Page 97 of Legacy
“You heard me.”
Her voice shakes, not with weakness, but fury. Fury like a lit match shoved down my throat.
“Adriana—”
“I saw the text.” Her jaw is tight, arms crossed like she’s holding herself back from lunging at me.
“And I heard you on the phone the day I got here. You told her you wanted it all or whatever. What’s that mean, huh? You working things out with your side bitch yet brought my ass here for what? Saying we need to consummate like you want me, but you haveher?”
My heart stutters.
She’s jealous.
She thinks Piccola is—
Oh.
Oh, fuck yes.
My mouth curves slowly. I shouldn’t be smiling. But I am.
Because this? This means she still feels something. That the girl who used to curl up against me, whispering all the ways I made her feel safe, may still be in there.
“That bitch still here?” she snaps, taking a step closer. “You want to fuck meandher, is that the setup? Or what? You keep me for show and sneak her in when you want a warm body?”
My smile fades.
“Don’t call her that.”
“Don’t call her that? You fucking kidding?”
“Adriana, she’s important and I care about her.”
“Oh, now you care?” she spits. “That’s rich. If you care so much, why didn’t you marry her? Why the fuck am I here?”
The words are venom. Honest. Raw. Wounded.
And I open my mouth to say something—anything—when the hallway echoes with the soft click of boots.
“Oh!”
Vasilisa steps into the room, her eyes wide and glowing. Completely oblivious.
She looks between us, then beams.
“You must be Angelo’s wife!” she says, like she’s announcing I just won the goddamn lottery. “You’re so beautiful!”
Adriana goes still.
Vasilisa takes another step forward, holding out a dainty hand, all joy and warmth. “I’ve been dying to meet you.”
Adriana doesn’t take her hand. Her fingers curl in tighter at her sides like she’s holding herself together with bone and willpower. Her jaw clenches so hard I see it in the tension of her neck.
Her eyes flick between us, between the storm and the sun—and the look she gives me next?
It could burn this entire penthouse down.
“Thisis Piccola?“ Adriana says all venom and smoke.
