Ruthless Monarch - A Billionaire Enemies-to-Lovers Romance - Ava Harrison Page 0,101
you.” I must look stunned because he lifts my hand to his mouth. “I do. I love you. It took me a long time to realize, but you are everything to me, Viviana.”
“But you wanted to kill me.”
“I didn’t truly. I thought I could. But when I pulled the trigger, I realized I loved you. I was too scared to admit the feelings I had. Too scared to allow myself this, but when I saw you lying on the ground, I realized I would do anything to protect you.”
The room goes silent. His confession heavy in the air. My own declaration weighs heavily on my tongue, but I’m not sure if I can tell him. If I can trust him with my heart again.
“You don’t have to say it again. I heard you. I was an asshole, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t. It doesn’t mean that your words are not forever engraved on my heart.” Sometimes I forget that Matteo can see through me. He sees everything. The only time he was blind, it was because he thought I betrayed him.
Can I forgive him?
Can I give us another chance?
After what he did to me and put me through. Can I move past that?
Should I move past that?
I stare up into his green eyes. Eyes I have allowed myself to get lost in time and time again.
All I see looking back at me is truth.
His truth.
He loves me.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you too. Can you forgive me?”
I let my lips tip up into a smile. “It will cost you.”
His own mouth parts in a smirk. “I’ll be happy to pay the price. Whatever price you deem fit.”
“Groveling . . .”
Our mouths connect, and he kisses me as if I’m his oxygen.
We stay entwined for a few more moments, but eventually, Matteo pulls back and looks down at me.
“How did you know?”
“About what?”
“That it was a trap.”
What does he mean . . . didn’t he already know this? I furrow my brow. “You don’t know?”
“My men are still interrogating Eddie. Did you hear something when he was working in your father's house?”
“Who do you think Eddie is?”
“What do you mean? He worked for me. He was my inside guy.”
My eyes widen, and I grab his hand. “Matteo. That’s not who he is. He was never your guy. He’s my father’s.”
“What?”
“His name isn’t even Eddie. The man who brought me to you, his name . . . it’s Jonathan. He’s Julia's brother.”
“This whole time—fuck.” His hand lifts and pulls at the roots of his hair. “How didn’t I see it? I even looked into Ana’s family, but no—I never recognized him. He got through my security checks.”
“When he first started working for my father, his appearance changed drastically. I thought it was because of the new job, but now I see it was to change his appearance to deceive you. My father really did think of everything. But what I don’t understand is why try to kill you? Why would he do anything for my father like that? Unless my father told him the truth. Unless he’s blackmailing him too.”
“Blackmail? Truth? What aren’t you telling me?”
I have put this off long enough. It’s time I told him everything.
“When I was a child, I had a nanny. She started to work for my parents when I was a little girl. She lived in our house. Back then we lived on a large estate, similar to this. It belonged to my mother’s family. My mother had the money. I grew up with Jonathan and Julia. They were the closest thing I had to siblings. When I was ten years old, I had a crazy idea. I wanted to bring Ana a cake for her birthday. I didn’t have a cake, so I took one of my cupcakes and put a candle on it. Ana wasn’t in her room when I went. I looked for her, and that’s when I saw the light in the playroom on. I heard her voice because she was talking to someone. I left the cupcake there on a table next to the playroom. It was an accident. There were papers on the table, the whole thing went up in flames. I don't know how but Ana was stuck in the room, the door was blocked. I don't remember anything. I don't remember how any of it happened.”
My tears come out faster now. My words a hiccup. “All I know is once she was gone, my father told