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Cristiano’s voice came from the doorway. “What do you think you’re doing?”
There wasn’t much to take. She didn’t need all the expensive designer clothes, not anymore. And she’d left her family treasures back in New York. Along with her friends.
She looked at him.
“I’m going home.”
“Home,” he scoffed.
“New York.” Saying the name aloud made her realize how desperate she was to return. “I’m going home to the people who love me.”
She turned back to the closet, then stopped. He’d bought her so much, but what did she actually need? Nothing. She didn’t want anything he’d bought her. Because he hadn’t been buying her clothes. He’d been buying her soul. Telling her how she had to behave and where she would live and who she would be.
Looking down at herself, she couldn’t bear for the beautiful red ball gown to be touching her skin. It reminded her of how naive she’d been, to believe she could just tell him she loved him and magically change him, like some fairy tale!
Reaching back, she savagely yanked on the zipper, pulling off the dress and kicking it away from her body. She stood in front of him, wearing only a white lace bra and panties and the cold diamond necklace on her throat.
“Hallie, don’t do anything foolish.”
“You don’t believe in love. You don’t believe in home.” Reaching up, she pulled off the glittering diamond necklace and held it out, a hard heap of metal and stone. “Take it back.”
When he didn’t move, she opened her hand, letting it drop heavily to the floor. Turning away, she dug through the closet until she found one of her old cotton sundresses. Pulling it over her body, she left the closet, carrying the empty suitcase.
“Go, then,” he growled.
Stopping by the enormous bed where he’d once given her such joy, she whirled to face him. His eyes were black.
“Go off in search of this imaginary man who will feel whatever you want him to feel, whenever you want it, trained on your command like a barking dog.”
She took a deep breath, her heart full of anguish. “That’s not what I—”
“You can go,” he interrupted. He paused. “My son stays.”
Hallie’s mouth went dry.
“What?” she croaked.
Her husband’s dark eyes glittered as his cruel, sensual lips curved. “You heard me.”
“You would take him from me?” she whispered. “From his own mother?”
“You are the one abandoning him, if you leave. And, as I warned you from the beginning, he is my priority. Not you.”
His words stabbed her in the heart. “But—but you’re hardly ever home! You spend all your time working. You’d rather see Jack raised by some paid nanny?” She lifted her chin. “I don’t care what you say, no judge would agree to that!”
Cristiano tilted his head. “It seems you didn’t read our prenuptial agreement carefully, cara. In the event of a divorce, unless I am in breach of our agreement, primary custody goes to me.” He smiled. “You are, of course, welcome to visit Jack whenever you wish.”
His voice was silky, as if he knew he’d just beaten her. And he had. She staggered back, unable to believe that the man she loved could be so cold and unforgiving.
“You bastard,” she whispered.
“Me?” His eyes suddenly blazed. “I’ve done everything for you, Hallie,” he ground out. “Everything. I’ve given you everything any woman could possibly desire. I bought you this house—”
“Because you wanted revenge against your father! Nothing to do with m
e!”
“This house was for you. Hurting Bennato was just a bonus. And yet you still decided to go behind my back and try to help him infiltrate our family.”
