June 12 4:45 p.m
Ayden Carrington knew how to punch a hole through my heart with that buttoned-down shirt that fit him perfectly. He chose a deep marine blue and I wondered if that resembled his current mood, but as Giuliana Antonelli stood frozen in place, I kicked my smile up a notch and crossed my arms.
“So now you try to fool him too, huh?” Giuliana pointed at him and shook her head.
“No, Mija. I can explain and-”
“You know you’re surrounded and that this entire place is wiretapped. I could easily send my father the footage to get you killed by my capos… or even by my own hand if I wanted, but I’m feeling generous today since I got to see Ayden in one piece. We are negotiating and you are sitting back down,” I demanded and she raised her hands in surrender.
I was done running. Olliver’s betrayal… Viki’s betrayal and all these lies were suffocating me. It was time to stop running and start facing the ghosts of the past, or I’d never heal.
“You know my dad’s bank account number, right?” she nodded and I took out my tablet, passing it to her.
“Punch the number in now,” I said coldly and the woman entered the information I needed. When I saw the other accounts, I entered a software that transferred it to a ghost account.
As the money poofed from his account, I funneled it to random places where he’d be left penniless. This was one out of four accounts, but the one I just unlocked was the main one he used to put in everything he earned from all his dirty work and I smiled to myself.
“Now, you are going to tell the men waiting for you three streets from here to leave,”
“How do I know that you won’t kill me on the spot?” She retorted at me. I snapped my fingers twice and as Alfonso arrived with a covered plate, I opened the plate. It revealed the gun with no bullets and she paled.
“There’s no bullets here, but I have them here. If you say anything to tip off my location, I will finish the job.” she nodded silently while Ayden stared at me.
“You know you can’t take him down, right Cecilia?” Giuliana asked. I shook my head.
“Not alone, I can’t. But we’ve all had enough of living in fear and I’m done running away from him.” She called her men and told them to retire since she was coming back a little later. Giuliana stared at Ayden and she gave him a pleading look. Probably to stop me from doing what I was supposed to do a long time ago.
“Two more questions Giuliana. Is it true that Olliver Santorini is working for my father and do you have the invitation to the Carlini ball coming up?” she nodded to both and I got up, giving Alfonso a look while I grabbed Ayden’s arm and pulled him away. He followed me mutely until he pulled me against a corner.
“What are you doing, Cecilia?” he whispered to me and the way he said my name sent shivers down my back as I tried to keep my breathing steady.
“I connected all the dots. The Fabri final is at the Carlini ball. There’s an architecture studio but it will be swimming with the most powerful people of Italy and while you can make great connections… there are also deadly connections like my father’s,” I explained and he narrowed his eyes on me.
“Why should I believe you?”
“You trust Giuliana more than me?”
“I don’t trust either of you, but I trust Viki. After all, she roped me up to do the con anyway,” He confessed and I looked at him.
YOU ARE READING
Between Perfect Strangers
RomanceWhen model student Ayden Carrington gets hungover at a frat party, he wakes up on the same bed with a beautiful girl who he falls in love with at first sight. But he has no idea who she is and when she knocks him out... all traces of her are gone. ...
