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Tension crackled in the air. Mateo clenched his jaw, fingers balled into fists. He stared at Troy directly, almost challenging him to talk back, to fight, to do something they’d both regret afterward. Acid spilled into his stomach. The resentment in his brother’s eyes brought a lump to his throat. For a moment, every part of him stilled, all of his muscles tight and taut.
He’d done that to his brother. To his family. And why? Why had he fucked up so bad and for what reason? He’d asked himself that—couldn’t keep blaming on the alcohol. He’d sabotaged himself. He was a fuck up. An impostor. Underneath the successful exterior, he was a fuck up—and everyone in that room knew it.
“What’s going on?” Lara asked in a low voice, obviously the only one who didn’t know.
Michelle rubbed her forehead, embarrassed.
Mateo frowned at him. “So you didn’t tell her? You haven’t told the woman you married that you fucked your brother’s wife?”
“Mateo, we’ve talked about this,” their father said in Italian.
But Mateo shot his father a cold look and left the living room. Quickly, Michelle followed him, head down.
Troy’s heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Lara, who shifted in the sofa, angling herself so she could fully see his facial expressions. He hadn’t known her for long, but the disappointment in her eyes was obvious. And it made his heartbeat resume in a much more erratic rhythm.
* * *
Lara walked into the room they were to share in his parents’ mansion. He came behind her, and she heard the click sound when he closed the door and locked it.
She removed her stilettos, her hands still shaking from the news she’d received several minutes ago. Troy had slept with his brother’s wife. A blade pierced through her chest. Even though this was a fake marriage, she felt betrayed. Why hadn’t he told her this vital piece of information?
“Lara, I know how it looks,” he said.
She let go of her shoes and dropped them on the soft carpet, then turned to him, folding her arms on her chest. “Tell me how it looks. Because it looks like you’re having an affair with your sister-in-law and your bro is not happy about it. Oh, and everyone else around you two is on pins and needles.” Have I missed anything?
The muscle in his jaw jumped. His blue eyes darkened to a deep gray, and the contours of his face sobered. “You got it.”
“When did you have an affair with her? How long ago?” she asked, shaking her head.
“A bit over two months ago.”
Two months! She stepped back until her knees touched the bed, and she plopped on the edge. In life, she had experienced being a fool and looking like a fool, and tonight, she’d played both roles. “Two months ago you had an affair with your brother’s wife.”
He sighed, running his fingers into his hair like he’d had that conversation many times over. “I slept with her. Once. After a dinner party.”
What could lead him to act in such a careless way? Troy could have any woman he wanted, why would he pursue his brother’s wife? Sadness stabbed at her chest. Because he’s broken. She should have known—her brother also made poor decisions. Miguel had started to act that way after their father died. What had happened to Troy? Or was he just a cold-hearted bastard? “Why?”
A trace of regret flickered in the depth of his eyes. “I was drunk. I made a bad call.”
She snorted. “Bad call? Bad call is accidentally telling your friend you regifted the shirt she gave you. Sleeping with your sister-in-law is beyond wrong.”
The regret from earlier vanished from his gaze, and he squared his shoulders. “Thank you for pointing that out.”
She crossed her legs, then uncrossed them, unsure what to do. Shit. Her accusatory tone had obviously made him retreat into his shell. Thoughts kept popping in her mind like Fourth of July fireworks—only without the happiness that went along with the holiday. “Is that why you married me? Because you want your family’s forgiveness after what you’ve done?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “My father is retiring, and I’ve been groomed to run our family business my whole life. That meant I’d work alongside my brother, even if as the oldest, I’d be in charge. We were getting close to that goal. Then I slept with Michelle and my father decided to understandably teach me a lesson and punish me.”
“Is that why you moved to Tulip? As part of your punishment?”
“Yes. He wanted me away from LA for a while.”
“Why didn’t you marry just anyone?”
He jammed his hands into his pants, leaning back against the wall. “You needed help, and so did I.”
Help? He still talked about their deal like he’d done her a favor. She hadn’t known why he needed the marriage sham, and now it all made sense. If he’d told her, would she still have said yes? Would she willingly get into this family drama and lie to his parents? She swallowed. Idiot that she was, she probably still would have. “You lied to me.”
“No, I never lied.”
