16 of His Playground
I’m not delusional. Just trying to find a way to survive, I guess.
I’ve been putting off leaving this party. I knew Carlo wanted to leave hours ago. He actually did disappear for a while and then came back with some excuse about aworkthing.
I don’t care. I don’t need nor do I want him to explain his whereabouts to me. I’m his wife on paper only. That’s how this is going to stay.
When the last person says their goodbyes and the staff starts cleaning up, I’m out of excuses. I know what’s expected of a bride. Like I said, I’m not delusional… just practicing avoidance at its finest.
“You want me to call for some blankets if we’re going to camp out here all night?” Carlo asks.
I don’t look at him, choosing to stare out at the empty room instead. “I’m not sleeping with you.”
“Your loss. I seem to remember how much you used to love doing a lot more than sleeping with me,” he says, a cocky-ass inflection in his tone.
“I’ve grown. I’m not into pathetic excuses for men anymore,” I fire back at him.
“Right, well, can we go? I’m tired and I don’t fancy sleeping on a cold floor.” He stands and holds out a hand to me.
Ignoring it, I stand and push my way past him, which isn’t easy in this freaking dress. My feet ache as I storm out of the ballroom and head to the bank of elevators. I’ve been to Carlo’s penthouse before. It’s not like I don’t know where I’m going.
The asshole has the nerve to laugh as he follows behind me. When the doors open, I stab the button for the penthouse andinstinctively press my thumbprint to the scanner that allows access to the top floor, surprised when it actually lights up green.
“I never took you off the system,” Carlo says as way of explanation.
I lift one shoulder as I stare ahead at the steel doors. “It’s not like I ever would have used the access willingly.”
“I’m not holding you hostage, Antonia. Don’t be so fucking dramatic. I didn’t have to offer myself up for your father’s deal,” he says.
“Then why did you?” I spin around. Well, sort of. My dramatic turn doesn’t really go as planned with all the tulle.
“Would you have preferred to be married off to a stranger? There are a lot of cruel fucking men in this world of ours. You know that,” Carlo says.
“I don’t need or want you to save me. I’m capable of looking after myself. And how do you know I wasn’t seeing someone? How do you know I wasn’t in love with someone? And that now whatever relationship I had is gone. Because I have to do what I’m told, right? Be a good daughter, do what my father wants.”
Carlo’s eyes narrow in on me. “You’re right. Whatever relationship you hadisover, Antonia. I might tolerate a lot of things, but don’t push me.”
“Or what?” I goad him.
“If you were in love, I know you… You would have ended it, because you know damn well if you didn’t, the fucker wouldn’t be breathing much longer.”
“Pfft.” I turn back when the doors open and walk through. “Let me get this straight… It’s perfectly okay for you to go and screw whomever you want whenever you want, but I have to be the dutiful wife? Screw you, Carlo.” My voice rises. Now that we’re alone, I’m really going to let him have a piece of my damn mind. I’ve got years of pent-up anger to let out on this man.
“Shhh, keep your voice down,” he says.
“Carlo?”
I turn at the sound of a small voice. Carlo walks past me and towards the hallway. “It’s okay, Jazzy. Antonia was just excited to finally be home and meet you.” Then I watch as he bends down and picks up a little girl in pink pajamas, the same little girl who was sitting in the front row of the church. “Antonia, this is Jazzy, my daughter,” he says, not taking his eyes off mine.
“Your daughter?”What the actual…He has a daughter.Jazzy. Which means the phone call he took at our engagement party… He was talking to a kid. His kid. Not another woman. “It’s nice to meet you, Jazzy.” I smile at the girl. Because I know—more than most—you can’t blame a child for their DNA. It’s not her fault her father’s an ass.
“Hi, you look like a real princess,” she says.
“Thank you.” I have no idea what the hell I’m supposed to do now. I was prepared for a fight. I was prepared to do anything I had to do to keep Carlo away from me. I was not prepared to meet his kid. I didn’t even know he had a kid. He never mentioned a daughter when we were seeing each other.
Did he purposely hide the fact he had a little girl from me? Why?
“I’m going to take Jazzy back to bed. I’m sure you remember where the main bedroom is located. Make yourself at home,” he says before disappearing down the hall.
I’m left standing in the foyer, staring after his retreating back.What on earth do I do now?
