Page 43 of Ace of Hearts

Rose

June

Las Vegas, USA

I spent the night in a bar.

I’m absolutely hammered. I thought alcohol would dull the pain in my heart, like it usually does, but it’s not working this time.

Levi has completely messed me up. It turns out he’s a total asshole. It’s my own fault. My father told me what he was. I’d heard the rumors. Levi even warned me himself. I was stupid to think there was anything different hidden behind his image as the devil incarnate.

I stagger to a bench by the side of the road, sit down, and close my eyes. The sun is already starting to show itself. I haven’t slept a wink. I hate Levi, but I hate myself even more. This is all my fault.

I started it; it’s true. I was going to explain it all to him. I wanted to tell him I haven’t given any really important information to my father. I wanted him to know I’d fallen for him, and that I’d never have slept with him if I hadn’t.

I’m not really a prostitute, am I?

But when he admitted to having used me, the words died on my lips. He’s known everything right from the start. He let me keep on going so he could manipulate me even more. So that he could seduce me right back and make me change sides. He’s completely twisted. The person I love doesn’t even exist.

The memory of how I let him take me against the wall comes flooding back, and I almost vomit on the pavement.

The worst thing is, I enjoyed it. Somehow, I don’t regret it.

It was my way of saying goodbye to him. Everything else was a huge mistake.

I shouldn’t have begged my father to let me come here; I shouldn’t have agreed to spy on Levi; I shouldn’t have followed him here .

.. All for what? Some money and a broken heart?

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I stiffen, almost expecting to see Levi’s name appear on the screen, but it’s just my mother. I take a deep breath, tidy my hair as best I can, and answer the call.

Her face appears on the screen. I see the garden of our house in Venice behind her, with its vines and oleanders. She gives me a beaming smile and signs to me, “Hello, sweetheart. I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

I shake my head, not trusting myself to open my mouth. But it’s my mother, and my mother knows everything. Her face falls slightly, and she asks if I’m OK.

That tips me over the edge. I don’t know what happens, but I burst into tears through my smile. That hasn’t happened in years. My mother is taken aback, and a look of panic appears on her face. Everything’s blurred through my tears, so I can barely understand what she signs to me.

“What’s going on? Where are you?”

“ I’ve done something really stupid, Mom,” I tell her, sniffing.

“It’ll be all right. Tell me all about it, darling.”

I take a moment to calm down before admitting the worst of it: I came to Las Vegas with Dad. I met a man and got taken in by him. She purses her lips as she realizes I’ve been lying to her.

“Your father was wrong to take you with him. It’s not good for you. You should have stayed here, at home.”

“ I know. I’m sorry.”

“Who is this man?” she asks suspiciously.

I grimace but don’t say anything. Do I really have to tell her everything? What if she starts to hate me too? I can’t stand the thought of disappointing her. But when I look into her eyes, I don’t have a choice.

“Levi Ivanovich,” I admit miserably.

Her mouth opens in surprise. The name is clearly familiar to her. She says nothing at first, then shakes her head and sighs. Her movements are frenetic as she begins to sign again, frowning.

“This is all your father’s fault! He dragged you into this business, didn’t he? What did he offer in return?”

“Money.”

“Is it money you need? We’ve got money, for God’s sake! You only had to ask!”

“ I know, but I don’t want to ask, Mom. That’s the whole point. I don’t want to be dependent on you anymore. I want to manage for myself.”

She doesn’t reply immediately, and her expression grows resigned. She must guess why I need money, but she knows me too well to try to talk about it now. Instead, she asks me the question I feared the most.

“Do you love this man?”

I sit quite still, my eyes full of tears. My mind fills with images of Levi: his playful smile, the gentleness of his hands when he disinfected my knee, the taste of his mouth against mine, the feel of his legs wound around mine when he’s asleep. The way he calls me my love .

I look down and nod miserably. Yes. Yes, I’m in love with Levi Ivanovich. I knew that already, of course. But admitting it to another person is different. It makes it seem real.

“Is he good to you?” my mother interrogates me. “That’s all I care about.”

“It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t feel the same toward me.”

There’s no point in discussing it. What’s done is done. I thought I deserved a second chance, but I was wrong. Levi and I aren’t made for each other. I’m a Capulet, and he’s a Montague. Sorry, Shakespeare. In my world, Juliet is a mercenary floozy, and Romeo is a manipulative shit.

