48. Ara
“Did you hear one of the Armani clubs burnt to the ground?” a guest whispers. “The police have announced they’re looking further into the matter but it looks like a fault in the kitchen. It’s just so good to hear no one was hurt.”
“Isn’t that Arabella Barone. Wasn’t something happening between her and Luca Armani, so why is she here with Leigh Sloan?”
I’m not surprised people are asking why I am with the new socialite in our circles. My father had narrowed down the matchmaking choice for me. I’m smiling as the photographer takes a photo of Lily and me. Once the photo is taken Lily whispers in my ear, “They’re not even trying to be discreet.”
“It’s as expected.” I say obnoxiously loud. “People hate it when they can’t receive the attention they’re after. I wonder how many years it’s been that Luca hasn’t paid them a second glance.”
Lily chokes, shocked. The two sisters behind us snarl and leave rather uppity.
“Besides today should focus on Sienna and Michael’s engagement,” I say saluting my glass of champagne in the air. Lily clanks hers with mine in agreeance, trying to hide her giggle from the sister’s reactions.
Sienna’s family mansion is beautiful and surrounded by stunning, well-maintained exotic gardens. The two newly engaged lovebirds look ecstatic as they receive everyone’s warm congratulations.
My care factor is wavering and I am on edge. I’d taken a gamble. Burning one of Luca Armani’s clubs might be the stupidest thing I’ve done yet. However, it may have very well gotten the reaction I was hoping for because only two hours after the blaze Luca returned to the family mansion no doubt to confront Dario. Their relationship was thin and faltering and my conscience reminded me how shitty it was to play on that. I never said I was a nice person and Luca would do the same to me. No he’d do worse. Hopefully he’d summon Ivan back to deal with his brother and return to Italy himself as well. If not, I’d find another way.
My time is already ticking. I look across at Leigh Sloan. The “ideal” suitor of the options Elanee Lane gave me. My father made it abundantly clear I was to attend the engagement party with him and so we were forced into an uncomfortable first date. I’d come so close to my end game I wasn’t willing to dispute my father. Yet. I could handle one measly date for the time being.
“I still can’t believe they’re engaged. They look so happy together,” Lily says as she glances in their direction starry eyed. “I want that.”
“Being confined into a marriage where you’ll yet again be told what to do?” I ask. I regret it immediately. My mask is slipping. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
“Hey. You never really explained what happened on the balcony at the event between you and Luca? Did you guys break up?”
“We were never a thing,” I grit. “I don’t like my father forcing me into going on dates to fulfill what he thinks is fitting for me.”
Lily winces. “A match-up huh? That’s rough. No wonder you’re in a mood.”
I go to argue the fact I’m not in any type of “mood” but the moment my eyes meet hers I know I’m in denial. Okay maybe a slighty pissy mood. I’m on total edge from the arson act I’d committed in the early hours. Every time my mind drifts to it a hot pump of adrenaline courses through my veins. If anyone finds out it was me… If Luca finds out… I have more reason to fear him than the police. I am going mad. I am certain I finally hit my pinnacle and have gone full blown crazy.
We’re two hours into the reception and I’m doing everything I can to actively avoid my date, Leigh. I would rather gouge my own eyes out than deal with small talk. I find myself continuously looking at my phone instead. Not entirely sure if I’m waiting for an appropriate time to leave or a text message to come through instead. Not that I want one from him, but it unnerves me he hasn’t in three days considering how many I received on the daily before. When someone like Luca goes quiet it is all the more terrifying.
“There she is,” Leigh says. I freeze under his higher pitched, irritable voice. My father could’ve chosen the most purebred of men and I would’ve still despised having to be in his presence. Because it’s not my choice.
“I’m going to go over and talk to Sienna and Michael while they’re free real quick,” Lily says excusing herself and I do everything within my power to not chase after her.
I offer a polite enough smile to Leigh. “Are you enjoying the party?”
