Chapter 42: You knew didn’t you.

There has to be a way.

Maybe Lorenzo can be convinced, maybe we can hide the pregnancy, maybe we can say the baby belongs to Lysander.

Maybe...

A knock suddenly sounds against the door and all three of us freeze.

My heart jumps as I turn toward the door.

"Who is it?"

A man’s voice comes from the other side.

"Miss Nerissa?"

I recognize the voice, it’s one of Lorenzo’s men.

My stomach drops.

I unlock the door but don’t open it completely.

"What?"

"The Don wants to see you."

My grip tightens around the door.

"Why?"

"I have no idea, miss."

Of course he doesn’t.

I glance over my shoulder to find Olivia is staring at me and nathaniel is watching me carefully.

Neither of them says a word.

I look back at the man.

"Okay. I’ll be down in a sec."

He nods and walks away.

I close the door then I turn to my sister and Nathaniel.

"Stay here."

Olivia immediately shakes her head.

"Nerissa..."

"I’ll fix this."

Her eyes fill with worry.

"Ris..."

"I’ll fix this, I promise."

I walk toward her and take both her hands.

"Just stay here and lock the doors when I leave."

She looks at me for a long moment then she nods.

I look at Nathaniel.

"If anything happens to her..."

"I know."

"No. You don’t."

My eyes narrow.

"If anything happens to my sister, I won’t care who you are or who you love. I’ll make sure you regret it."

Nathaniel nods.

"I won’t let anything happen to her."

I hold his gaze for another second then I turn toward the door.

My hand closes around the handle.

I take one deep breath.

Whatever Lorenzo wants, I’m about to find out.

I walk down the stairs feeling sick.

Maybe Uncle wants to ask me questions, maybe he knows.

Maybe.....

I stop outside his office, the door is slightly open and voices drift out.

Male voices, more than one.

My stomach drops when I push the door open.

Uncle Lorenzo sits behind his desk, cassian stands near one of the windows, arms folded over his chest, expression unreadable.

Lysander sits on one of the chairs opposite the desk and beside him.....Of course.

His dick of a brother.

Jeremiah.

He looks exactly the same as always, annoying, arrogant and currently staring at me like I’ve personally offended him by existing.

Wonderful.

My eyes move back to Lysander.

He’s looking at me too, he looks a little too calm.

I hate calm people.

Especially when my entire life feels like it’s falling apart.

Uncle Lorenzo gestures toward an empty chair.

"Sit."

For once in my life, I don’t argue.

I do as I’m told and sit.

The room feels too small, too full of men who have the power to ruin lives.

Lorenzo folds his hands on the desk.

"I’ll go straight to the point. No need to beat around the bush."

I brace myself.

"I’m guessing you’re already updated with the happenings right now."

I don’t answer but he continues.

"Olivia has brought shame onto this family’s name."

My jaw tightens. I hate hearing him talk about Olivia like she’s a problem to be solved.

Still, I keep quiet.

For now.

Lorenzo’s gaze sweeps across the room, then lands back on me.

"Your sister is pregnant with another man’s child."

I glance at Lysander.

His expression doesn’t change, not even a little.

I look back at Lorenzo.

"Okay."

My voice sounds strange to my own ears.

"First off, how do we know the child isn’t his?"

I tilt my head toward Lysander.

Lysander doesn’t talk he just reaches into the folder beside him, pulls out a piece of paper and slides it across the desk toward me.

I stare at it for a second then pick it up.

It’s a pregnancy report.

My eyes move over the words and stop.

Gestational age: over four months.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The words scream through my head.

Olivia married Lysander two months ago, there’s is no explaining this away.

No twisting it, no pretending.

I force my face to remain neutral and place the paper back on the desk.

Then I look up straight at Lysander.

He watches me quietly.

Okay.

"So what now?"

Nobody answers immediately and that’s a problem.

Because right now, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, Lysander makes the calls.

Uncle might be powerful, might be feared, might be Don of the Luciano family.

But we gave the Sanchez family a bride carrying another man’s child.

That’s an insult.....a huge, dangerous one.

I lean back slightly.

Wait.

My brows pull together.

If Olivia was already pregnant before the wedding then...

I stop.

My mind starts putting things together.

The wedding, the bloodied sheets.

Lysander knew.

Didn’t he?

I look at him but his face gives nothing away.

How much does he know? How long has he known? And then another thought hits me.

If he knew...Why did he go through with the marriage?

I turn to Lysander.

"Can I talk to you privately?"

For the first time since I entered the room, he actually looks surprised.

Just a little.

Before he can answer....

"No, you don’t."

Jeremiah.

Of course.

I turn to glare at him and he glares right back.

"I don’t know what little game you’re trying to play but....."

Lysander lifts a hand.

That’s all it takes for Jeremiah to go immediately silent.

He still looks like he wants to argue, looks like he wants to tell his brother this is a bad idea but he knows better.

Interesting.

I look back at Lysander.

He studies me for a moment then he stands, adjusts the sleeve of his jacket then looks at me.

"Lead the way."

I stand.

My heart is beating far too fast. I don’t even know what I’m going to say yet. I just know I need answers because none of this makes sense.

I need to know exactly how much the man standing in front of me already knows.

Without another word, I turn and walk toward the door and I hear his footsteps following behind me.