ella
Joseph's betrayal burning a hole in my chest. But before I could process the terrifying depth of Giuliana's infilt
photographer from *Vanity Fair* w
my chair with an undeniable force, and dragged me toward the plush Italian silk sofa. He sat down and yanked m
cologne was suffocating. "Smile, Isabella," he whispered, his vo
radiant, adoring smile. The camera flash blinded me, freezing the lie into eternity. The exact second the photographer lowered his lens,
Joseph and Lydia leaned forward, greed
and handed him a leather folder. Vincenzo tossed it onto the coffee table with a dis
mily's shylock business. Fifteen percent interest, with the P
oseph stammered, his face
he ice clinking softly. "Business is bu
issed, Lydia shot me a look of pure, unadulterated venom, as if I had orchestrated their ruin. I f
o retreated to his study, s
rate need for leverage, I crept down the dimly lit hallway, my bare feet silent
as low, almost tender-a voice h
stopped my heart entirely. "Once the deal is done, my love, I will handle the Isab
h sent
ndetta* taking root in my soul swallowed it whole
d for me. I grabbed a blank sheet of Moretti Shipping letterhead I had stolen weeks ago. My hands flew across the keys of my hidden typewriter, perfectly replicating
dy door was slightly ajar. He was pacing near the window,
ment right into the middle of his daily stack of papers, then ret
omare*, he began flipping through the stack, signing mechanically. He reached my document. He didn't read the fine print. He just saw
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