Page 88 of Brutal Revenge

Her expression is unreadable when she peers up at me, and something in her eyes is off.

They’re guardedand distant.

“Look at this,” she says, her voice steadier than her hands.

She holds up a magazine. A photo of us from the gala is on the cover. We look like the perfect couple. Our smiles are perfect, and we’re angled toward each other like two magnets incapable of withstanding the pull.

She shows me another feature article, and another, and another.

“We’re everywhere,” she says. “Our act is Oscar-worthy.Everyoneis lapping it up.”

Act?

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

With a forced smile, Azra flips through a magazine. “I won’t lie. I was hesitant when I ruminated over this plan, but it’s working well. Better than I expected. I’ll be back to my old life in no time.”

My jaw cracks from how fast I clench it, but she doesn’t notice.

Or pretends not to.

She glances up, eyes bright but empty. “This is what you want, right? This is the point of the ruse… to help me makehimbeg for my forgiveness.”

The desire to kill burns through me, but I must hold back the urge. She didn’t say his name. She just insinuated who she was referencing.

After angling her head, she studies me like she’s trying to solve a puzzle. “That’s why you made me climax, isn’t it?” she asks softly, unflinching. “To prove your point that men only want what they can’t have.”

The room goes silent as my pulse roars in my ears.

I kissed her to pull the wool over my eyes, but one swipe of my tongue against her plump lips changed the rules.

This isn’t a game. I’m not pretending. None of this is an act for me.

Proof? The thought of her with Antonio makes me physically ill.

Every time our eyes collide, I feel something I shouldn’t.

Something dangerous.

Something real.

I drench my throat with spit, hopeful that a bit of wetness will force words through the carnage.

None comes out.

If I speak the truth out loud,everythingchanges.

Not just between us, but the rules that govern me as well.

I don’t know whether I’m ready for that.

I don’t know if she is either.

“Don’t worry about offending me,Matt.” I grit my teeth at her horrendous nickname, but she keeps talking before I can voice my annoyance. “This is exactly what we want. Right?”

Chapter 26

Azra