If any scenario deserves a tragic ending, this one does.

“Come home,” my mother begs. “You need to be with me. We’ll find solutions to your problems. I love you, darling.”

My heart doesn’t like this idea, for the simple reason that it hates the thought of being far away from Levi. But I do desperately want to go. To feel like I’m home again. To be back in my own bed, my garden, my room. With people who speak my language, who understand me ...

I’d give a lot for a hug from my mother right now.

I dry my tears and nod resignedly. There’s nothing more for me to do here, anyway. Nothing to hold me back.

“All right. I’ll come home.”

I’ve bought a plane ticket to Italy for this afternoon. I’ve made up my mind. I just need to do two things: collect my belongings and talk to my father.

When I reach the hotel entrance, my head still spinning, the day’s play has already started. I know for sure that Levi’s playing this morning, but Tito isn’t. I’m worried I’ll bump into Thomas in the suite, but I have to take the risk. I can’t leave without my passport.

“Rose!”

I jump as though caught red-handed, then see Li Mei, still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, trotting toward me. She looks tired, and I realize she must have come straight from the hospital. Has she already heard the truth about me?

“No offense, but you look as though you’ve just had the worst night of your life,” she says, wrinkling her nose.

I have .

“Are you OK?”

“I’m great. Do you know if Thomas is in the suite?”

“No. He’s playing this morning. I’m on my way there too.”

Perfect. That leaves me time to pack before they get back.

“How’s Lucky doing?” I ask, genuinely concerned.

She tells me he’s doing fine. Hearing her friendly tone, I conclude she hasn’t heard what’s happened. Not yet. I take the opportunity to give her a hug, which surprises her. Then I draw back and smile.

“I’ll see you soon, OK?”

“Er . . . we live together.”

“I’m going home,” I say, taking her hand.

Li Mei’s eyes widen in astonishment. She asks me why, and whether it’s because Levi and I fought again. I don’t want her to hate me, not my one and only friend, so I answer vaguely.

“I’ve fucked up. I thought I could sort things out, but I was wrong. Staying here ... would be too hard. I’ve been away from home too long. I want to be with my family.”

She wants to stop me, I can tell, but she can’t find a reason to keep me here. The sadness in her face touches me. It seems sincere. Unlike Levi, she genuinely likes me.

“You’re right,” she says. “Family’s important. I realized that too late. Make the most of it. We’ll see each other again, though, won’t we? Promise?”

I’d like to, but you’ll probably hate me once you know the truth.

“ Of course. Say bye to Lucky for me. And Thomas ... He’s grouchy, but I can’t help liking him anyway.”

“I will.”

I go then, not wanting to make her late for the tournament. I’m relieved to find our suite empty and silent. The traces of Levi’s and my violent argument are still there—books scattered on the living room floor, my ring, Levi’s chopped-up clothes all over the bedroom ...

The bed’s still made, as though nobody’s slept there. I don’t linger, just quickly pile my clothes into my suitcase. I change out of my torn dress into a pair of jeans and leave it lying on the floor when I leave.

Once I’m in the corridor, I’m just a few steps from Tito’s room. I haven’t even planned what to say to him. I’m too angry, too disappointed, too shocked. I want to tell him how used I feel. I want to say I’m abandoning my ambition to make him proud, no matter what that costs me.

But most of all, I want him to swear to me that he didn’t try to physically harm Levi. I still refuse to believe he was behind that.

I knock on the door, my heart pounding. When it opens, I quickly rearrange my face into its usual mask. Tito doesn’t look particularly amazed to see me. He steps aside to let me in.

“What a pleasant surprise.”

I walk in, dragging my suitcase behind me, and stop in the middle of the room. As I fold my arms, my father sits down on the sofa, where he’s been eating breakfast.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Levi knows everything,” I blurt out.

He doesn’t seem bothered by this revelation, but simply bites into a brioche and opens the newspaper in front of him. “I know.”

I can’t believe it. Has Levi already confronted him? I want to ask how he knows, but that’s not the most important issue right now. I watch him, fear gnawing at my stomach, and ask coldly, “Did you have anything to do with it?”

