Chapter 30: The Real Lovers

Ava

PRESENT

~~~

My mouth hangs wide open by the time Leonel finishes his story. I can tell it was not one he was proud to tell; his head of dark hair hung low, using the documents in front of him as a convenient distraction.

“The lies she told about me only got worse by the time she left the mansion,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. “Suddenly, I had people calling me a drunk, even though I only drank on special occasions, and sometimes they painted this picture that made me seem violent—”

“But you’re not!” I finally cut in. I’d let him talk for hours uninterrupted, but the itch to defend him finally broke through my silence. “You’ve only ever been violent when necessary. That’s bullshit!”

He looked up at me finally, as if he was seeing me clearly for the first time. “You believe me?”

This was an important question. There was the very real possibility Leonel Sinclair was lying to me, and had fabricated this whole story to get me on his side.

But that’s the thing—S