“The Americans certainly do it differently,” he says with a thick French accent. “Also, I’ve had better champagne, but it suffices.”
I squint inquisitively. “Tell me, Leigh. Why did you move to New York? You seem to miss home.”
He offers a polite smile. “I do miss home and try to fly back as often as possible, but we wanted to expand and opened a new branch in New York. And the only person my father trusted to run that was me. No one will work half as hard unless it’s someone who is actually invested in the family business. Surely you understand that?”
“Quite.”
The difference between Leigh and me is that he is praised for his efforts in his role. I am constantly reminded I only have a certain amount of time, no matter how well I do.
“What do we have here?” a voice creeps. It’s predatory and elicits a chill up my spine. When I turn to face Luca it’s already too late.
He swings and Leigh hits the floor. I step between them, shocked by the spectacle Luca’s creating. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” I whisper shout.
“I thought I made it very clear to you that no one else is to touch you,” he says with a lethal edge and he doesn’t look like he’s slept in days. Despite his disheveled state he’s still immaculate and beautiful—if you find insanity attractive.
I lean into him, my voice so hushed only he hears as I push him back. “You can’t kill him in front of all these people.”
People are already gathering around the spectacle. Eyes on our every move.
“You seem to think you can tell me what to do, my little stalker.” Finally, those cold blue eyes shift from Leigh on the floor to me. I shudder under their intensity.
Does he know what I did?
Hell, wrath and fury burn in his gaze.
Its unsettling when they’re fixated on me.
“What the actual fuck?” Leigh says as he tries to stand, blood oozing from his nose.
Everyone is watching. Whispers begin and I feel the blood drain from my face. Fuck. I know when my father hears of this… No no no.
The one thing I depended on from Luca was he’d always maintain his public image no matter what. I thought I was safe in environments such as these. That was a miscalculation on my behalf. Clearly, right now he didn’t give a flying fuck who saw.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I say to Luca.
“I’m anywhere you are, sweetheart.” His smile is anything but endearing.
“Ara?” Sienna says carefully as she steps toward us. Her fiancé, Michael carefully helps Leigh to stand. “Perhaps you should take this conversation elsewhere?”
Lily is standing behind her with a hand over her mouth in shock.
Fuck.
This is the first slip of the mask anyone has seen from Luca Armani. This madness is no doubt derived because of me. In the same way mine is from him. I won’t apologize. We are both going insane. We bring the worst out of each other.
“I think you should leave,” I quietly say to Luca.
He kicks up a ruthful smile and with ease flips me over his shoulder. My drink pours down his back but he’s unfazed as he walks away from the crowd. “Luca, put me down!” I yell. When I look back up, I feel uneasy how everyone is watching us. In truth I never really cared for these events nor what people thought of me. But for the role I played, I had to go unnoticed. At best, be likeable. This is the furthest thing from tactful. “Stop acting like a brute and get a grip on yourself.”
“I don’t need to hear that from the cause of all my problems.” He walks us into what looks like a private, secluded garden. Two teenagers are caught making out, breaking apart the moment we intrude. “Out,” Luca growls.
“Y-yes.” The young man barely makes out the words as they run and close the door behind them.
“Put me dow—”
Ooof. The wind expels from my lungs as Luca throws me onto a small day bed. A water fountain trickles beside us, the only audible sound that comes between us. An array of beautiful, colorful flowers surrounds us as rays of sunlight creep in. It feels so wrong being in such a beautiful setting when Luca and me are anything but.
“What the fuck was that about?” I demand.
His eyebrows perk up. “I could ask you the same thing.”
My blood runs cold. “What do you mean?”
“I find out not only have one of my clubs burnt to the ground this morning, having to deal with my brother, and get his fucking babysitter to pick him up…” I’m quick to take note that my plan worked. He continues. “Then I also receive a photo with my woman taking another man to an event with her.”
“You’re out of your goddamn mind, do you know that? I am not yours.”
My heart is rapidly beating.
