Page 18 of Cruel Deception
He hadn’t told Luca about Nico—not yet—but his silence was a threat, a promise of consequences.
“Sorry for the interruption,” Luca said, hanging up and tucking his phone into his tailored suit pocket. “Cassian tells me your father put your grandfather’s house up for sale. It means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”
“Right,” I said, caught off guard, my voice barely above a whisper. Cassian’s stare never wavered, heavy and unrelenting.
“I’ll buy it,” Luca said, his tone matter-of-fact. “So you can keep it, visit whenever you want.”
My breath caught, a mix of relief and suspicion swirling in my chest. “Why?” I asked, unable to stop myself. This marriage wasn’t about love—Luca had made that clear—so why would he care about my grandfather’s house?
He smiled, a refined, almost paternal expression that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll be your husband, Charlotte. It’s my duty to ensure your happiness. No repayment required.” He paused, his gaze softening, but there was a calculation behind it. “Love is just words, an illusion for the deluded. Duty, loyalty—those are real. As your husband, I’ll protect and provide for you, and I trust you’ll do the same.”
I stared, stunned by his cold view of love, of us. The Morettis didn’t believe in love, only power, control. “I’d be grateful,” I managed, my voice hollow. The house, my last tie to my grandfather’s memory, would stay mine. But at what cost?
Luca’s phone rang again, and he cursed under his breath, checking the screen. “I need to attend to something. My brother will keep you company—if he chooses to. Someone will be available to take you home when you’re done.”
“Sure,” I said, my throat tight as I watched him walk away, his polished shoes clicking on the marble floor.
I wanted to scream for him to stay, to not leave me alone with Cassian, whose presence was a blade pressed to my throat—beautiful, dangerous, and ready to cut.
Chapter 5
CHARLOTTE
I force myself to meet his gaze, my voice unsteady but defiant. “Um... can you give me more time to find your bike?” I ask, knowing it’s a futile plea.
“Sit,” he commands, his voice low, a rumble of thunder that brooks no argument.
He leans against the bar, his leather jacket creaking, his blue eyes cold as steel.
I obey, sinking into a chair, my face a mask of calm despite the fear clawing my chest. “That bike,” he says, his words sharp, deliberate, “isn’t just metal. She’s a memory. Someone I lost.”
She? He calls his bike she? The intimacy in his tone unsettles me, a crack in his icy facade.
He steps forward, his stride predatory, closing the distance until he’s looming over me.
“There was a tracker,” he says. “Someone disabled it.” His voice is a blade, cutting through the air, each word measured but laced with menace.
“Give me... time,” I stammer, my breath hitching.
His closeness suffocates me, his scent, flooding my senses.
His waist was level with my face now, and I fought not to look at the zipper of his pants
God, why was he this close? Was it deliberate? Was he tempting me on purpose—or testing me?
Heat bloomed low in my stomach. No. Not now.
Focus, Charlotte. He’s dangerous, not a fantasy.
“You didn’t deliver,” he says, his voice dropping, a subtle threat coiling beneath it. “So you’ll do as I say.”
My heart slams against my ribs. Punishment. I knew it was coming. “What do you want?” I whisper, dread pooling in my gut.
“Take off my belt,” he orders, his tone cold, unyielding.
My breath catches, my eyes snapping to his. “Cassian, I—”
“Now,” he cuts in, his voice a whip. “Or I tell Luca and your father what I saw at your grandfather’s house. You and Nico, tangled up like lovers.”
