Page 130 of The Don's Secret Heir

My eyes dart to hers. Her gray eyes are wide and earnest.

“You’re not serious.”

“I’m dead serious. I was too focused on Sonny to date after you and I split... you were the only one, Dario.”

God, all that time I wasted picturing her under some faceless asshole, picturing her moaning out a different name, bouncing on a different cock.

Rage threatens to black out my vision.

“Do you have any idea what I went through? Any idea how much it hurt to think you’d moved on so quickly?”

Liana chokes out a sob. “I didn’t... I didn’t know you’d care.”

Anger floods through me and my fists clench, my jaw tightening, shoulders stiff.

“I thought I made it clear what I wanted, Li. I’m going home. Enjoy your time with your father.”

I turn around and she grabs at my shoulder.

“Wait, Dario, don’t. Wait. Just...”

I wrench away from her. “Don’t fucking touch me. Not right now.”

Her lip trembles when she pulls away. I hate that it still hurts me to see the pained expression on her face.

Sheliedto me. Made me think she was fucking someone else. I should be grateful, but I can’t stop thinking about how I lost myself when she left me.

“Tell me why you left.”

It’s not a question, but a command.

She bites her lip. “Does it matter?”

“It nearly destroyed me, Li. Don’t you fucking get that?”

I turn again, stalking toward my car.

“Dario, wait!” she calls, but I’m past hearing.

I speed out of the driveway but after a few miles, I realize that her father’s sportscar is following me.

I curse and pull over quickly, making my tires squeal.

Liana swerves over too, parking and getting out of the car, rushing to me.

“You can’t leave,” she says breathlessly. “Please don’t leave me, Dario.”

“You leftme!”I cry out, slamming the car door as I get out. “You left me without a word and then you were pregnant and youliedto me. You had me convinced you moved on with someone else, do you know how that feels?”

“I do,” she says quietly, and I shake my head, taking a few steps toward her.

I’m soangrywith her that my hands are trembling.

“Dario,” she whispers as I pin her against my car with my body.

“I fucking hate how much I love you,” I mutter desperately, my hand looping around her throat.

She draws in a sharp breath, tilting her chin up.