Page 197 of The Morally Grey Billionaires Boxset

Declan

Yes, say yes. Say you are engaged to her sister. "No, I’m not," I say through gritted teeth.

A breath whooshes out of her, some of the tension in her shoulders seems to fade. I glance down at the ring on her left hand. "You, however, are engaged to the man she loves."

She blinks, but other than that, there’s no other visible reaction on her features. Did she already know? Did she suspect that Olivia loves Massimo?

"You don’t seem surprised?" I place my palm flat on the table.

She looks away, then back at me. "I saw the way they looked at each other, so no… I’m not surprised."

"You’re still going to marry him?" Anger squeezes my chest so hard I see flashes behind my eyes. Jesus Christ, why is the thought of her marrying someone else winding me up so much?

"I—" She lowers her chin. "I’m not sure what to do."

"You still trying to do what your family asks of you?"

She jerks up her head. "They’re my family. I love them. Of course, I’m going to follow what they say. Besides, it’s not like I have a choice. I’m dependent on them. If I refuse what they ask of me, they’ll disown me."

"Would that be so bad?"

Something sparks in her eyes, lending them the brilliance that had entranced me from the beginning.

Then, just as suddenly, it fades away, leaving a bleakness.

"Yes. No. I don’t know. This was supposed to be the happiest time of my life—being engaged, planning my wedding, looking toward the future—now I’m not so sure. "

Her eyes gleam with moisture, and my heart stutters.

A hot sensation twists my insides and a hollowness yawns in my stomach.

Goddamn her. From the moment I came across her fighting to get away from those men on the beach, a part of me has belonged to her.

I knew her only for thirty-six hours, but it was enough to change the course of my life.

I raise my hand and touch the jagged scar on my forehead.

I wasn’t lucky that day. The injuries I suffered that day left their mark on me, in more ways than one.

It’s why I’m here—to make her pay. And I can’t forget that—no matter how much her proximity affects me.

"Don’t bother with those fake tears. They don’t affect me."

"They’re not fake," she sniffles.

"They were fake that day when you thrust yourself between me and your brother, when you accused me of something I hadn’t done."

"Y-you’re never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope." I make a popping sound at the end of the word. "Not as long as I live, babe."

She swallows, then locks her fingers together on the table. "I deserve that. What I did to you was wrong. But I was only seventeen."

"Older than the age of consent in your country, so clearly, you knew what you were doing when you tried to climb me like a tree."

"It was teenage hormones," she bursts out.

"And is it hormones that’s making you want to continue your engagement with a man who’s in love with another?"

"Th-that’s duty." She sighs. "B-besides, what choice do I have? I can refuse to marry him, but that’s not going to make a difference. It’s not like I c-can run away."

It’s the first time her stammer is evident. I noticed it when I went to her room that day, but assumed she'd overcome it. Apparently, it only arises when she is in a state of high emotion, like now.

"And if you could?" I drag my thumb under my bottom lip. "What if I gave you a way out?"

"Eh?" She scrutinizes my features and asks, "What are you saying?"

"You wanted to become a singer, if I recall."

"Childish dreams," she scoffs.

"I heard you that day on the beach. You have a unique voice."

She raises a shoulder. "Lots of people are talented; doesn’t mean they all get to use it or make a career out of it."

"I don’t know about them, but I do know this"—I reach forward and place my hand over both of hers—"it would be a pity if you didn’t share your voice with the world. It would be wrong if you hid away here, and spent your life married to someone who doesn’t want you.

It would be a serious error if you didn’t take this opportunity I’m offering you. "

"You’re offering me an op-p-p-portunity?"

I nod. "Come with me to LA."

"What?" She gapes at me. "W-what do you mean?"

"Just that. Come with me to the city where dreams are made. Try your luck. I’ll even use my contacts and introduce you around to the right people."

"You’re j-joking."

"I’m not. This is your chance, Solene, to make all of your dreams come true.

" When I mentioned LA to her the first time we met, I saw her eyes light up. Not that she’ll necessarily go for this proposition, but my instinct says the fiery girl who stepped between me and her brother—before pretending she never met me—had too much determination in her to not want to do something with her talent.

And I didn't lie when I told her how distinctive her voice was. I fully intend to introduce her around to the right people in LA. Of course, she’ll have to trust me enough to come with me and live with me, which means, she’ll be at my mercy.

And while I'll support her efforts, whether she’ll be successful in making a career out of her singing or not will be up to her hard work and luck.

She changed the trajectory of my life; it's only right I do the same for her.

“Why should I trust your offer? Why should I come with you, especially after you made it clear you hold me responsible for what happened to your face?”

I curl my lips. “Because your fiancé prefers your sister over you.”

