Chapter 18: I should have you killed now.

You knew."

His eyebrows pull together.

"Nerissa....."

"You fucking knew!"

I jab my finger into his chest again.

"And you sat there."

He catches my wrist before I can do it a third time.

"Calm down."

"Don’t tell me to fuking calm down!"

I yank my hand away.

"You knew this was happening, didn’t you?"

He says nothing and that silence is enough.

My stomach drops.

"You did."

"Nerissa, listen..."

"No!"

I shove his chest bur the big brute barely moves.

"You knew they were going to marry her off."

"I knew there was an agreement being discussed."

"Don’t fucking lie to me!"

"I didn’t know when Lorenzo would announce it."

"But you knew shw was to marry that freak!"

My voice cracks.

Cassian looks at me for once, he doesn’t have an answer ready.

That hurts.

It hurts more than I expected.

I point toward Olivia.

"She was sitting in that room completely blindsided."

Cassian’s gaze shifts toward her nd his expression softens.

"I know."

"No, you don’t."

I shake my head my nthroat tightens.

"She was terrified."

"I know."

"Then why didn’t you tell us?"

Cassian exhales.

"Because I couldn’t."

I laugh bitterly.

"Couldn’t?"

I step closer.

"You couldn’t?"

His jaw tightens.

"The Don made his decision."

"So?"

"So what did you want me to do?"

His voice rises for the first time.

"Stand up in that room and challenge him?"

"Yes!"

The answer leaves my mouth instantly.

"Yes, Cas. I wanted you to do something....anything."

For a moment, neither of us speaks thn he looks away.

I turn away.

My chest feeling tight.

Olivia is still sitting on the couch, watching us.

I walk back toward her, i don’t know how we’re getting out of this, i don’t know how I’m going to stop a marriage that the Don has already declared final.

But I know one thing.

I’m not going to sit around and watch my sister’s life get destroyed, even if I have to tear this entire fucking agreement apart myself.

———

The next morning, I wake up with exactly one thought in my head so I get dressed quickly, choosing something comfortable but presentable enough that nobody can accuse me of showing up looking like I crawled out of bed.

Not that I care what Uncle Lorenzo thinks.

Actually...i care a little, cayse unfortunately, he’s still the Don nd unfortunately for me, that means I can’t simply storm into his house screaming at him about selling my sister off to the enemy.

Not without consequences, anyway.

I grab my bag, head downstairs, and leave.

The drive to Uncle Lorenzo’s house is short, by the time I pull through the gates, I’m already regretting coming.

But I’m here now.

The guards recognize me and let me through.

I park near the entrance and step out. Th house looks exactly the way I remember....

Everything about the place screams money and power.

I walk inside without bothering to announce myself br I barely make it three steps before I hear a familiar voice.

"Nerissa!"

I turn nd immediately smile.

My aunt.

She waddles into the hallway with one hand resting beneath her enormous pregnant belly.

She’s heavily pregnant now.....Vry heavily.

The woman looks like she’s carrying an entire watermelon under that dress nd somehow, she still manages to look beautiful.

She smiles the second she sees me.

"Nerissa!"

"Aunty."

I walk toward her as she opens her arms nd I try to carefully hug hr.

"Look at you."

She pats my cheek.

"You’ve gotten thinner."

"I have not."

"You have."

I smile.

My aunt has always been different from the rest of this family.

She’s warm, gentle and Soft.....much like Oli.

Zhe’s a literal angel who somehow ended up married to a man who considers smiling an unnecessary weakness.

And she adores me....much to uncle’s dismay

Which, naturally, means I adore her right back.

Mostly because it annoys my uncle bt also because she’s genuinely impossible not to love.

A small body suddenly crashes into my legs.

"Aunty Rissa!"

I look down and my face immediately lights up.

"There you are!"

My cousin throws his arms around my waist.

I laugh and bend down, wrapping my arms around him.

He squeezes me tightly.

"Missed you."

"I missed you too."

I pull back enough to look at him.

"Have you been behaving?"

He nods enthusiastically.

"Yes."

His mother laughs behind me.

"He hasn’t."

He grins as I ruffle his hair.

He’s six years old and already has his father’s stubbornness.

God help us all.

I stand again and look at my aunt.

"Where’s the tyrant?"

She raises an eyebrow.

"Your uncle?"

"Yes?"

She laughs.

"He’s in his office."

I glance toward the hallway.

"Is he busy?"

"He always says he is."

"Good."

I smile.

"Then I’ll disturb him."

My aunt shakes her head.

"Nerissa..."

"What?"

"Don’t start a fight."

"I won’t."

She gives me a look.

I sigh.

"I’ll try."

"That is not reassuring."

I kiss her cheek.

"Love you."

"Love you too."

I turn toward the hallway.

My footsteps echoing through the hallway. The closer I get to my uncle’s office, the more my irritation returns.

I stop outside the large wooden doors and I knock once, thn open the door.

He’s sitting behind his desk, hs glasses perched low on his nose with papers spread across the desk in neat stacks.

He looks like exactly what he is.

A man who believes the entire world rest on his shoulders.

He doesn’t look up immediately so I close the door behind me rhen walk farther into the room.

He finally lifts his eyes and rhe moment he sees me, his expression changes to that of annoyance.

I fold my arms.

"Good morning."

He takes off his glasses slowly and for several seconds, he simply looks at me.

Then he leans back in his chair.

"I should have you killed now...shouldn’t I?."

My breath sizzes.