The photo showed her diamond-laden hand caressing a pigeon blood ruby of extraordinary color. It was Sicily's rarest mineral treasure, the kind every jeweler alive would kill to possess.
I knew exactly what Selene was doing. She'd meant for me to see all of this.
Last week, Samuel had pulled three consecutive all-nighters to close what he called a "jewelry partnership." The red veins in his eyes were impossible to hide, and a rival's hired man had slashed a deep gash across his wrist. When the wound bled through his bandage, he hadn't even flinched.
I'd been heartbroken and furious, scolding him for not taking care of himself. I thought he was fighting for the family's jewelry legacy. I thought he was doing it to keep me safe.
It had all been for Selene. To win her that expo booth. To lay that precious gemstone vein at her feet. Even if it ground him down to nothing, he'd done it gladly.
As if possessed, my fingers drifted to the tablet's lock screen. A string of numbers punched themselves in, almost by instinct.
The last digit landed. The screen unlocked.
The passcode was Selene Blanc's birthday.
Samuel never let me touch his personal tablet. He said it was a rule for the Godfather of Sicily, that it contained core family secrets. Now I understood. There were no secrets. He was just afraid I'd glimpse the devotion to another woman hidden inside.
The home screen was a photo of Selene in profile. She stood in a jewelry showroom, beaming, her features bright with playful elegance.
No wonder his eyes always softened when he unlocked the tablet. That tenderness had never been for me.
My hands trembled as I opened the file folders. Every single one was named after Selene Blanc. Rows and rows of albums, so many they made my vision swim.
[Selene — Jewelry Expo]
[Selene — Gala Outfits]
[Selene — Raw Gemstone Tastings]
Photo after photo. Selene in couture gowns. Selene draped in dazzling jewels. Selene glowing at one grand jewelry event after another.
Over a thousand photos. Not a single one of me. Not even one of himself. From first to last, only Selene.
Just like his heart. From beginning to end, it had only ever belonged to her. I was nothing but a passing stranger, a tool for easing his guilt.
The car rolled through the gates of the Castle. I stared at the familiar grounds through the window and felt cold seep into every bone.