Page 72 of Wrathful King
He tipped his head back, a deep laugh pouring from his throat, and I couldn’t resist looking at him.
“It’s settled, then,” he said, amusement weaving through his voice. “We’re not raising our family here.”
“It can be our vacation spot.”
“Agreed.” My chest swelled, and I resisted blurting something likeAre you sure?
“Please spare me that catastrophe.” Grandma appeared behind him. “Reina, promise me you won’t start a family until you’re at least thirty.”
“Didn’t you have Mamma when you were eighteen?” I retorted.
I was in no rush to have children. I had some major things to heal from first, that much was clear, but I wouldn’t allow anyone else to dictate how I chose to live my life, no matter how well-meaning.
Papà chuckled. “You waltzed right into that one, Diana.”
She shot him a glare. Poor Papà, he’d be stuck here with the brunt of her full attention. That couldn’t possibly bode well for anyone.
“What were you two arguing about?” My eyes met Amon’s side profile, and I noticed the tic of his jaw. It was enough to tell me they hadn’t settled matters.
“Nothing,” Grandma answered quickly.
“Phoenix,” Amon said at the same time. I stared at the two of them. It was the first time anyone had voluntarily brought her up, and my heart raced at the prospect of finally getting some real answers. “Your grandmother signed off on a large sum of money that Phoenix withdrew after that cursed rehearsal dinner. Similar to you, she wasn’t due to get her inheritance until her twenty-fifth birthday.”
My brows furrowed, not following. “Maybe she needed it for piano stuff?”
Phoenix could easily spend a million dollars in a few days when it came to her music and instruments.
“No, but I suspect she’s in hiding.” Amon’s attention was on Grandma. “That she needed the money for something else entirely.”
I stiffened, my eyes darting between the three of them. “Is she in trouble?”
Papà shook his head. “No, she’s safe and sound with two million dollars in cash. Somewhere. Your sister ran.”
Phoenix ran.My lips parted, although deep in my heart, I was proud of her. Worried, but proud. “You don’t know where? How do you know she’s safe?” Papà shook his head. “And you, Grandma?”
There was something in her eyes that didn’t sit well with me. It was uncharacteristic of her to relinquish control or for her to let either one of us disappear on her.
“Don’t get worked up, baby girl.” I could understand Papà’s concern, but I was finally feeling strong enough to handle the truth. I was sick of being left in the dark, even though I knew they were only trying to protect me.
And that was when it dawned on me. My heart was in my throat, but the panic wasn’t looming. For the first time in a very long time, I was reacting normally—or whatever the closest thing to that was.
“I’m okay, Papà,” I assured him, then met Amon’s gaze, who gave me a barely noticeable but encouraging nod. “Phoenix is strong and smart, but it worries me that she’s vanished and isn’t responding to anyone.” Grandma kept looking anywhere but at me. “Is she?” I asked pointedly.
“I was trying to explain to this… this…” Grandma waved her hand in Amon’s direction, face flushed, clearly struggling to find the words.
“To my husband,” I finished, giving her a warning glance. I was done catering. She should be on her knees thanking Amon, Dante, and the entire fucking underworld, not acting all stuck-up.
She let out an indignant sigh. “I signed off on her withdrawal as the head of Grace’s estate, and we agreed on no contact so she can’t be traced. The Leone family is a stain on this fucking family.”
“So you let her go out alone in the fucking world?” Papà bellowed, suddenly feeling stronger. “You should have consulted me.”
“She knows how to take care of herself,” Grandma reasoned. “She didn’t want to deal with that buffoon.”
I couldn’t keep up with all of this shit. Maybe I’d been in my shell, wallowing in self-pity too long. “Who’s the buffoon?”
“Dante,” Amon explained. “He insists on marrying Phoenix now that you’re off the table, being his half sister and all.”
I brought my hands up on either side of my face and began to massage my temples. None of this made sense. Yes, Phoenix’s disdain for Dante was unmistakable. The fucker broke her heart, but she wouldn’t be ignoring me. I was always on her side.