Her face falls. My heart lurches at the look of hurt that crosses it, but I push aside my emotions.

This is right. I’m doing her a favor by offering her a ticket to LA.

I’m giving her a chance to fulfill her dreams, after all.

And if, along the way, I have the opportunity to take revenge for what she did to me, then that’s a fringe benefit. She owes me, after all.

“If you stay back, you lose face. You’re spoiled goods. No one is going to marry you now. You don’t have a choice.” I push back my seat and begin to rise, but she swoops down and grabs my arm. "W-where are you going?"

"To find out what’s keeping your fiancé and my fiancée."

"Olivia…" She narrows her gaze. "Did you befriend Olivia so you could get to me? Did you know she was my sister when you met her?"

I allow myself a small smile. "Now, that would be telling." I try to pull away, but she tightens her grip.

"How dare you pretend to be engaged to her! How dare you play with her life? It’s me you have a grudge with, not her."

I stare at her fingers, then back at her face.

You’ll address me as Master when it's just the two of us. You will keep your eyes lowered, unless I give you permission to look at me.

She releases her grasp at once. Good. It’s important she know her place in the scheme of things. She may still pretend to be an innocent Mafia princess, but I've changed. My inclinations and proclivities have changed, thanks to that one incident which altered the course of my life.

I set my jaw. "My relationship with your sister is separate from my non-relationship with you."

She winces.

"Olivia is my friend, and I’m only helping her out —against my better judgment—because she asked me to." I roll my shoulders. Why the hell am I justifying myself to her? I don’t owe her anything.

"She asked you to—" Her forehead clears. "I see, she’s trying to—"

"Make Massimo jealous enough that he’ll break up with you? Yes."

She opens and shuts her mouth. "I don’t understand. Why didn’t she just talk to me?"

"For the same reason you didn’t confide in her? I assume she’s as petrified of your brother as you are."

"With good reason. If Diego gets wind of the fact she's pretending to be engaged to you, he’ll be furious."

"We’ll let Massimo deal with that, shall we?"

Her frown deepens. "Do you know something I don’t?"

I raise my hands. "What are you talking about?"

"For someone who’s walked into the middle of a business arrangement, you’re too calm."

"I’ve come too far for things to not go my way." I smirk.

"You’re awfully confident that I’m coming with you to LA."

"That’s because you’re thinking of it right now. You know this is your last chance to make something of your life. You’re not going to let go of it."

She juts out her chin. "You don’t know me at all."

"I know when you set your mind on something, you’ll do everything in your power to get it."

She half laughs. "All this based on our very limited interaction."

I’ve seen you up close, Solene. I’ve smelled the scent of your arousal.

I’ve tasted your lips. Felt as you ground yourself on my cock.

If I’d let you that first night, you’d have come all over my tented crotch and created a mess.

You’d have gone down on your knees and sucked my dick and begged me to empty myself down your throat, if I’d allowed you to.

"You took off your camisole and threw yourself at me. You kissed me—"

She swallows. "You kissed me back." Her lips part. She’s remembering that kiss. So am I. The fusing of our lips. The clash of teeth. The sweet scent of her arousal that sank into my skin and haunted me for days.

I scoff, “And there’s not a single day I don’t regret it."

She sets her jaw. "Well, I don’t."

"You should. I had no business being in that room with you."

"But I wanted you there." She leans forward in her seat. "And I’m sorry I lied to my brother. If I could go back and change things, I would."

"And been beaten up along with me? No, you did the right thing. I was bitter for a long time afterward at what happened…"

"And now—?"

"Now? I wish I never came with Olivia."

The color leaches from her face. "You don’t mean it."

"I only found out you were Olivia’s sister when she called me for help. She wanted me to pose as her fiancé. I couldn’t say no. I thought knowing I was going to see you beforehand would help steel me against the impact of seeing you again, but—"

"But?"

"But, seeing you is bringing back just how stupid I was. You were a child then, and while you’re eighteen now, you’re still innocent in many ways."

She lowers her chin to her chest. "All the more reason I shouldn’t come with you."

"All the more reason you should come with me." I allow my lips to twitch.

"Why’s that?"

"I’m probably the one man who won’t take advantage of you."

She firms her lips. "I’m not that innocent."

I scoff. "The very fact that you’re trying to claim otherwise tells me you are."

Color flushes her cheeks. She opens and shuts her mouth as if she’s unable to form the words she’s thinking in her head.

"You’re safe with me. Our relationship will be strictly professional."

She narrows her gaze. "Why do I not believe you?"

I raise a shoulder. "Believe what you want. One thing is true though…"

"What?"

"I’m your one shot at making something of yourself, which is why you’re coming to LA with me."