How is this the conversation we’re having? Because I went on a date?
Or is he playing with me? Has he figured out I was behind the arson already?
He invades my space, towering over me. I do my best to square my shoulders and standoff with him. “You don’t own me, Luca.”
That arrogant smile kicks up again.
Rage pumps through my veins. Everything is falling apart. I am on the wire and Luca is not my focus so why is he here? Why is he always fucking here?
I hate every part of Luca. The way I stand to attention when he’s around. That even hearing his voice alone, arouses life in me I’ve never had. That despite how crazy he is, I still want him here.
Dangerous and distracting. It’s already too late to cut the budding feelings because they’ve gone past that point now. And I am in every way going to burn those buds to the ground as well.
“Can’t say no to Daddy’s request? I thought you were more independent than a ‘yes’ girl.” He winds me up.
I scoff. “What, you think you know me because you create a cute little file on me? You know nothing about me.”
I find irony in every word.
“I know you’re a highly intelligent woman. Manipulative and conniving even. I know you’ve convinced yourself this could be a place for you to stay permanently and so you run a fucking mile. You want closure but have purposefully made sure it’s out of reach—”
“That’s because you’re in the fucking way!” I yell back, shoving him.
He doesn’t move. The second time I try, he catches both my wrists and gets in my face.
“I only have so much patience, sweetheart. I’m offering you an out. Stop being so stubborn and accept my help.”
It’s a trap. It has to be. If I told him what I was really after he’d kill me right now and think no less of it. I hate how much those words have power over me.
“I don’t want or need you, Luca. I’m not playing your games anymore.”
A cruel laugh escapes him. “Ironic considering you’re the biggest game player I’ve met.”
My stomach twists tight. Those carnal blue eyes are breaking me apart. I think of my mother. Her laugh that I cling to and can still hear. I think of our last few days spent together. I remember the grief, pain and suffering of her loss. The abandonment because of it. The one person who I trusted; my father somehow being involved. Neglecting me from that day forward.
It would’ve been easier if they’d killed me as well.
I bottle the thought away. It’s an ugliness that often appears.
My revenge is due.
I lean away from Luca, suffocating under his presence. “I won’t let you have my freedom as well. I won’t go from one shackle to another.”
“The only one who’s spun their own web is you, sweetheart. You might want to practice on your grace.”
“Fuck off.”
“I have what you want.”
My mouth snaps shut on my next snide remark. He couldn’t possibly know what I truly wanted. Because I’d only ever told him half the truth.
“I found the contract you’ve been looking for. The one between my father and yours with some damning evidence.”
My heart sinks. “It’s a trick.”
“Not at all. It has details of every member involved, witnesses, and what was traded. I don’t think you’ll like the answer, Arabella.”
It’s when he says my name in full that the threat becomes apparent. He might’ve already figured out that it was me who burnt down his brother’s club and is dangling a carrot in front of me.
“Meet me at the Armani mansion tonight. I’ll wait for your arrival. Oh, and best wear black.”
“Black. Why?” I ask as he begins to leave. When he turns at the door an arrogant smile prickles at his face.
“Now that would ruin the surprise. I highly recommend you don’t return to the engagement party. I won’t warn you twice. Next time I really will kill the person who stands next to you if it’s anyone other than me.”
I’m left in bewilderment when he leaves. He’s baiting me. He has to be.
After today’s episode I don’t entirely have many options. The noose around my throat is tightening and Luca was correct in many ways. I’d created this web of my own making for years. I am so close to seeing the end. Even if it is my end. Perhaps then I’ll find freedom.
I’d come to terms with that a long time ago.
I’d promised myself from the start I’d see it through. I’d avenge my mother when no one else so much as cared. I am a lost girl in a sea of people who only care about status, reputation, and money. In truth a small part of me has come to enjoy ruining their lives.
I am not a good person.
But I’ll see this out to the end.
Wearing all black.
And possibly to my own funeral.