Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
MASSIO
I step into the shadows as the raised voices subside, then I wait for Veronica to leave Ford’s office. Within seconds, she storms straight past me, and I want nothing more than to reach out and wring her cunning neck.
Miko has sent me a file of her indiscretions, dozens of them, along with blackmail plots and fraud.
Enough intel to not only destroy her but her husband too.
He needs to divorce her, and fast, before he sinks with her.
For all intents and purposes, the man is innocent.
The only thing he’s guilty of is being blinded by a young blonde with a pair of inflated tits, the same as I was.
Though she trapped him by getting pregnant with my girl, and when he finally found true love, he couldn’t have her because he’s attached to this bitch.
Veronica has her claws so deep into him; she’s spent years threatening to take Thea away from him, but now that Thea’s older, Veronica no longer has the same hold on him.
I’m hoping I’m alleviating some of his stress with my news.
I knock on the dining room door, then enter, and when he lifts his head from his hand, something shifts inside me.
The man appears disheveled, emotionally wrecked even, with dark circles under his eyes.
His loose tie and ruffled shirt make him appear like he’s been in a tryst, but he greets me with a soft smile.
Why have I never noticed before now how he tries to appease others? Is he really the bumbling buffoon I claimed him to be, or was this another instance of my revenge clouding my judgment?
“Massio, good to see you! Is everything okay with Theodora?”
I want to tell him she hates being called Theodora and he’s not to call her that again, but judging by the glass scattered on the floor and the papers strewn across the table, I don’t think now is the time to be critical.
“Yes. Everything’s fine. I was wondering if we could have a chat tomorrow before you leave again?” I look at him pointedly, wondering if he’ll call me out on the fact that I know he plans on leaving again so soon.
He nods and stares down at the papers while I narrow my eyes, trying to figure out some of the wording on them, but I fail.
I clear my throat. “I do, however, have an update for you regarding her stalker.”
He lifts his head, and I want to shake the pitiful expression off his face. I want to tell him to pull his shoulders back, to stand tall, and whatever the fuck Veronica has said or done, fuck her.
“Oh?”
“The guy was Wayne Price,” I grit out.
He tilts his head. “Was?”
I give him a firm nod. “Was.”
“Good. That’s the end of that, then.” He claps his hands together, and I assess him. Is he really not going to ask any questions? He’s basically accused Thea of lying about something vile. No wonder she became such a brat—the girl was lashing out, begging for someone to rescue her.
Begging for me.
“He had a shrine to her.”
He jolts. The only reaction he’s had since I mentioned the scumbag. “A what?”
“A shrine,” I spit out. “My men found a shrine. He’d been stalking her since she was around twelve.”
His chest rises, and he swallows hard. “Twelve?”
“Yes. A child.” My tone is clipped because monsters like Wayne are on another level. I take the photo of him out of my jacket pocket and slide it across the table toward him.
“Does he look familiar to you?” I drag a casual finger over my lip as I assess his body language. I may appear calm, but every part of me is burning inside to punish him, punish Veronica, punish them all.
His head falls into his hands, and his mumblings are incoherent. He hiccups, then coughs as if attempting to disguise the fact.
“Thea has been terrified for a long time. Why were there never any police reports or anything regarding her concerns?” I say louder.
He lifts his head, and shame oozes from him. “Because we didn’t want a scandal.”
“A scandal?” I grit through clenched teeth. “Why the fuck would there be a scandal?”
His entire body is trembling. “She was assaulted as a girl. When she was twelve,” he rushes out. Then he flinches and his face pales.
That look tells me everything I need to know, and I’m fucking furious. I pump my fists beside me, and I’m seconds away from using him as my personal punching bag. I rear back. Whatever I thought he was going to say, it wasn’t that. “I’m sorry, what?” I demand.
He nods with a grimace. “She was touched.”
Fucking touched? He touched her? My girl. I let him die so easily.
“She was promised to a man of significance, but we couldn’t proceed with the agreement due to the Mafia blood vow.
We made our excuses and backed out of the deal, then moved on.
” He’s referring to the fact Theodora might not have bled when losing her virginity due to being assaulted.
I could tell him she did, in fact, bleed despite the assault, but that’s between my girl and me.
Not this piece of shit who is undeserving of her.
Then he clears his throat. “The man in the photo was a worker on our estate. One of many my wife was having an affair with. A pool boy, to be precise.”
I choke on thin air.
Is he serious?
My head spins with the news coming out of his mouth, so I pull out my phone to text Miko.
Me: Check out Veronica’s connection with Wayne. Check all offshore accounts.
Miko: On it.
Something tells me she has something to do with this. I just can’t pinpoint what and why.
Then he slumps in his chair with a heavy exhale. “You’d best go and get ready for the event,” he mutters, the defeat in his tone evident, and he doesn’t so much as look in my direction.
The man appears utterly broken.
What the fuck is going on?