After that, he told me, “As for us … After I marry Gloria, I’ll still get a marriage certificate with you as proof of our long-standing relationship. You’ll stay quietly at the estate. Gloria will handle everything else by my side.”
A laugh almost escaped me.
Robert Fuentes always knew how to have it both ways.
My mocking smile made his expression darken.
“Send Amelia to the apartment outside Mexico City immediately. No one is to let her out without my permission. Let her reflect on her mistakes before she hurts Gloria again!”
Four or five bodyguards seized me roughly and dragged me into a car. But the road stretched on far longer than it should have. When the vehicle finally stopped, I realized we weren’t at any apartment. Instead, we were at an abandoned factory.
One of the men pulled out a knife, smirking.
“Miss Bello’s orders. You’re not supposed to see tomorrow’s sunrise. Nothing personal. It’s just business.”
The pieces clicked into place. No wonder these faces were unfamiliar. They weren’t Robert’s men. They were Gloria’s!
The man chuckled and held up his phone. “But before you die, Miss Bello wanted you to see something fun. Said it’d make your death less boring.”
He shoved the screen toward me. My pupils shrank instantly. In the video, Gloria, who had supposedly been crippled, stood tall beside Robert. Her arm was linked with his as they admired a wedding dress.
“Robert, now that I don’t have to pretend to be lame, won’t that make people suspicious?”
Robert smiled.
“No. I’ll just say your leg healed. You’ll be the most beautiful bride, Gloria. Your idea was perfect. Rolling downstairs when Amelia brushed against you. I’ll have someone fake the medical report and send her in.”
Robert’s voice softened, but there was poison beneath it as he spoke, “Amelia’s gotten too bold these last few years. Sometimes I feel like she’s more of a rival than a partner. I’ve fought too hard to get here. I won’t let anyone threaten me.”
“I thought prison would break her. But she’s still the same.”
The summer air was scorching, yet I felt a coldness creep through my bones. For nearly twenty years, I’d stood beside that man. From nothing to everything. We’d been partners. Allies. Family. And now, this was how it ended.
Robert wanted to destroy me because he was afraid of me? How absurd!