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Céline’s wineglass fell to the ground.
And Yves remained stoic.
“She wasn’t my girlfriend. We weren’t dating. Simply scratching a mutual itch, so I didn’t see the point in broadcasting something so casual.” My jaw clenched. “Violette promised to keep it a secret. I knew if you all found out, you’d turn it into something big when it wasn’t.” I cracked my knuckles. “I ended things with Violette when she became possessive to an uncomfortable point. She demanded I marry her and I refused, having promised her nothing beyond our agreed terms. Violette must have told Antoine about our situation before dying. Obviously, now he wants revenge and he’s using this Pierrot persona to fuck with me.”
“This is insane!” Céline wailed. “The Toussaints are like family. I can’t fathom why Antoine would do this.”
“Antoine has never liked Zeno,maman,” Ben said with a shake of his head.
“There might be another reason.” The one thing I was truly dreading saying out loud.
“What more could there be?” Yves demanded.
I cringed even before the words left me. “Antoine and Violette were lovers.”
Once again, the silence in the room was deafening before my sister shattered it.
“That’s incest!” Éva shrilled. “Like,ew!”
“I recently learned from Darien. He has seen Antoine and Violette fucking each other. Others have too. It’s not a secret apparently.”
“I’m going to be sick,” Ben muttered, pawing his mouth.
Disgust was etched into everyone’s faces. I gave them a few moments to digest the news.
With this recent development out in the open, Yves drawled, “You think Antoine wants revenge because you broke Violette’s heart and because he was jealous?”
I nodded. “And by marrying Darla, I’ve just indirectly stated that Violette was never good enough to be my wife.”
“Merde, that first text message suddenly makes sense.” Ben inhaled sharply. “‘I see she’s goodenough to be your wife’…You wouldn’t marry Violette but a year later, you’re married to Darla after weeks of knowing her. It’s a slap in the face to the Toussaints.”
“Exactly, Ben.”
Yves’s face hardened. “They certainly set the tone by not coming to your wedding.”
It was a form of disrespect to miss the new seigneur’s wedding. They were still under our payroll. When Gabriel and Antoine packed their bags and left for France, Yves thought he would give the Toussaints time to mourn Violette’s death. Unfortunately, time fed their bloodthirst and now Antoine Toussaint—Pierrot—wouldn’t rest until he’d gotten justice for his half-sister.
“I apologize to you all for not speaking about Violette sooner. It was better to avoid her topic than confront my demons. The fact that she died the day after I broke up with her left me feeling guilty.”
I especially didn’t want Ben to know. She was his best friend. I didn’t want him to see me differently. But gauging his expression now, I could tell that he was looking atherdifferently. The incest thing was a game changer. I wished I didn’t ruin her memory for him.
“You should have told me, Zed,” Ben croaked. “I would never judge you. I know you must have made your intentions clear from the start. Violette not respecting those boundaries isn’t on you. Violettedyingisn’t on you.”
“Ben is right,” Céline added. “Do not blame yourself for ending things with her. Or for her passing away. That wasn’t your fault.”
I appreciated my family coming to terms with my decision and understanding my point of view. It was liberating to know there was no judgement. The De la Croixes may not have the best reputation, but they were exceptional in ways the outside world could never comprehend. Absolutely chaotic and loyal till the end of time.
With everything out on the table, I felt Yves’s gaze beckoning me.
I met his stare head-on. “You taught me how to deal with traitors, Yves.”
The tables had turned and that was exactly what the Toussaints were now.
Traitors.
He smirked sardonically. “That I did.”
“I’ve spent weeks searching for Antoine, but I will find him,” I swore. “And once I do, it’ll be three bullets into his fucking skull.”
