Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 130414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
“I presented Morgan with a ten-thousand-dollar ring. She was livid.”
A gasp bunkered in my throat. “Did she say no?”
Romeo chuckled. “Oh, no. She said yes. But she also said other things—how I didn’t truly love her because the engagement ring was an embarrassment compared to those of her new rich friends. That she couldn’t be seen with it at her country club. She complained I wasn’t serious enough. That she quit Juilliard for me. Put her entire life on hold.”
“Did you ask her to do all that?”
“Not once. Then again, I was young and thoughtless. I happily accepted her sacrifices without considering she’d demand a reward for each.”
I dug my nails into my palms, nodding for him to continue.
“Around that time, Licht Holdings entered the game as a serious competitor. Morgan and I patched things up. I took her on vacation to the Bahamas. When we returned, I started working for Costa Industries while applying for my Masters.
“My first year at Costa Industries seemed to balm the strain in our relationship. I earned real money and aged into my trust, which meant she spent a lot more. I’d take her to weekly dinners with my parents, hoping she’d win their hearts. Monica thawed, but Senior remained unwavering. At the same time, he always flirted with her at the dinner table. I hadn’t thought much of it. Almost three decades separated them. Not to mention, she was my fiancée.”
I winced, bracing for the worst.
“Things unraveled when I started my Masters while employed full-time at Costa Industries. I spent little time with Morgan, which she resented. She began hanging out with Madison’s crew. The rich Georgians who flooded Potomac seemingly overnight. She liked them. They found the place boring and made frequent trips to New York. She joined them often. I didn’t mind, since I couldn’t give her the time she required. Back then, Madison and I were friendly.”
Did Morgan cheat on him with Senior and Madison?
Romeo stole my whisky, bringing it to his mouth. “By the time I finished my Masters, Morgan and I were little more than roommates who occasionally had sex. My love for her turned into obligation. I could tell she begrudged me for being obsessively laser-focused on my career. But I had a goal.”
“To take down Costa Industries?”
If Morgan’s affair hadn’t triggered his revenge quest, what did?
“Yes.” He didn’t elaborate. “I can’t deny being an inattentive fiancé, but I was also reliable, faithful, and gave her every penny I had. So, when we drifted apart, I doubted whether the marriage could work. Still, Morgan always lured me back into her web. I felt guilty enough for ripping her from her previous existence to see it through.
“The day of my first promotion, Senior called me into his office and informed me he’d selected prospective brides for me. That if I didn’t break things off with Morgan, he’d do it for me. We had a nasty argument, but I thought nothing of it. Days passed, then weeks. One day, Cara, who routinely bought groceries for us, called. I was on my way to Zach’s. I’d been hanging out with him and Oliver more often, since home felt like anything but. Cara urged me to head to my penthouse. Said there was something there I should see. And there was.”
The storm brewing in his gray eyes swept me into emotional turmoil.
“I found my father eating out my fiancée, who wore nothing but a pair of heels for him. He didn’t even stop when I walked in. Just stared me right in the eye and told me that was what happened when you chose a working-class girl instead of a classy, workable girl. She’d always choose money over you.” He paused while I fought the urge to throw up. “And he was right. All it took for her to spread her legs for him, to do this to me—to my mother, who fed her every Sunday at her house—was a black card and an empty promise he’d divorce for her.”
“Oh, Romeo.” I cupped my mouth.
I understood his mocking approach to marriage now. He’d hardly seen a good example. His parents were miserable together, and his one and only girlfriend cheated on him in the most despicable way.
He returned my drink. “Spare your tears for someone who deserves them. Power is a great substitute for love. And I have plenty of it. Life is much easier once you accept the fact that everyone will hurt you.”
I held the whisky to my chest, my heart hammering against the glass. He was right, but he’d also missed the most important part. Everyone will hurt you. The key to happiness is finding someone worth enduring the pain.
“After I threw Morgan out to roam the streets naked, I watched Senior tuck himself in and realized he was right all along. The working-class fiancée. The ability to get away with absolutely anything if you possessed enough influence. I could’ve beaten him to a pulp. I have experience in that field, after all.”