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“I didn’t want you to find out this way,” he states, expression pained. “It’s about your father. His death.”

For a minute it feels like I’m underwater, like there’s no air to breathe.

“Dad died of a heart attack,” I state, the words leaving me confidently because I refuse to believe anything else.

I don’t want to.

Uncle Miguel offers me a pitying look, “Do you really, honestly believe that, Cassandra? Think about it. Your father was completely healthy. He had no underlying health conditions. A heart attack out of nowhere. Don’t be naïve.”

My breathing grows heavy as panic floods through me. His words touch a nerve I thought I’d buried. Because he’s right. Dad’s death was weird. But I was going through so many conflicting emotions at the time. I was so angry at him, I didn’t want to think about it. He was just suddenly here and then gone and I had no idea how to handle it.

So I decided not to.

“What are you getting at, uncle?” I ask, my voice tight.

“Your father was murdered, Cassie. He was shot actually.”

“No, he-”

I stop thinking back to the days following me receiving the news of his death. I never actually looked into anything. I couldn’t even bring myself to see his dead body. Oh God, I’ve been so oblivious. I think I’m going to be sick.

“He was murdered. I’ve been investigating his death ever since. He’s always been involved with the wrong crowd, his deal with Luciano a prime example of that. Anyone could be responsible. But I want you to think for a second who stood to benefit the most from his death. Your father was fighting toothand nail to prevent your marriage to Luciano when he was alive. As soon as he died, he swooped in, took you for himself.”

My throat feels dry, so dry, and yet I manage to push the words out.

“You think Damien killed dad,” I state, the words sounding foreign to my ears.

“He’s the prime suspect. And you know very well, he’s all too capable.”

I think if I hadn’t been sitting down, I might have collapsed from the weight of those words. The world suddenly feels too cold, I shiver gently.

“You can still leave him,” my uncle continues. “Name me CEO. You can take your inheritance and disappear. Live a safe, quiet life away from him, away from all of this. I’ll help you. Make sure he never finds you again. I swear it.”

“I-I have to leave,” I tell him, rising slowly to my feet. “We’ll talk more later, uncle.”

My steps are shaky as I turn to leave the office, his words echoing in my head. When I step out of the house, I immediately feel Rafael’s presence beside me.

“Are you ready to head home, ma’am?” he questions.

I turn to look at his face. His hair is packed in a ponytail today. He’s wearing a crisp black suit, formal, steady. He frowns when he takes in the expression on my face. I wonder how I must look right now. I feel like there’s a turmoil of emotions within me that could very easily spiral out of control and bury me.

“No,” I shake my head. “I’m not going back there.”

“Are you okay, Mrs. Luciano? Did something happen?”

Spiders crawl up my skin at the sound of that name. Oh God. I really am Mrs. Luciano. Legally, biblically married to Damien.

“I’m not letting you take me back there,” I say resolutely, looking into his eyes and making sure he understands.

His brows furrow in confusion, meanwhile, I can feel every beat of my heart as I recollect my conversation with my uncle. A part of me doesn’t want to believe what my uncle said. A part of me doesn’t want to believe anything that just happened.

And my uncle. He just seemed so.. spiteful. So different from the man I grew up knowing.

Rafael hesitates before asking, “Where would you like to go then, ma’am?”

And a part of me is so grateful he asked that. That he wants to help me. Because I was already steeling myself to be dragged back to the mansion. To get locked up in my bedroom.

“To my friends’ house. Maxine,” I murmur in reply.