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I lifted my head. The words tumbled out, leaving a metallic taste in their wake. “I know what you did.”
His expression eased. After a few moments of strained silence, he asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what you think,” I said.
Once I revealed what I knew, there was no turning back. It would permanently put us on opposite sides. But I had to do it. For myself. For her.
“I heard it directly from Vicente Valverde,” I said, my jaw tingling with disgust and contempt. “I know what you did. You let them in the house, and then ran them out of town. You’re responsible for my mother’s death.”
23
Natalia
At the mention of the Valverdes—a name Diego had probably never expected to hear from my mouth—he went completely still. He didn’t blink.
The shift was palpable, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d just sealed my fate. I was no longer the damsel in distress he wanted me to be.
But I’d been holding it in for months with no guilty party to accuse face to face. Now, I’d redeemed some small part of what Diego had stolen from me, from my mother and father, and from Cristiano. He now knew that in my eyes, he’d never be the hero again.
And that there’d never be a greater villain to me than him.
“Why’d you do it?” I asked. I knew why, but he should have to say it.
He looked across the aisle of the van at the two Belmonte-Ruiz men. Their expressions hadn’t changed. I doubted they gave one fuck about this conversation.
“Costa owed me two lives for taking my parents,” he said. “When the Valverdes came to me, I saw my opportunity. I took it. Bianca paid the price for what Costa did,” Diego said slowly, as if carefully choosing his words. “I’m sorry it hurt you, and I’m even sorry she had to die.”
“How can you say that when you were the cause of my hurt and her death?”
His forehead wrinkled with concern as he looked at his hands. “I cared for Bianca—as I care for you. Falling in love with you happened both slowly and overnight. It hit me hard. I still love you.” He splayed his hand to remind me of the tattoos between his fingers—the roses with his family name on one, and on his ring finger, our initials. “I always wanted us to do this together.”
I clenched my teeth. Screw you.
I wanted to spit at him, headbutt him, kick him in the balls. But I didn’t bat an eyelash. “Do what together? What do you want me for?”
“Costa would’ve lost the Cruz cartel if not for me, Talia. After your grandfather passed, and before I stepped into an advisory role, Costa could barely control what he had—that’s why the Valverdes tried to take it.” He sighed, propping his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his face. “But under my helm? It flourished. It was mine to take over one day—it only made sense that you and I would run it.”
“What about my father?” I asked.
“Once you and I were married, he’d have understood it was time to step down.”
“And if he hadn’t?”
“He would’ve.” A threat. “If Cristiano hadn’t reentered the picture, that’s what would’ve happened,” Diego said. “We took a little detour, but we’ll end up in the same place.”
As Cristiano had said, Diego would’ve taken over by any means, and the course he’d have chosen was using my love for him against Papá.
And if Diego still saw me in that role but knew I wouldn’t cooperate—what were his plans then?
“Where?” I asked through a swallow. “Where will we end up?”
“At the head of the de la Rosa and Cruz cartels.” Diego linked his hands between his knees and glanced over at me. “And now, you’ll help me get Calavera, too. Costa still owes me a second life, but I’ll take the next best thing—his cartel. His daughter. Cristiano’s wife. If you can get past all this, we can do it as a team again—”
“You lied to me. You kept me in the dark.” The van jostled as we hit more unpaved road. “That’s not a team.”
Diego kept his eyes down as he flexed his hands and massaged one palm. “The secrets surrounding Bianca’s death always weighed on me. I know my involvement hurts you, but you’ll move past it. And when you do, we’ll get everything we always wanted. The fortune, the business . . .” He glanced up at me. “Over time, once you forgive me, maybe we’ll even get more of the romantic nights like our first.”
My stomach roiled. How dare he call that night anything but it was—a violation. It made me sick. God willing, I’d never think of that night again and how stupid I’d been to fall for his empty words. “You stole my virginity.”
