Gio lowered my phone and placed it on a nearby table. I felt a cold sweat, even though the air conditioning was on in the room, compounded by the cold expression in Gio’s eyes. I couldn’t determine if he was angry or not.
Gio was eyeing me curiously, clearly studying my reaction. He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms.
“So, it’s game over, wife?” he asked, every word dripping with sarcasm.
I took a deep breath and steadied myself. Why should I be scared of him now?
“What were you saying? I don’t remember you at all!” I retorted.
Gio grinned, and I couldn’t tell if he was irritated or teasing me.
“Oh, you want to continue that little game of yours, huh? Talking to me using false bravado. Do you think it will influence me?”
“I really don’t remember!” I yelled at him.
He moved closer to me, gently twirling a few strands of my hair with his forefinger.
“Hmm, right,” he sighed. “If I get that friend of yours, the mayor’s son, and shoot him dead in front of you, I wonder if you’re still going to say that.” My eyes widened, and Gio smiled triumphantly. He came even closer, his lips brushing against my ear. “Or if I were to… pleasure you now, I wonder if you wouldn’t scream my name, begging me for more, hmm?”
My cheeks flushed at his words. I pushed him away, but he was too strong. Well, I knew I couldn’t win against him.
“When did you find out?” I met the coldness in his eyes head-on, showing him that I wasn’t afraid, even though we had been caught.
Gio raised an eyebrow but quickly flashed a smile. Whether it was Gianna or Gio, they were both equally unnerving when they smiled.
“When was the last time you talked to Gianna?” he asked.
I pondered on that, calculating the last time I had spoken to Gianna. My eyes widened as I realized that since Gio’s return, following my failed attempt on his life, I hadn’t spoken to Gianna. In other words, it had been from the very start.
I looked at Gio, raising an eyebrow in response.
“Gia is good at making plans and strategies. After all, she is my twin sister. But that’s not her forte, and she will never win against me, Millie. Not in my own fucking game,” he said, his gaze growing darker. “And you know me. I won’t back down when it comes to you.”
“Not back down? Is that why you challenged me to a breakup?” I wouldn’t back down either! He’s playing dirty, and so will I!
Each time I realized he knew I was pretending from the start, my cheeks flushed!
He clenched his jaw. Heh! I got you!
“That was a one-time thing. It won’t happen again. There are times when we’re weak. I’m just a human who makes mistakes.”
My smile quickly faded because of what he said. Grr, this man!
“What? Are you going to get angry because we deceived you?” I challenged Gio.
I was trying to be brave, but my hands were shaking with nervousness.
Gio continued to give me a cold look until he sighed. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes softened.
“No, I’m not mad, not even in the slightest. I have no right to be angry with you or what you did to me, Millie.”
I was preparing my retort when I heard his response. My eyes widened as I looked at him.
I cleared my throat. Don’t stay silent, Millie!
“You knew from the start but didn’t tell me? Are you toying with me?”
“You want to play a game, just play along, Millie. After all, I want to win you back.”
I sarcastically laughed at him, trying to save myself from the embarrassment.
“Now, you’re using me like a pawn in your chess game, huh? You went along with my scheme because you also enjoy playing these games and manipulating people, don’t you?” Stop it, Millie! Stop! You’re right, aren’t you?
Gio’s expression alternated between cold and soft, his eyes revealing a mix of emotions I couldn’t quite decipher. His expression was inscrutable.
“No, you’re not a pawn. You’re the queen, sweetheart. The most powerful and important chess piece in the game. I played along because I wanted to prove myself. I did you wrong. I wanted to correct that. I want to show you that I made a mistake, but I also want to fix things between us. I regret everything. I may be the king, but I am nothing without my queen, Millie. A king is useless without his queen.”
His words left me speechless. I breathed rapidly, still gazing at him.
“I know you’re angry with me because I hurt you. I accepted it and will accept whatever you want. If you want to hurt me, go ahead. If you want to give me a hellish life, I’ll embrace it. If you want to kill me, take it. I’ll give you… my life. But before all that, I want you to listen to me, Millie.”
He stepped closer to me, his eyes filled with pleading. I considered stepping back, but realized I had no escape route since there was a console table behind me. Gio had cornered me, his arms forming a barrier on either side to prevent me from getting away.
“I thought you had a hand injury? I have nothing to say,” I replied. I felt trapped and kept trying to hold myself together as I was about to crumble in front of Gio.
I averted my gaze from Gio, knowing I was losing the staring contest. Yet, I’d rather lose a staring contest than break down in front of him or lose my sense of self because I forced myself to maintain eye contact.
“Millie, I’m sorry,” he said, lifting my chin gently. “I’ll keep apologizing because I know I hurt you. I’ll admit that I faltered. I thought I might not be able to protect you even though I wanted to protect you so badly. I was scared because everyone was telling me I didn’t deserve you. I was battling myself, and my fears got the better of me. I succumbed to my fear.”
Gio’s breathing quickened, indicating there was so much more he wanted to say, but he held back.
“When you were gone, I realized many things. I thought I’d be fine without you as long as I knew you were living peacefully far away. But I was wrong because now that I’ve tasted life with you, I can’t bear to live without you.”
I clenched my hands. In the past, I’d usually lash out when overwhelmed by emotions, but now, I squeezed my hands to calm the untamed feelings within me.
“How did you find out about Gianna and me conspiring against you?”
I didn’t know how to face his words, so I shifted the conversation.
“I have my ways,” he replied. “At first, I lost my way due to my fears and insecurities regarding you, and that’s why I struggled to find you. I let everything go. But when I regained control of myself, I acted swiftly and planned. It still wasn’t easy, especially because you were hidden in Gianna’s facility. But when they brought you here, that’s probably when my intelligence work got a lead.”