Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
"I'll only agree to that if you offer to do the same."
"You are saying I have to earn your trust as well?" Massimo asked sharply. "You dare to question my integrity?"
"Not your integrity, no." Ysabel fought against the urge to back down despite the sight of his anger. "But your fidelity? Yes, I do question it—-"
"I have already broken things off with your sister—-"
"Then wouldn't it cost you nothing to give me your word?"
"Ynez never challenged me like this—-" As soon as the words were out, Massimo knew right away he had said the wrong thing.
Fuck.
He knew he had to apologize for this, but found it impossible to do so. There were so many things that Ynez had told him about her sister, and those things made it difficult for Massimo to completely trust his future wife.
My parents always loved her more. She never spoke or did a single thing to me that I could complain about. She was that good at manipulating other people, and I'm scared that one day, she'd end up stealing you away from me.
Ysabel knew she should just let those words go. This was all new to both of them, after all. But—-
"Can I just say something?"
"No."
The swiftness in which Massimo had replied to this made her want to smile and strangle him at the same time—-which was a good thing in a way, since this also meant her fear of him was also gradually fading.
"Another reason why our marriage might not work is if you keep comparing me to Ynez."
"Are you forbidding me to talk about your sister?"
"How would you feel if I compared you to my ex?"
"You do not have an ex," he pointed out coolly.
How did he know that, too, dammit?
"But I understand your point—-"
Ynez had always made it seem Massimo was unreasonable when they had their fights, and so this unexpected admission caused Ysabel's head to jerk up in surprise.
"And I apologize for being insensitive." His brows pushed together in a frown when he saw her squirm at his words. "What is it?"
"N-Nothing."
Massimo's lips tightened in impatience. "Must I warn you once more about the consequences of lying to me?"
"It's just..." Ysabel could feel her cheeks turning redder as his words forced her to blurt out the truth. "I remembered Ynez stating in an interview that you had the most fantastic way of apologizing."
"Is that so?" Massimo should have expected this, but it was still difficult to keep himself from feeling disillusioned.
"But please don't think I'm implying anything."
And yet you are, Massimo thought coldly. "Have no worries, signorina. Before the end of this day, new credit cards will be issued in your name—-" He saw her eyes widen in surprise, and Massimo's lip curled. "Were you hoping for something else?" Surely she did not expect full access to his bank accounts as well? Did she think he was that big of an idiot?
"No, of course not—-"
"Don't lie," Massimo snapped.
"I'm not lying! I truly wasn't expecting you to talk about credit cards, okay?"
He stared at her, perplexed and frustrated by the way his instincts were absolutely certain that she was telling him the truth—-but not the whole of it. If she truly did not expect him to apologize with personal greed in mind, then how else did she think he would...
Ah.
Ysabel's cheeks burned even hotter when Massimo's dark gaze suddenly glinted with infernal heat.
There was a time, just that one time, that Massimo had looked at her this very way.
But ever since he and her sister started dating, Ysabel had never allowed herself to think of it again.
Or at least not until...now.
A smirk slowly curved over his lips, and this, too, reminded her of that night. The sight of it was even more infuriating this time, and before Ysabel realized what she was doing—-
Fuck you!
Massimo was more stunned than offended when Ysabel suddenly flipped him the bird. For one second there...for one painful second, her response was an agonizing reminder of the Ynez that he had first met and imagined himself in love with.
But since that side of Ynez had never materialized again after that night, and he had since been ordered to marry another woman—-
I'm sorry, Ynez.
It was truly time for him to bury the other woman in his past, and from this moment forward—-
Ysabel was starting to panic the longer Massimo stared at her. I can't believe I flipped him off again. Five years ago, he hadn't had the chance to retaliate since he was too busy having sex with another woman. But now?
The moment he straightened, Ysabel immediately screamed as she tried to escape.
"Help!"
But this only had Massimo chuckling, and the sound - albeit even more infuriating than his smirk - also had a noticeably sizzling effect on her flesh.
Oh no.
She wasn't able to get away at all, with Massimo succeeding in imprisoning her against the wall, and his powerfully virile form pressing against her body.