Page 73 of Ruin Me With Lies

He opens his eyes and pins me with a look.“Is that why you were making all that noise earlier?To ruin mine?”

Okay, so hehadnoticed.“Payback for starving me.”

He just stares at me.And something in his eyes—tight, pained, vulnerable—makes my guilt twist deeper.I feel awful.

I glance down at my laptop, then back up.“You know, after trying every pill, patch, and placebo under the sun, my dad ended up hiring a pharmaceutical scientist to develop a custom formula for him.It was a patient-specific beta-blocker that drastically reduced both the frequency and intensity of his migraines.”

His gaze narrows slightly, wary.

“If you want, I could reach out to my dad…”

There’s a long beat of silence as he watches me with open distrust and suspicion.“Have you spoken to your family since you… ‘ran off?’”

“Indirectly.”I shrug.“My mom, our relationship is…complicated.My twin brother, I avoid like the plague.But my dad, I love him to pieces.Things are tense between us right now, sure, but if I asked, he wouldn’t deny me the beta-blockers.”

“Why do you avoid your brother?”

“Because he’s fucked in the head.”A dry, humorless laugh escapes me.“If you peeked up my dress like you claimed, then you probably saw the scar on my inner thigh.That’s where he shot me while we were…hunting.”

His brow lifts.

“He said his finger ‘slipped’ on the trigger,” I expound.“And that’s justoneof many delightful attempts he’s made on my life.I’m convinced that psycho tried to eat me in the womb.”

Stefano studies me, his expression unreadable.“Parents who want to sell you off like cattle, and a sibling who wants to end you.No wonder you think living among killers is a safer option.”

“Yep,” I mutter, then pivot.“How doyoulike being a twin?”

His gaze drifts toward the ceiling, thoughtful.“I don’t particularly enjoy sharing a birthday, but I’d die for Lo.”His voice shifts, softer.“Mamma said she had to get an emergency C-section.We came out at the same time, still unaware we’d been born.She said my arms were locked around Lo’s neck, like I was shielding him.That I was the first to open my eyes.They ran water over us, trying to wake Lo, but I kept kicking at the doctors’ hands.Wouldn’t let go of him until he finally woke up to the world, screaming.”

The image of those two large, menacing men as tiny, innocent infants—one clinging to the other, defying the world—makes me smile.

“Yeah,” I murmur.“I can believe that.”

He lifts a brow.“Can you?”

“You’re paranoid, distrustful, and hyper-observant,” I say.“But I don’t believe you are this way for yourself.You’re like this because you are protective of the people around you.Your family.Because you’re built to protect.You were brand new to the world and didn’t even trust the doctors with your brother.”

His gaze lingers on me as he runs two fingers along his jaw, as if weighing whether to respond.But before he can, his phone buzzes, stealing his attention.

He answers, listens for a moment, then curses under his breath and stands.Shrugging into his jacket, he commands, “Do notleave this office.”

And then he’s gone.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Raya

I’M PACING LAPSAROUNDthe office to get my blood flowing when Stefano returns nearly two hours later.

He eyes me with suspicion as he strides to his desk.

“All this sitting is terrible for my health,” I explain.

“You got everything done?”

“Almost.”

He rocks back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head, watching me like I’m prime-time entertainment as I stretch and walk.