Page 152 of Knox

I glance at Damián and give him a subtle hand signal to follow.

Damián nods and follows ten yards behind us.

I lead Aurelio away from the crowd toward a secluded garden surrounded by hedges and rosebushes, with Damián keeping his distance behind us.

The moment we stop, Aurelio turns to me, opening his arms wide with a grin. “I knew you’d come around. You just needed to get all that drama out of your system.”

“I don’t care why you’re here or why you’re trying so hard to pretend we’re together, Aurelio. I just need you to understand that I’m not interested.”

Aurelio’s smile fades into a scoff. “Oh, come on, Cil. Don’t be like that. I’m ready to settle down now, so I won’t need to see other men behind your back anymore.”

“Wow, how noble. But no thanks.”

“Why are you being so stubborn?!” Aurelio steps closer, making my stomach turn. “Look at you… You’re a weak, pathetic brat with no family and no real friends. Besides money, what do you even have to offer?”

My mind goes completely blank.

I can’t answer him or tell him off, because God help me, he’s right.

…Even Knox sees me that way.

Aurelio leans down, glaring into my eyes. “Who else but me is ever going to put up with you? Who else is going to love you? No one.”

Everything he says is probably true.

It hurts so much, but it’s true.

I am fucking unlovable and despised by the man I love.

The fight leaves my body.

I stare down at the grass, completely defenseless, my throat tight as tears prick behind my eyes.

“That’s what I thought,” Aurelio whispers.

Then he reaches out, grabs the back of my neck, and forcefully yanks my face toward his.

CHAPTER 19

KNOX

Something is off…

Ever since last night, Cillian has been acting cold and looking hurt, but I have no idea why.

He isn’t telling me either, and I don’t know how to deal with this… especially now, because he woke up and asked if Leif could shadow him this morning instead of me.

“Are you sure, Alexios?” I ask for the twentieth time.

“As sure as I was the other hundred times you’ve asked, Knox,” he sighs over the comms. “Cillian went to his room… Logan, Damián and Tae took turns guarding his door. Aside from Leo and Finni, who had a drink with him, no one else came inside, sent him texts, slid notes under his door, or used fucking carrier pigeons. No one.”

“Fine…” I mutter, annoyed.

“Is that a fine-fine or just a fine?”

“What’s the fucking difference?!”

“Fine-fine as in ‘sure, fine and bye,’ or fine as in ‘fine, I’ll ask you again in ten fucking minutes’?” Alexios explains, and I can hear the exasperation in his voice.