Chapter 7 - The Engagement That Was Never About Love|
I stared at Sofia's photograph for so long that the screen went dark.
Marius.
Engaged.
To another woman.
The man who had kissed me like he'd been waiting three years.
The man who had whispered that he wanted me.
The man who had finally made me believe I wasn't invisible.
He belonged to someone else.
I laughed once.
It sounded awful.
Then I began crying.
Not because Sofia was beautiful.
Not because she wore a diamond ring.
Because Marius had been given so many opportunities to tell me the truth.
And he hadn't.
I called him.
He answered on the first ring.
"Elena?"
"Are you engaged?"
Silence.
My chest tightened.
"Answer me."
His voice was quiet.
"Who told you?"
I closed my eyes.
"So it's true."
"Elena, it's not what you think."
I laughed bitterly.
"That's becoming your favorite excuse."
"Please let me explain."
"Are you marrying Sofia Orlov?"
A pause.
"There's an agreement."
My heart shattered.
"An agreement."
"Yes."
"Does it involve a wedding?"
"Yes."
I pressed a hand over my mouth.
Marius continued.
"It was arranged to resolve a dispute between two organizations. I never agreed to the marriage itself."
"Then why is your signature on the paper?"
"Because I agreed to negotiations, not a wedding."
I stared at the photograph.
"She's wearing a ring."
"Not from me."
I wanted to believe him.
But I'd spent years wanting to believe him.
And wanting something didn't make it true.
"Don't call me again," I whispered.
"Elena—"
I ended the call.
Then I switched off my phone.
For the next two hours, I walked through Naples.
Past bakeries.
Past crowded markets.
Past couples holding hands beneath umbrellas.
I remembered the first time Marius smiled at me.
It was during a disastrous meeting with a French investor.
I'd accidentally called the man by his competitor's name.
Marius had covered his mouth.
Later, in the elevator, he'd laughed so hard that he'd leaned against the wall.
It was the first time I'd seen him look human.
I'd fallen a little in love with him that day.
Then more.
And more.
Until my entire heart belonged to a man who had never asked for it.
Now I wondered whether I had invented every tender moment.
When I returned to the hotel, a woman waited near the entrance.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Beautiful.
Sofia.
I recognized her immediately.
She wore a cream coat and expensive heels.
Her expression was calm.
"Elena."
I stopped.
"What do you want?"
She smiled.
"To talk."
"I'm not interested."
"Then perhaps you'd be interested in learning why Marius agreed to the engagement."
I stared.
Sofia gestured toward the café across the street.
"Five minutes."
Against my better judgment, I followed her.
We sat at a small table near the window.
She ordered espresso.
I ordered nothing.
Sofia studied me.
"You're younger than I expected."
I folded my arms.
"And you're exactly what I expected."
She smiled.
"Good."
Then her expression changed.
"Marius isn't in love with me."
I stared.
"What?"
"He never was."
"Then why are you engaged?"
"Because my father has documents that could destroy him."
My stomach tightened.
"What documents?"
"Evidence connecting him to several crimes committed by his family."
I looked away.
Sofia continued.
"My father offered to make the evidence disappear if Marius agreed to a marriage alliance."
I frowned.
"Why would your father want that?"
"Because marriage would give our families joint control over several shipping routes."
Of course.
Business.
Power.
Money.
Everything in Marius's world eventually came back to those three things.
I looked at Sofia.
"Then why are you warning me?"
Her expression softened unexpectedly.
"Because I don't want to marry him either."
I blinked.
"What?"
Sofia laughed quietly.
"I'm in love with someone else."
I stared.
"Who?"
She hesitated.
"Someone my father would never approve of."
I studied her.
For the first time, I saw something beneath her perfect makeup.
Fear.
Real fear.
She leaned forward.
"Elena, my father isn't trying to stop your relationship because he's jealous."
I frowned.
"Then why?"
"Because he believes you know where Sergei Volkov is hiding."
My stomach dropped.
"My father?"
Sofia nodded.
"And he believes Sergei has evidence that could destroy every family involved in the old agreement."
I stared.
"What evidence?"
Sofia looked around the café.
Then whispered:
"A recording."
My heart raced.
"Of what?"
"The night Alexei Orlov was murdered."
I froze.
Sofia continued.
"If Sergei releases it, several powerful men could go to prison."
I swallowed.
"Who?"
She looked directly at me.
"One of them is Marius."
My heart stopped.
"That's impossible. Marius was nineteen."
Sofia nodded.
"Exactly."
I stared.
"What are you saying?"
"That Marius was there."
I felt dizzy.
"No."
Sofia leaned closer.
"Your father claims Marius witnessed the murder."
I looked at her.
"Then why would he hide that?"
Sofia's expression became grim.
"Because the person who killed Alexei Orlov was someone Marius loved."
My heart thundered.
"Who?"
Before she could answer, a black SUV stopped outside the café.
Two men stepped out.
Sofia's face drained of color.
"Oh, God."
I turned.
"What?"
She grabbed my wrist.
"We need to leave."
"Why?"
Her voice trembled.
"Because those men work for my father."
I stared.
"And?"
Sofia looked toward the door.
May you like
Then whispered:
"He gave them orders to kill me if I told you the truth."
