Page 230 of Legacy
“Is that what you want for me?” I demand again, stepping forward, heat rising up my throat. “To fight for my own life while you’re off playing Don with secrets and sins and vendettas you didn’t think I deserved to know about?”
“Scarlet—”
“No!” I cut him off, voice trembling. “Don’t speak to me. Not when you buried me under a thousand layers of silence and let me walk into this blind.”
His lips press into a hard line, but I’m not done.
“Vasilisa is yourfamily, Angelo, and you left her exposed. Do you even understand what that does to me? Knowing that she was almost taken, wasn’t evenprotected—and I’m just supposed to what?Trustthat you’ll do better by me?”
He says nothing. The silence presses in, tight and unbearable.
“I didn’t come here to die,” I whisper. “And I didn’t come here to be a symbol. A prize. A weakness they can exploit. I came here because I was forced, and I stayed because,damn it, some foolish part of me still hoped…”
I trail off, breath catching in my throat. “Still hoped that maybe you loved me enough not to hurt me again.”
His eyes shut like he’s in pain.
I don’t know if it’s from guilt, or grief, or just the weight of his own choices finally choking him.
But I don’t look away.
I’m not going down like this.
Chapter 39
Angelo
Ishould’ve told her sooner.
Should’ve let her have arealchoice.
And now it’s too late… because the Armenians know about her.
Levon told me as much, right before I began to carve him open.
They know she’s my wife.
It doesn’t matter if she leaves me. If we filed annulment papers tomorrow, if she walked away and never said my name again—none of it matters.
They know.
And they’ll hunt her down.
They’ll kill her.
But for now, she’s here, in this kitchen, staring at me like I’ve betrayed everything we could’ve been.
Because I did.
“It’s too late,” I say, voice thick. “They know who you are. So I’m telling you everything. Now. So you know what’s already in motion.”
Her mouth parts then shuts again.
She plants her hands on her hips, a sharp furrow cutting between her brows.
“I need you understand what’s in place,” I continue. “Because I’m going to war. I’m taking the fight to them.”
I step closer, and her fury cracks, confusion sliding in behind it.
