The Don's Lie

Smoke and gunpowder drifted through the hallway.

Angelo was holding a black Browning, the barrel aimed at Vivian.

"I said shut up." His voice was flat. "Don't test me. Next time I won't miss on purpose."

Vivian bit her lip, scrambled to her feet, and stumbled down the stairs.

"Sorry. Did that scare you?"

Angelo pulled me into his arms and stroked my back.

"It's handled, Isa. Done."

He whispered against my ear. "You stay here, where it's safe. Your mother will be in the best private hospital. For as long as she needs."

The wave of helplessness drowned me.

I bit my lip until I tasted blood. The word came out anyway. "Thank you."

"Sweetheart, don't thank me."

He tapped my nose and pulled out his phone.

"Sonny's got the planners lined up. Here's the concept they sent over, take a look."

"You should eat light for a few days. You want to fit in the dress."

"And the honeymoon, Europe or Asia? Whatever you want..."

Angelo wouldn't shut up. Planning, planning, planning.

The sound of his voice turned into static.

There was no way Vivian would let it go.

That night, she held a press conference. Front-page headlines by morning.

Eyes red, voice trembling, she laid into me.

"I always treated her like a sister. I never imagined she'd bite the hand that fed her."

"On set, she was using my name to line her own pockets."

"Now my fiancé is pulling his investment from my movie. Who knows when it'll come out."

Her fans were furious. Within thirty minutes of the press conference, my socials were dug up, drowning in hate mail.

I looked at Angelo, cold.

He looked annoyed. But when he looked at Vivian, there was no real anger.

"She's just fighting for me."

"Don't worry. I'll talk to her."

He went downstairs, was on the phone with her for over ten minutes, came back and looked at me. "Vivian says if you apologize publicly, she'll back off. Leave us alone."

"Isa, this is a clean way out. Solves both of your problems."

"For my sake. Apologize. Okay?"

I turned my phone off.

Looked at him, cold.

The only "problem between us" was that she wanted to grind me into the floor.

And I was supposed to apologize.

Right. I'd made him fall in love with me. I'd ruined what they had.

What a joke.

"Angelo. Do you actually love me?"

He looked at me, eyes more serious than I'd ever seen them. "Of course. I love you, Isabella."

"Then I've got a better idea than an apology."