Page 156 of Beautiful Lies

I, Knox Vale, fell in love with a woman who was supposed to be nothing more than a contract to me.

“Guess I’ll leave you with that thought.” Dorian stands, claps my shoulder, and leaves me there. Alone with a problem I’ve been avoiding.

I look back at Isla. She’s laughing softly at something on her canvas, completely unaware of the war raging inside my chest.

She won’t be happy at all about my plans.

She’ll hate them, then she’ll hate me.

The truth lands with a quiet, devastating blow.

The plans for the restaurant are my next level. My legacy and mark on Vale Global. Who knows where I could take the company with such a venture?

But I can’t lose Isla.

I’ll have to find a way to keep both.

My plans for the restaurant…

And my wife.

Letting her go isn’t an option anymore.

Not for me.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Isla

Mia sitsacross from me on the terrace, sipping her iced coffee while she swipes another banana chocolate chip cookie from the platter.

We’re enjoying a late lunch. We’re also catching up. I haven’t seen her in a little over two weeks because she’s been so busy at work. We’ve talked or texted pretty much every other day, but it’s always different when we see each other in person.

She arrived ten minutes ago. We came out here, and Sheila presented us with a platter of delicious cookies and flavored iced coffee.

“I need a Sheila in my life. Everything that woman makes is heavenly.” Mia plants a kiss in the center of the cookie then laughs as she hoists it into the air like a torch. In the bright sunlight, she looks like a curly-haired version of the Statue of Liberty. “These are soooo scrumptious.”

“I agree. Mom asked her to whip up a batch of these for the restaurant over the Labor Day weekend.”

“Ohhhh, great call. People are gonna go bat shit crazy over these. And of course, I will be there.” She giggles. “Ready to eat.”

“Just promise you won’t eat all of them.”

She shakes her head and takes a big bite, savoring as she chews. “No, Ma’am. I’ll make you no such promises.”

“You are so crazy.” I chuckle.

“For these, yes. And I absolutely adore scrimping off this new lifestyle of yours.” She waves the remnants of the cookie around. “The house, the food, and the man.”

I can’t even protest anymore. Especially about the man.

Knox and I have been married for four months now.

Four whole months of bliss.

Everything seemed to change for us in Italy, then on the night of the gala…

God. Somehow, life shifted into something that felt almost unreal. Peaceful in places I didn’t think peace existed.