Page 87 of Beautiful Sinner

It’s just me and Viktor. I’ve lied to him in the past but we were able to move on from that. And now I’ve lied to him again when I didn’t immediately tell him about Julia and Matteo’s secret affair.

I can’t lie to my husband anymore.

“I can’t fucking believe this,” Viktor growls. “Women were supposed to be off-limits. You and Julia were not supposed to get hurt.”

“Connor is lying to you.”

He stops and stares at me for a long moment. “Why do you say that?”

I just have to be fully honest with Viktor even though it’s going to hurt him. “Because I was there. At Julia and Matteo’s wedding.”

It takes Viktor a long moment to process what I just told him and when it hits him, it hits him hard. He rocks back on his heels and looks like he might pass out. My strong husband. I’ve never seen him look this weak before.

“Inessa, are you telling me you’ve betrayed me?”

“No. I’m telling you that Connor is a liar. I… didn’t go out shopping. I did lie about that and I’m sorry. I just wanted to see Elena. You know we’re best friends. We decided to meet in secret an hour out of the city. It was just to catch up, you know? Nothing dangerous. Nothing complicit. I just wanted to see my friend after everything that has happened with Julia and… Elena and I ran into Julia and Matteo in a park. It was by accident. Matteo told me to turn off my phone, so I did. I wasn’t sure if he would hurt me or not so I did as he told me.

“And, I’m sorry for that,” I continue. “But I then looked at Julia and Matteo and I saw it, Viktor. I saw it.”

“It?”

“Love. On both their faces.”

He scoffs. “What are you saying right now? I don’t understand.”

“You’ve always strived to protect Julia. I get it after everything you went through with your parents. It’s blinding you to the reality.”

“And that is?”

“Julia was tired of being a prisoner here.”

Viktor looks like I just slapped him. “I never treated her like a prisoner.”

“She was one. In a gilded cage, yes. But still a prisoner. She was not allowed to love who she wanted to love. She was not allowed to go anywhere without a guard. She was not allowed to truly live. And I know it was just because you wanted to protect her and she never blamed you for it.”

“How do you know all of this.”

“Because we talked!” I almost shout. “I listened to her. She met Matteo when he came over here and she liked him, so she started sneaking out to see him. And I wasn’t sure if he was using her or not but one thing was clear: she liked him. Of her own accord. And she trusted him. And then I saw them together in that park and I knew. Matteo was never using her. He loves her just as much as she loves him. You don’t want to see it because you don’t want to admit that your sister could have done something like this. That she could have gone behind your back. That she could have fallen in love with the enemy. That she could love someone other than her brother. But she did all of that. And she asked me if I could be there at her and Matteo’s wedding. So I said yes. And I’m not sorry for that.”

Viktor is as frozen as a statue. It takes him a long time to move. When he does, he slowly approaches me. I know he won’t hurt me but I’m still worried over what he might do. Will he scream at me? Make me leave? Act cold?

Instead, he drops to his knees before me like all the energy has just been zapped from his body. “So what are you saying?”

“I was there at the wedding when Connor showed up. He tried shooting at Matteo and accidently shot Julia instead.”

He sucks in a breath and looks up at me. “You’re sure?”

“I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t think he meant to hurt Julia but he did. Matteo did not. You’re so convinced you want Matteo dead but you’ve never asked yourself what Julia wanted.”

“Julia’s not here for me to ask.”

“And she’s afraid to come home because she’s worried you’ll just lock her up again. Find her, Viktor, and when you do, don’t kill Matteo. Talk to Julia and get her side of things. Then proceed. But have all the information. Connor is lying to you.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Because he wants your power and he knows he’ll get that if he marries Julia. But trust me, Viktor. You don’t want him to marry Julia. Even if it’s not Matteo in the end, it can’t be Connor. He’s not good for her. Trust that, at least.”

“So, now I have to go kill the one man I tried to make an ally?”