Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
I looked back up at him, realizing he wasn’t talking to me. He was ordering her, the blonde I recognized from the magazines. His mystery woman.
“You don’t get to treat me like this! The Mad —”
“NOW, Clarissa!”
I jolted, his voice vibrating my entire body. She scampered around the room, gathering her things. Slamming the door when she left.
“Let. Go. Of. Me,” I gritted out.
He peered back down at me. “I thought I already did. This is my penthouse. You’re the one that came in like a thief in the fucking night, rudely interrupting my happy fucking ending. My dick isn’t going to suck itself. So, why the fuck are you here, Lexi?”
“You fucking son of a bitch! Did you not think I’d see the papers?” Ignoring his statement. Struggling against his hold on me.
“No, you haven’t left your shitty fucking apartment for a month.”
“Who’s fucking fault is that?” I seethed. Not fazed by the fact he had been watching me.
He cocked his head to the side, coming close to my mouth. He breathed out, “Yours. Now stop fucking fighting me, or I will make you finish what she started.”
I screamed out in frustration. Frantically thrashing around, but it was no use. I wasn’t going anywhere unless he wanted me to. My chest heaved, panting for air. His face still inches away from mine.
Glaring into his eyes, I replied, “Mine? What the fuck did I ever do to you to deserve this?”
“You were born.”
“What? That makes no fucking sense! So is she the reason? The reason you left me? You love her?” I couldn’t get my questions out fast enough.
“Would you shut up for five fucking minutes,” he spewed. “You just barged in on her making love to me with her mouth. You tell me, Lexi… Do I ever let women in my home? In my bed? You have your answers. I don’t need to say it for you to know. You’re a smart woman, I think you can figure it out, if you just opened your goddamn eyes. You would see the truth, the one I have been so desperately trying to hide.”
I shook my head, defeated. “All I did was love you. After everything you put me through. All I did was fucking love you… How could you do that to me? Flaunt your relationship in front of my face like that? Like I meant nothing to you. Jesus Christ, I guess you treat all women like shit. They just keep coming back for more. Damn you! You really are the Devil, aren’t you?” I bellowed, trying to keep my voice from breaking.
“I never claimed to be anything else.”
“Did you cheat on me? Were you seeing her the entire time? Were you fucking her and coming home to me?”
“No, you have to be in a relationship for it to count as cheating. We were never together, Lexi. We couldn’t be. We were damned from the fucking start. Everything about us is fucking wrong. I tried to stay away from you. For years, I tried. Watching you from afar, protecting you the only way I knew how. You were never supposed to be in my life. I was never supposed to be in yours. But fate brought us together and it was only a matter of time before destiny destroyed us. You want to know the truth. I’ll finally show you the goddamn proof.”
He leaned back, releasing me from his grasp. Getting out of bed, throwing on the black slacks that were on his floor. Not bothering with a shirt. He swiftly walked out of the room, leading me to his office. I followed close behind, never in a million years expecting what I was about to learn.
As soon as I walked in, he nodded toward the files that were placed by his gun. The same files that never left his desk.
“The truth has been hiding in plain sight all along,” he stated, looking from me to the files. “Go, cariño. You want the pieces to my puzzle? Well I just laid them all out for you. Solve the mystery. It’s time for you to find out who the fuck I really am.”
I walked around the desk, pulling back his chair, taking a seat. My stomach fluttered and my heart pounded, making it hard for me to breathe.
“What is this going to change?” I found myself asking, looking up at him. Stalling, terrified to find out the truth.
“Everything, cariño,” he simply stated, closing the door, sitting in the chair in front of his desk. Leaning back to set his ankle over his knee. Our roles reversed. He nodded to the folders again.
I swallowed hard, slowly opening the first file. Gasping at the first photo. I looked at him, shocked, and back down to the photo, picking it up. “This...” I paused, choking back tears. “I haven’t seen this picture since I was a kid. Why do you have a picture of my mother?” I ran my shaking fingers over her beautiful face.