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A strained breath leaves my lips as I curl the duvet tighter around me. Despite Mia’s advice to go to the mansion and face Elio, I can’t bring myself to do it...not yet. Perhaps because I’m scared of facing the truth. What if Mario was dealing drugs for Elio, and when they found his true identity as a journalist, they decided to eliminate him? How would I live with myself knowing that truth?
The thought turns in my head until I hear a knock on the entrance door. My first instinct is to ignore it, but the least Ican do in someone else’s house is accept their mail for them or attend to whomever is at the door.
I drag my limbs off the bed and head toward the door. Mia rarely comes back after leaving for work in the mornings, but maybe, this morning, she forgot something. The knock continues until I reach the door.
I instantly regret opening the door when I come face to face with him.
Elio.
A shaky breath escapes my lips as I take in his messy hair, sunken eyes and almost translucent skin.
“Aria,” he breathes, the expression on his face contorting as if he’s in physical pain.
Despite feeling a knot tightening in my stomach, the words tumble out of my mouth, “What do you want?”
“Fuck, Aria! Please...” he runs a hand through his hair.
“How did you find me here?”
“Look, I know what you think. I know you think I had something to do with your late brother, but please just calm down and hear me out.”
The fucking audacity to ask me to calm down!
“You’re in no position to tell me to calm down when you’ve been keeping secrets about my brother,” I interject.
“Aria, I swear, I had no idea until recently. Look, we can’t do this here. Will you let me in, or will you mind walking to my car with me?” his hands reach out to touch my arms as he adds, “Please…” but my entire body recoils from him.
I hold his gaze firmly, pushing the door wide open for him to enter and eyeing his pained expression but instead of a knot in my belly, I feel betrayal in my chest.
“You know what, Elio?” My voice is high-pitched and bitter as I slam the door once he enters. “Save it. Save your meaningless, bloody apology. I’ve done my research and I know what you did to my brother.”
Elio’s expression shifts, but it’s unreadable. He sighs, rubbing a hand down his face.
That’s it? A sigh?
My entire body begins to tremble with rage.
“I can’t forgive myself for sleeping with the man who had a hand in my brother’s murder.”
“Aria...”
“Don’t! Just don’t patronize me!” I cut him off, my hands trembling as I rip the ring off my finger. “This stupid, sham marriage or whatever agreement we had here? It’s over. Done.” I turn around to leave but firm hands grab at my arm.
“Wait!” His voice cracks, “Just...listen to me.”
I whirl around, yanking my arm free, glaring at him through tears. “Why should I? So you can lie to me again?”
“I didn’t kill your brother,” he says, his voice laden with desperation for the first time since I’ve known him.
“Don’t.” The first teardrop slips free from my eyes. “Don’t you dare…”
“Mario didn’t work for me!” he bursts out. The words stop me from raising my hand to his face.
I stare at him, my mind racing. “What?”
Elio runs a hand through his hair, his face etched with anguish. “Mario and a few other guys did business at the warehouse all the time, but he wasn’t one of mine. He was a solo drug supplier who sold to multiple families, Aria. He sold to the Marinos at the time…during Ezra Marino’s reign as the don.”
I shake my head furiously, my vision blurring with the uncontrollable tears slipping down my cheeks. “Stop lying. I saw the video. If he didn’t work for you then why did your lawyer seal the case?”