Page 120 of Poisoned Promise
I take it just to keep my eye on her.
“He drank brandy every time we met.”
“Just because he accepted what you gave him doesn’t mean he liked it. My father was a calculating man.”
“Then what would he gain by feigning to drink Brandy?” She scoffs as if it’s a ridiculous notion.
“Trust. Those who knew him knew what he liked. If you went to someone claiming to be a friend of his and told them he drank brandy, they’d immediately know you were no friend of his. His friends knew what he drank.”
She freezes, her glass halfway to her lips, and her eyes remain locked on me.
I can almost see the gears turning in her mind.
Has she spent these past years claiming to be friends with my father?
Every time she lied, anyone who knew the truth would have seen right through her.
“I don’t believe you,” she says finally. “You lied about my son. I believe you would lie about this. You’ve made enough of a fool out of me.”
“I didn’t lie,” I reply sharply. “Your son was a rapist.”
Her head jerks as if my words landed with a physical blow. “Liar!”
“Not my fault you can’t handle the truth.” I set my glass down on the coffee table between us.
“You’re lying,” she repeats, and some of the unstable, furious woman from before slips back into her voice. “Nico was a good man. He was my baby boy. And now you sit before me with yourhorrible lies trying to cover up for the fact that you slept with him and you don’t want Felix to know!”
Is she really this delusional? I can’t fathom her thought process but the glint in her eyes tells me she really believes what she’s saying.
“I have nothing more to say to you. I don’t need to argue this. I know the truth and I know you know it too. You’ve nothing to gain from trying to rescue your son's long destroyed reputation.”
“I thought we could have a real conversation, woman to woman,” Caterina replies tightly.
“You should have tried that before you tied me up in your basement and whipped me.”
Caterina’s eyes flicker as if suddenly struck by the memory of that very event, a memory that eluded her and her gaze hardens. “I will give you one last chance. Take back your lies about my son.”
I meet her gaze steadily and even as my heart begins to race, I don’t waver. “No. Your son was a rapist and I’m glad I killed him. And next, I’m going to kill you.”
Her eyes close briefly, then she softly begins to chuckle. “I wonder if you will keep that cavalier attitude after my entire organization has had a run at you.” She opens her eyes and nothing exists there but darkness, cold and empty. “After after every one, I’ll ask you again and I won’t stop until you finally take back yourbullshit. And once you’re begging for my forgiveness…” She slowly stands and gestures to the two men at the door. “I’ll let everyone in for round two.”
“You’re as sick and as twisted as he is,” I snarl while being hauled up by the two guards. “You deserve to be in the ground right alongside him!”
“Perhaps,” she replies slowly. “But you’ll be next to him long before I will be.”
They haul me out of the office and what little fight I manage to put up, is quickly softened by two solid punches to the face and one to the gut.
Double over, I half-stumble, half-walk through the Manor with my escorts, gasping for air as nausea burns hot amidst my bruised muscles.
This is fucking insane.
There’s a way out of this.
There has to be.
I just don’t see it yet.
At the top of the stairs leading back down to the cells I’m so familiar with, the door opens to reveal Reese who smirks coldly when our eyes meet.
