Esteban, Ready to Risk It All

Chapter 11~ Truth

Remi-Blu

Standing next to Esteban, he doesn't even look my way. He knows I am beside him. I see the tick in his jaw.

The quiet is my invitation to apologize, but how? I have never apologized to anyone for anything. I never had to

"I haven't dated or slept with any other men" having to even say that has my throat tight and my eyes stinging with tears.

"Is that so?" he asked me, but it's not a question. It's disbelief

"No, Ria knows that I am married to her Daddy. What do I look like dating?"

My statement turns him around

I let out a sigh that came deep from my soul, shit, I am so tired of all this fuckery, but I created this.

"Let me finish, telling you the truth"

I am married but on paper, to protect myself and Ria. To the outside world, and people who know about Ria, I am married to Ria's father, who works out of the country, and lives between New York and Miami,

I continued to explain.

I made sure Ria had your last name with the help of one of my connections. I copied your signature from documents from the last parlay and signed Ria's birth certificate. Ria's birth certificate also indicates that we are married.

Esteban's eyebrow raised

If anyone inquired about my marriage, I explained that we were married in my family church in Portugal per my grandmother's wishes. I didn't want Ria or myself to appear as some statistic. Being married also protected me from being taken advantage of while I built my business.

So you see, I am married to you!"

Esteban is frozen, he doesn't move but I can tell he is trying to process what I just said.

"Say that again" he step towards me

Taking a deep breath I tell him again. "You are my husband."

"Then why do people think you are married to a Russian Commander?"

"Because they don't mind their business, why?" His look lets me know he is not for my shit right now

"He is one of the clients."

"And" Esteban gestures for me to continue with my explanation.

"Gavriil Antonov is one of my clients, I'm one of his Legal Consultants. When he is in town he is more comfortable if I attend certain events with him"

"And" Esteban wasn't satisfied with my explanation

"We are friends, I had strategically let some people know that I was married and others just assumed because I wasn't associated with anyone, Then Gav came into town, he was the first man people had ever saw me with and people assumed he was husband"

"So people saw you with someone and just assumed that was your husband"

"You saw me with Dante and assumed he was my "People", people think whatever they want."

"Okay full disclosure, our body language may have given couple vibes" I said hoping to leave it at that. But the way Esteban cocked his eyebrow I knew that wasn't the case.

"I attended a few events with him in New York and people there also assumed I was his girlfriend and he didn't correct it either, but the funny thing is Gav also thought I was married, so he only went so far" I laughed at how absurd all of this was, Esteban was clearly not amused

"Sorry, um it's funny to me, but you know people like what others have, and Gav thinks I'm married and -"

"Have you been with the Russian?" Esteban was standing right in front of me,