Chapter 4. His Wicked Seduction(Part-1)

My voice remained calm, and my expression was unreadable. That seemed to confuse her even more. People like Naya were always searching for hidden motives, convinced that everyone else was just as calculating and malicious as they were.

Then a slow smirk spread across her lips before she murmured, “Wish granted, little sister. And remember—you asked for this, sweetie.”

She sighed softly, her voice dripping with mock-sisterly sweetness as she took my hand. But I knew her too well to fall for her act.

Before I could react, she suddenly released my hand and threw herself to the floor. The movement was so sudden that I barely had time to process what had happened. She landed hard, then looked up at me with wide, frightened eyes.

I stared at her, stunned. For a moment, I was genuinely worried she might have hurt herself, and I even reached out to help her.

But just then, I heard footsteps. Leone had re-entered the room.

Naya immediately burst into loud, desperate sobs.

“I'm sorry, Gia! I didn't ask Leone to throw this party for me, I swear!” she cried, shrinking back on the carpet. “I'm sorry! If you want me to, I'll leave. I'll go far away from you and Leone, and I'll never come back. But...” Her lips trembled, and I almost had to admire how convincingly she played the victim. “I can't stop loving him. It's not in my control!”

“What's going on here?” Leone's deep voice cut through the room as he rushed toward her and gathered her sobbing form into his arms.

I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes when I finally realized what she was doing. She had deliberately thrown herself to the floor to make it look as though I'd pushed her.

“Leo, please, don't say anything to her,” Naya whimpered, looking up at him through her tears while calling him by that familiar pet name right in front of me. It made their closeness painfully obvious. Leone had never even allowed me to call him that. “I... I fell on my own. She didn't do anything. And whatever she's said, she's right to be angry with me. It's my fault. I shouldn't have come back. I shouldn't be here.”

Leone’s eyes snapped to mine. I braced myself, waiting for the inevitable explosion—waiting for him to scream at me.

“What did you do to her?” he asked, and to my disbelief, his voice was cold and quiet, his expression unreadable and completely devoid of emotion.

I didn't bother replying. I stayed silent because, no matter what I said, everyone had always believed Naya. And Leone was in love with her. There was no way in hell he would believe me if I told him I hadn't even touched her.

“Leo, please don't ask her. I'm fine!” Naya cried.

Leone simply shook his head at me before turning his attention back to her. Then he scooped her into his arms.

I let out a quiet, humourless huff.

“No, Leo, put me down! You shouldn't do this to her,” Naya cried, playing her role to perfection. “Let me go. Don't upset my sister.”

“Stop it, Naya. The guest room is ready, and you'll be staying here,” he said coldly, turning to carry her out of the room.

For a split second, disappointment flashed across Naya's face before she quickly slipped back into her pitiful, wounded expression. I couldn't blame her. I was shocked, too. Leone hadn't forced me to my knees and demanded that I apologize to her, the way my parents always had whenever Naya pulled this act while we were growing up.

Back then, they would slap me, lock me in a dark room, and leave me to starve until I gave in and admitted I was at fault. I had learned to surrender before the punishment even began.

But Leone…

He didn't slap me. He didn't scream at me or call me a jealous, bitter disappointment.

He just left the room with her.

But his lack of reaction filled me with a different kind of fear. A cold dread settled deep in my stomach. What was going through his mind? I had seen enough of his world to know that his silence could be far more dangerous than an outburst. My insides trembled as the realization hit me:

Had I just made a deal with the devil? Had demanding my freedom just signed my own death warrant?

I didn't know how long I paced the empty bedroom, torturing myself with thoughts of what they might be doing at that very moment. Knowing how insatiable Leone could be in bed, my stomach twisted as my imagination ran wild with the things he might be doing with Naya. Even though I was the one who had practically pushed my husband into my sister's arms, I couldn't quiet the restless ache inside me.

I stopped in front of the vanity mirror and stared at my reflection, but the image of Naya and Leone together flashed through my mind. Naya was beautiful, stunning, perfect, and exactly the kind of woman who belonged by Leone Romano's side. I was nothing like the woman a man like him would want beside him. Perhaps it was better if they ended up together. At least then, he wouldn't have to hide his wife from the world anymore, and the embarrassment of our marriage would finally be over.

My eyes fell to the heavy necklace resting against my collarbone. An anniversary gift from my husband. Though, ironically, he hadn't even remembered our anniversary until Naya reminded him. Funny how he could buy me an expensive gift to mark the occasion but couldn't acknowledge me as his wife in front of the world. With a defeated sigh, I raised my hands to unclasp it.

“You’re removing the wrong thing, Gia.”

My husband’s deep voice made me jump. I hadn't heard the door open. I hadn't heard a single step.

I spun around. Leone stood in the doorway, his face completely blank.

“Take off the dress,” he said, his tone flat as he locked the door. “I want to fuck you with nothing but that necklace on.”