Page 142 of When She Tempts (The Fallen)
His words sting far more than the punch he landed on my face. “I didn’t go about it right. If I could go back in time, I would handle it differently.”
De Rossi’s darken. “There’s no need for time travel, Napoletano. I’m giving you what most men never get—a second chance. You can make your choice again. I can let you kill Sal, or I can turn down Matteo’s offer. What do you choose?”
“Turn down the offer and sign a contract promising Mari to me.”
De Rossi makes a tight-lipped huff. “This isn’t a negotiation. It’s a binary choice. Whether my sister wants to marry you or not is up to her.”
I grit my teeth. If I choose the latter, I could lose it all, Mari and Sal. But if I choose the first option, I’ll lose Mari for certain.
And that’s not an option.
I always thought I’d find peace when I avenged my mother, but now I realize I was wrong.
The only time I’ve ever felt peace was when I was with Mari.
I suck in a deep breath. “Kill the engagement.”
* * *
Locking myself in the bathroom, I examine my cheek. There’s a dried streak of blood that disappears beneath the collar of my shirt, but otherwise, De Rossi didn’t do much damage.
I run cold water over a towel and use it to clean myself up, if only to not scare Martina when I talk to her.
The guilt I thought I might feel over my choice doesn’t come. I felt far guiltier when I treated Mari coldly a few days ago than I do now.
Why was I so fixated on avenging my mother? I’ve never talked to a shrink, but one would probably tell me it has something to do with proving to her that I’m not as bad as she thought I was.
But she’s dead. I have nothing left to prove to her.
I do have something to prove to Martina, though.
My eyes drift to my reflection in the mirror. Will she forgive me?
Something crashes in the distance, so I quickly dry my face and step out of the powder room.
Raised voices can be heard coming from De Rossi’s office. It doesn’t take me long to recognize Mari’s.
“This was my choice to make!” she says, her voice muffled by the door.
I’m halfway to it when Valentina appears and blocks my way. “Don’t go in there yet.”
I peer at her over my nose. “Move out of my way.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and doesn’t budge. “You’ll only make her angrier.”
Since she’s clearly been eavesdropping, I ask, “What has De Rossi told her?”
“That the engagement is off, and that you’ve asked for her hand.”
“I should be there for this.”
She shoots her hands out and wraps them around my wrist. “She said no.”
“To what?”
“To your proposal,” she says, like it should be obvious. “What did you think was going to happen? You told her you wanted nothing to do with heryesterday. Now you want to marry her?”
“What I said to her yesterday was a mistake.”
