Page 76 of Veil of Obsession

“You’re unbelievable,” I whisper, barely trusting myself to speak.

She sighs, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with her napkin before folding her hands neatly on the table. “Princess, spare me the dramatics. You knew this was coming.”

I shake my head, rage simmering beneath my skin. “And that makes it okay?”

“It makes it inevitable,” she corrects, her expression impassive. “And if you were smart, you’d focus on what happens next rather than wallowing in sentimentality.”

I laugh—a sharp, bitter sound. “Right. Because that’s all this is to you. Business. Strategy. A means to an end.”

Her gaze hardens. “That’s what it has always been, Princess. You should understand that by now.” She leans back, regarding me with something almost like amusement. “And besides,” she murmurs, tilting her head slightly, “I have bigger concerns than your feelings right now.”

My jaw tightens. “Like what?”

She gives me a slow, calculating smile. “Like your engagement.”

The words land like a slap. A fresh wave of rage burns through me, searing hot. I shove my chair back, the legs scraping against the floor, and stand so quickly that my vision blurs for a second.

My mother watches me, unimpressed. “Where do you think you’re doing?”

“To do what I should’ve done the second you announced that bullshit in front of everyone.”

I grab my phone from the table, my hands shaking with fury as I storm toward the staircase.

My mother sighs behind me, bored, exasperated. “Don’t be ridiculous, Princess. You know this is what’s best for you.”

I ignore her. If I stay here for another second, I’ll end up throwing my plate across the room, and I really don’t have the patience for the theatrics that would follow.

I make my way up the stairs and into my room. It feels too small. Too suffocating. I pace the length of my balcony, my hands gripping my phone, staring at Lucio’s name on my screen.

Three fucking days. Three days since he snuck into my room, since he took what he wanted and then vanished like a ghost.

Since then, he’s been silent. Like I don’t exist. Like I never mattered. Like he didn’t just set my entire world on fire.

I don’t know what I hate more: the fact that he’s ignoring me or the fact that I can’t stop thinking about him anyway.

I should be focusing on my father. On this forced engagement. On everything else falling apart around me. But all I can think about is Lucio and the way he looked at me like he knew exactly what kind of monster I was.

I squeeze my eyes shut, dragging my nails down my arm in frustration. He started this. He made me his game. And now he’s ignoring me?

I won’t let him.

I inhale sharply, my thumb hovering over his name, heart pounding as I type another text.

Me:

If you don’t want me, just fucking say it.

My fingers hesitate over the send button. I almost delete it. I almost talk myself out of it.

But then I press send. And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

No response. Nothing. I throw my phone onto my bed, swallowing a shaky breath, my chest tight with frustration, with anger, with something far too painful to name.

He’s toying with me. He’s always been toying with me, from the moment he found me. And I fucking let him.