Extended Epilogue #3
“You want to talk about cowardice?” Cillian snaps. “You’re the one who’s lived your whole life in your brother’s shadow. You’re playing at being important while Leo does all the real work. What have you ever done for your family except look pretty at parties and spend their money?”
The insult is everything I’ve already thought of myself, but I let it roll off me.
Breathe, Valentina. Breathe.
“More than you’ve ever done, I’m sure,” I say sweetly.
“Though I suppose it’s easy to coast on Connor’s reputation.
” I take a step toward him, wanting to gain ground.
“Tell me, do you have any accomplishments that are actually yours? Or are you just the spare heir who gets trotted out when Connor needs someone to do his dirty work?”
His smile makes every alarm bell toil loudly in my brain, but I’m past the point of no return. “You really want to play this game, princess?”
I grin at him, showing all my teeth. “Bring it, Brennan. I’ve dealt with far more intimidating men than you.”
“I doubt that,” he says coldly. “You’ve been sheltered your whole life. Protected. Kept safe in your pretty little tower while the real players handle business. What could you possibly know about real sacrifice? About real duty?”
“What do you know about me?” I shoot back.
“Nothing. You don’t know anything about my life or what I’ve done or what I’m capable of.
You took one look at me and decided I was some spoiled mob princess who’s never had to fight for anything.
” I glare at him. “Well fuck you, Brennan. You don’t know me. ”
“Don’t I?” His lip curls. “I know your type. All beauty, no substance. All talk, no action. You’ll marry me because when it comes down to it, you don’t have the guts to do anything else.”
“And you?” I take another step closer to him, knowing that we’re probably attracting a lot of attention. “You’ll marry me because Connor tells you to. You’re a good little soldier who follows orders. At least I’m being honest that this is extortion. You’re trying to dress it up as duty.”
We’re inches apart now, glaring at each other, both breathing hard from the verbal sparring.
“I despise you,” he says quietly, and there’s real venom in it.
“The feeling is entirely mutual,” I assure him, glad we are on the same page. “In fact, I think I hate you more than I’ve ever hated anyone in my entire life.”
“Good.” His eyes are death. “Because I’d hate for this marriage to be based on anything resembling affection.”
A bitter laugh tears out of me. “Trust me, there’s zero danger of that.” I bare my teeth in something that’s not quite a smile. “The day I feel affection for a Brennan is the day hell freezes over.”
He turns to leave, then pauses before he looks back at me over his shoulder.
“Connor will be in touch with the details,” he says flatly. “I suggest you start preparing yourself. This is happening whether you like it or not.”
“Get out,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Gladly.” His smile is cold. “Being in the same room as you makes my skin crawl.”
“Then fuck off back to whatever hole you crawled out of, Brennan,” I respond, enjoying his sudden flush of anger. “And tell Connor that if he wants an answer from me, he can ask me himself instead of sending his lapdog.”
Cillian’s jaw tightens, but he unfortunately doesn’t take the bait. He turns and walks away, not even stopping to say goodbye to Leo and Emma.
My brother is looking at me now.
He says something to Emma and starts to move toward me, but I shake my head.
I don’t want to talk to him right now.
Instead, I force a smile that I know doesn’t reach my eyes.
Not now.
Not here.
Not on his wedding day.
I mouth, “Tomorrow.”
Leo clearly doesn’t like it—the frustration and concern is written all over his face.
But Emma tugs on his hand, pulling his attention back to her, and after a moment he nods reluctantly.
Tomorrow.
I’ll tell him tomorrow after he and Emma have had this one perfect day without me ruining it with the news that I’m being bartered off to keep the peace.
History’s repeating itself in the worst possible way.
Because Cillian is right.
I’ll do it to keep the peace.
To make sure Leo and Emma survive to raise their daughter.
I’ll become Mrs. Cillian Brennan.
And there’s not a damn thing either of us can do to stop it.
I look down at the marriage proposal still clutched in my hand that might as well be a death sentence.
The music plays.
People laugh and I stand in the corner, holding the proposal that will chain me to a man I despise.
I feel the trap closing around me.
But I don’t cry, even though I can feel my eyes burning.
I won’t let anyone see how completely fucked I am.
I’m Valentina Santoro, and if I’m going down, I’m going down fighting.
Cillian Brennan thinks he can break me with this marriage? He has no idea who he’s dealing with.
I’ll marry him. I’ll do my duty to the family. I’ll smile for the cameras and sign the papers and become a Brennan in name.
But I’ll make him regret every single fucking second of it.
This marriage might be happening. But he’s delusional if he thinks I’m going to make it easy.
The only question is which one of us will survive the other.
And I’m betting on myself.
To be continued…
Get Ruthless Claim (Valentina and Cillian’s story) here.