“How so?” she asks, still with coldness in her tone, but also an edge of intrigue.
“Art was and is the thing that has kept me sane. Ever since Josiah started hunting me…he’s been relentless. It’s affected my life in ways that other people would struggle to understand. I was forced into hiding, hoping it would blow over, and it never did. I would spend weeks locked up in my mansion, not going out, staying out of the public eye. And the one thing I had was my art. My collection grew, and in it I found a certain kind of peace. Art has a way of speaking to a person if they are willing to listen.”
Her eyes soften slightly. “It does speak, doesn’t it,” she half-whispers.
She glances around the gallery at the beautiful pieces. I study her face while she studies the art, and I think to myself that nothing more beautiful could possibly exist in the world.
“What happened between you and Josiah?” she asks after a while, her eyes drawing up to meet mine.
I don’t want to get into it, but she just warned me that what she longs for is real conversation. Genuine connection. And I want the same thing, so I can’t hold back when she asks a direct question like this.
I shove my hands into my pockets and pull my mouth tight as I think about how to word it.
“Josiah and I weren’t always enemies. I wouldn’t call us friends, but we weren’t at war with each other. But a man like Josiah has that kind of hunger that becomes dangerous. He’s the type of man that has to be number one no matter what. When I started getting more power and a stronger footing in the city, he didn’t like it. I watched him break other people, push them down if he thought they were trying to take his place at the top. And then he turned his eyes on me, and I realized he saw me as the next threat.”
I sigh, taking a moment to gather my thoughts while she watches me with patience and interest.
“Before Josiah began to interfere with my life, I did things properly. I worked hard. I was honest. I never played dirty with anyone. But he taught me that it will only get you so far, and if you don’t kick up some dirt then someone like him will come and snatch everything you’ve worked so fucking hard for right from under your feet. I only played dirty to defend myself against his arrogance. But then so much started happening all at once, and I had no choice but to cut my losses and go into hiding. I needed time to think. To pull myself together again.”
I speak honestly, sharing things with her that I don’t talk to anyone about. Admitting the weakness of fear in my world is a death sentence, but I want her to see the real me. The real person I am. I’m fully aware that Josiah has spoken about me. She knew who I was when she heard my name the first time. He’s had his chance to paint me in a bad light. Now she needs to understand that there are two sides to every story, and while she is best friends with his wife, his side might not be the right one.
Izabel pulls her mouth to the side in disapproval.
“Really?” she scoffs.
I’m taken aback by her response. It immediately spikes my annoyance.
Chapter 8 - Izabel
“Really?” I scoff, looking at him with an expression that says, clear as day,do you really think I’m that stupid?
His reaction is immediate and unmistakable as he squares his shoulders and stands taller, ready to defend himself against whatever accusations I’m throwing his way.
“What do you mean,really?” he snaps.
I shake my head, not impressed at all by his story.
“It’s so easy, isn’t it?” I laugh bitterly.
“What is!?” he blurts out, getting more agitated. The calm man I’ve been playing tricks on all week is nowhere to be seen.
“To make yourself look like the victim.”
I watch as his gray eyes turn stormier. Darker.
He clenches his jaw, and muscles ripple across his face.
“A victim? No. I never want to be viewed as a victim. And I’m not trying to present myself as anything in particular. I’m just telling you the truth of what happened,” he snaps.
“Truth is versatile, though, Anton. You’re twisting it to suit your narrative. Maybe even to make excuses for the things you’ve done,” I challenge him.
“Things I did because I had to do them,” he blurts out, his eyes clouding even more.
“Really? Youhad tokidnap my best friend? You had to do that? And youhad tokidnapme!?I’m not even involved in this thing between you and Josiah. You were just using me like a tool to get to him. And then you forced me to marry you…” I shake my head, laughing bitterly. “Don’t come looking for pity from me when you’ve literally taken my freedom from me,” I snap.
“Pity! No, not at all. I was possibly looking for understanding, or maybe a little human honesty. But apparently, you’re not capable of that!” He’s angry. I’ve struck some kind of nerve, and I won’t lie; I rather like it. “You keep making it sound like they are such good guys, Josiah, your brother…”
“I never said they weregood. And you made it pretty damn clear last night that my brother was pretty much a monster, but I am making it clear that you are just as bad as they are, if not worse!”
