"Oliver Shane, ring a bell? Owner of the famous restaurants you can find in Hightower. He’s quite famous," Clara said proudly.

S-She can’t be serious!

"Shane?" I questioned with weight, silently praying she was telling some joke.

She shrugged. "Yes."

Oh, God. It’s not a joke.

The same man who was on Zade’s top wanted list and was probably hunted throughout the city.

The highest of fuck!

"He really wants to meet you, Ana. Right now."

I snapped my eyes to the toilet stall the moment it opened, and two mean-looking men walked in. I noted the guns in their hands.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I see his taste for pathways in the ladies’ room hasn’t changed."

Creepy. Now I can never look at restrooms the same way again.

"You’re familiar..."

"Because the bastard kidnapped me... No offense, your fiancé is a dick."

"Oh, please... Don’t be like that."

"Excuse me...?"

She came close, adjusting the fur coat to cover her up. "You married your sister’s murderer. You’re in no position to judge me about my choice of partner."

It felt like cold water had been splashed on me, and all I could do was stand there, a buried guilt crawling back to the surface.

Clara checked her watch. "We don’t have much time. Oh, don’t worry about your bodyguard waiting outside. He won’t even notice you’re gone."

I shivered. I had never thought about Clara as scary before; she was nothing but a mean bitch. The same bitch who gossiped badly about my sister throughout the academy.

What has happened to her?

She was completely different from the person I slapped a month ago. Now, I’m beginning to question all the bitches in my life.

"After you..."

I glanced at the two men. Compared to the other two who grabbed me that night in the night chamber, I figured no words would work this time, or even a damn conversation, to somehow weasel my way outta this.

"You don’t wanna do this, Clara..." I said to her, hoping I could talk some sense into her. "Do you have any idea the kind of mess you’re in? You may be engaged to Shane, but you’re just caught up in danger. I know this because I have seen it."

"Seen what, Ana?"

"It’s not..." I paused. "It’s not bed and roses."

"I wake up every morning rolling naked in money that counts as bed and roses. Ah... bed and clean money."

I scoffed. This ridiculous bitch.

"Shane is Don Salvero’s enemy. You’re not that stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Yes!" I stepped closer to her, but the men moved, so I froze where I was.

"Aww..." she pouted. "But it’s not my call.... my daddy really wants to meet you so badly."

I cringed.

"You shouldn’t keep him waiting." She waved her hands delicately at me as if to shoo me off.

I released a shaky breath, clenching my purse tightly, and followed them.

One of the toilet stalls had a hidden entrance... a push against the plain-looking wall, and there was a path.

Not again.

I followed them in, and after walking for a few seconds, we emerged into a room with a balcony overlooking the night view of the city, the lights lit so brightly.

Then I saw Shane sitting in the center with a few other men in the room.

He had his legs crossed, relaxed against the sofa like he owned the damn world, arms spread out.

"Hello, Mrs. Salvero. We met again. Forgive the escort; this was the only way we could meet without any trouble."

I passed a slow look around the room full of men before I pinned my gaze on Shane. Brown eyes, dark hair almost turned gray, stubble covering his jaw, and a pinstripe suit worn on his bulky frame.

"Kidnapping twice is a new record. You should apply for the World Guinness Book of Record."

He chuckled. "Such a sharp tongue! You weren’t so talky when I sat with you at the poker table. You were so obedient, sitting there like a pretty wife."

"Talking with strangers is not in the books for me."

"Stranger? I’m your husband’s business partner."

"Ex-business partner," I corrected.

"My my, that fire! I do despise it when a woman’s overshadowed by a man... it kills their spirit. You’ve been kept under lock and key."

I frowned at his comment.

"Flaunting you around like an expensive object... so like Zade, but I do admit if I were in his shoes I’d too."

My body locked when he seized me up from head to toe.

"There’s a word out that your father sold you to him, and now he’s just a pathetic underling. The entire Morri reduced to nothing but pawns."

"I heard something too..." I said.

"Oh, yeah?"

"That you were shot in the ass."

Shane’s smile dropped, and his men shared looks between each other, as well as an awkward cough that followed through.

"You have a mouth... a pretty one. Don’t make me cut it off."

A shiver shot up my spine, yet I didn’t know where I found the courage to keep talking. Probably because I somehow knew...

"If you wanted to kill me, you could have done it in the night chamber. And today, right at the restroom.

"True... but nothing is stopping me now because I’m not trying to do a business transaction where all parties should be unspoiled."

I noted the malice in his tone, a contrast to how desperate he sounded when talking with Zade that night.

"How is that my problem?" I questioned.

Whatever business was between them and not me. Those two big boys can sort it out for all I care.

Shane laughed lightly. "You’re his wife. All his problems are yours."

"Property," I corrected. "I came with a price tag on my head, remember?"

There was a wide smirk on his lips as he said. "Yes, but still his wife. You wear his ring, and wearing a Don’s ring means quite a lot."

"I’ve come to see that. Clara. What exactly did you promise her to get her into your bed? I know Clara, she may be a handful, but at least she has class."

"She does. Why else would she have chosen me?"

"You—"

"Let’s skip that." He shut me up with a raise of his hand. "Time’s ticking."

I gulped. Seems like he really doesn’t wanna kill me because he could have since the moment I mentioned about him getting shot in the ass. Which was disgustingly true... courtesy of Luca.

"You and I are the same. Mrs. Salvero."

I scowled. "No, we’re not."

"Yes, we are. Zade drove me to a corner."

"Because you chose to cross him instead of talking business like a businessman."

"You don’t know a damn thing about how our world works. We take because we can, and the law doesn’t stop us. He took your sister from you, and yet you’re married to him. That’s a tragic fate enough to show you that made men like us... take no matter what."

"I’m aware."

I don’t know what he’s aiming for, and I don’t want to deal with it. However, my chances of simply walking out of here on my own free will were low.

"You know I saw you..." he began. "The moment you walked out of that car, in his arms, cameras flashing. It made me wonder if his dick was so good that it made you so consumed."

"What can I say... he’s packing. Are we done now? I’m not sure how much you know about Don Salvero... but he’s the kind of man who doesn’t like to be kept waiting."

"Have you wondered why he did it?"

"What?"

"Killed your sister..."

My pulse quickened.

"There are rumors, but do you know the truth? The real truth?"

When he caught my expression, his smirk got wider as he murmured under his breath. "You don’t..."

"You want to know why?" he added. "I can tell you."

"And why would I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?" I shot back.

"Because I have no reason to lie, Mrs. Salvero."

I gulped thickly.

"Show her..." He snapped his fingers for one of his men. "Maybe you will see the truth for yourself."

The man came to me and pulled out pictures from a portfolio, and the moment I got a full glimpse of them, my heart dropped.

Annabeth?

I could recognize her anywhere... that flawless, wavy hair that was always in perfect shape. The way she crossed her legs and how stylish she dressed.

Annabeth was sitting in a restaurant, and she wasn’t alone. She was smiling... at Zade, who sat opposite her.

"W-What’s this?" I demanded, shooting my eyes back to Shane.

"Ahh... you don’t know? Let’s say the part of the rumors that said your sister was spreading her legs for a Salvero was true. Zade Salvero to be precise."

My breath hitched. "Y-You’re lying... Those were just nothing but vile words!"

"The proof is right in front of you. Yet, you claim I’m lying?"