Page 40 of Beautiful Sinner

“Shouldn’t Connor be doing this with you?” she asks as we go through invitation after invitation, trying to pick out the best one.

“I don’t really want to be around Connor.”

“I know you don’t like him but is there any specific reason why? I mean, he’s handsome. He’s seems charming in a way.”

“I just don’t trust him. I feel it in my gut.”

She sets down the cream colored invitation and sighs. “Then you need to tell Viktor that. He’ll listen to you. He loves you. He won’t force you to marry a man you’re afraid of.”

“I never said I was afraid of Connor.”

She gives me a pointed look. “I’ve seen your face every time his name comes up. You’re afraid of him. Why?”

I can’t look at her as I go through the stack of invitations. They all look the same.

“Does this have anything to do with you sneaking out?”

I pause. “What are you talking about?”

“Julia, I know you’ve been sneaking out of the house.”

Stay calm, I tell myself as I look at her. “What are you talking about?”

“I know what it’s like to hold onto a lie. And you’re lying about something. What?”

“How do you know I’ve been sneaking out?”

“Because I saw you. Yesterday. You waited until the guards weren’t in the backyard and you snuck out the back gate. If you were going somewhere your brother approved of, then you wouldn’t need to go out the back gate. So what’s going on? You can trust me.”

“You’re Viktor’s wife. I can’t ask you to lie to him for me.”

“You’re right,” she says. “I don’t want to lie to my husband ever again. But if something is happening, then you tell me. I can keep your secret until you’re ready to voice it yourself.”

“I can’t do that to you.” I push the invitations away. The sight of them is making me nauseated.

“Tell me.”

I look into the eyes of my sister-in-law. She’s the only true friend I’ve ever had. If there’s anyone I can trust, it’s her. “Ok. But you can’t freak out.”

“Promise.”

I glance around the shop but there’s hardly anyone here. For good measure, I still lean in closer to her. “I’ve been sneaking off to meet with Matteo.”

Inessa blinks. “Matteo?”

“Matteo Conti. Dante’s… second.”

She goes eerily still. “Ok. That was not what I was expecting. This is a lot worse than I had been expecting. Julia. What are you thinking?”

“I like him.” It sounds pathetic to my own ears and I can tell Inessa thinks so too.

“Viktor would be so hurt if he knew you were going off to see Matteo, his enemy.”

“I know. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want to put you in this position.”

“I get it. And I’m glad I know. You could put yourself in danger. Matteo could be using you.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think he is. I think he truly likes me too. He’s proven that.”