Still chewing his food, he asks what I’m talking about.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“It wasn’t my car.”

“Answer the question.”

He swallows, and finally looks at me. He doesn’t speak, but his silence tells me everything. An awful shudder runs down my back. My hands form tight fists as I absorb the shock. I feel like I might throw up every drink I knocked back last night.

This whole situation is too big for me. I’m not up to it. I never was.

“You’re sick,” I breathe.

That doesn’t seem to wound him. “It’s your fault, you know. I had to do something, given that you weren’t doing anything at all.”

“And you thought that something was running him over?” I shout, suddenly furious. “What the hell were you thinking?”

He rolls his eyes, as if to say my reaction is excessive. He’s frightening me. “Such harsh words. I’d never have killed him, so stop panicking. I just wanted to scare him. He’s fine, isn’t he?”

I stare at him, not believing my ears. I knew my father had his faults, but I didn’t think he was this crazy. I have it all wrong. All this time, I was seeking approval from someone completely incapable of loving anyone except himself.

“Lucky’s in the hospital because of you,” I say, fighting back tears of rage.

“Who?”

Oh my God. He’s played opposite Lucky several times, and he doesn’t even know his name. Because he doesn’t give a damn.

Suddenly, the awful truth hits me: right from the start, I’ve been on the wrong side. Levi’s the hero, of course. And I’m the antihero.

My father needs help. Money and power have gone to his head. He’s prepared to order a man run over, just to avoid being beaten at poker.

I feel as though I’m suffocating. I put my hand to my mouth, on the verge of being sick.

“Don’t look like that,” says my father teasingly. “At least now you won’t have to pretend anymore. You can move in here until the end of the tournament. I’ve already got everything I need anyway.”

What does that mean, everything he needs ? I can’t even begin to grasp what he’s implying. I shake my head repeatedly. “I can’t.”

“You can’t what?”

“You have to quit the tournament.” The words tumble out of my mouth of their own accord.

Tito stiffens, then turns toward me very slowly. His eyes seem to pin me down. He always intimidated me, even when I was little. But things are different now. He’s lost my respect.

I can’t believe that this man is my father.

“What did you say?” he asks me.

“It’s dishonest. You’re cheating in every way you can!”

He bursts out laughing. His laughter has nothing to do with amusement; it’s cold as ice. I know the worst is still to come.

“And if I don’t?”

“I’ll go to the police and tell them what you did.”

I’m as surprised by this statement as he is. I hadn’t intended to say it, but deep down, I know it’s true. I don’t want to be an accomplice to something like this. I’m giving him a chance to back out and save himself.

But if he doesn’t take it, I’m not going to stand here and do nothing.

Tito’s expression as he looks at me is cold and disdainful, almost disgusted. The heart of the little girl inside me breaks to see it.

“I don’t think you will,” he says.

I frown. That was the last reply I expected.

He continues confidently. “Because if you do that, I’ll have to expose your darling fiancé’s secret to the whole world. I don’t think he’d like that, would he?”

I freeze and feel myself turning pale. No.

No, no, no. Can it be that he knows about Jacob’s death?

How could he possibly have found out something like that?

I don’t say anything, feeling trapped. I detest Levi, but I promised to take his secrets with me to the grave.

If my father has managed to get hold of them . .. it’ll be a disaster.

I try in vain to think of a way to stop him. I’d rather Levi lost the tournament than ended up in prison. So I bite my lip in shame and beg.

“Please ... you can’t do that.”

Tito tuts in disapproval.

“You’re too weak, Rose. It’s very exasperating. I tried to harden you up, but I was wasting my time. First poker, now this. You’re full of good intentions, but the moment a good-looking guy pays you a bit of attention, you open your legs. Disappointing.”

I feel as though he’s slapped me. It’s almost the same thing Levi said last night. As if I give myself to whoever comes along, for the sake of some money and a bit of sweet talk. Is that really all they see in me?

I resist the temptation to slap him, too, and my cheeks burn with humiliation. Better to let him think whatever he wants. Once I’m back in Venice, my mother and I will leave and go somewhere together, far away from him.

“So ... what’s your decision? You stay here until the end of the tournament and help me, and, in exchange, I keep this little secret to myself?”

I swallow, feeling like nothing more than an empty shell.

“OK.”