BETROTHED TO THE CRAZY DON
The fountain continued its quiet song between them, each drop of water stretching the silence until it almost hurt.
Valentina searched his face, desperate for something—anything—that would make sense of the life she had been forced into.
At last, he spoke.
"It was never about business."
She blinked.
The words barely registered.
"What?"
"The marriage."
His gray eyes held hers, unwavering.
"It was never arranged for power."
Her breath caught.
"Then... why?"
His jaw tightened, and for the first time since she'd met him, uncertainty flickered across his face.
Not fear.