The Heiress' Revenge

Chapter 163: I Don’t Care About Him

Ariana’s POV

"You listen to me," she hissed. "I don’t know what game you’re playing. Coming back into our lives as you belong here, but you don’t, and Dante is mine. He chose me and married me, and that fact still remains."

I looked down at her hand on my wrist.

Then I looked up at her face.

"You want to know something, Melissa?"

"What?"

I pulled my wrist out of her grip hard and fast, causing her to stumble back a step.

"I don’t care about your husband."

She blinked.

"I don’t care about your marriage. I don’t care about your money or your husband. I don’t care about any of it."

"Liar."

"I’m not lying. I was doing just fine before Dante Russo, and I will continue to do fine, so you can have him for all I care.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because my husband signed a contract with your husband, and someone has to show up for the meetings. That’s it. That’s all this is."

Melissa stared at me. Her chest was moving fast.

Up and down.

Up and down.

Her hands were shaking.

"I don’t believe you."

"I don’t care what you believe."

"You want him back. I know you do. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at him."

I stepped closer to her.

"Let me tell you something about me, Melissa. Something you clearly don’t understand."

"What?"

"I don’t chase men, I don’t beg. I don’t compete for someone who should already know my worth. If Dante wants me, he can come find me. He can leave you. He can get down on his knees and apologize, and just maybe I might take him back.

Her mouth opened.

I kept going.

"But until that happens? He’s your problem. Not mine. You want to keep him? Keep him. Lock him up in your perfect house with your perfect life and your perfect lies. I don’t care. I already told you, all I care about are my children."

"You’re lying."

"I’m not."

"You are. You’re lying because you’re scared. Because you know that no matter what you say, he still loves you and never stopped loving you, even though he doesn’t remember you, and that terrifies you because it means you have something to lose."

I froze.

She saw it.

She smiled.

"Yeah," she said softly. "That’s what I thought."

I wanted to hit her.

I wanted to grab her perfect blonde hair and pull her down to the floor and scream in her face until my throat went raw.

But I didn’t.

Because she was right.

I was scared.

Not of her.

Never of her.

I was scared of him.

Of Dante.

After signing his company to the man I thought was my father, and after what had happened last night.

"Now," I said, stepping back. "I’m going to walk out that door. I’m going to meet my husband at home, and I’m going to forget this little conversation ever happened."

"You can’t threaten me."

"I’m not threatening you. I’m promising you. If you ever put your hands on me again, I will break your fingers. One by one, and I will smile while I do it."

Her eyes went wide.

"Do you understand me?"

She didn’t answer.

"I said. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Good."

I turned around. I walked to the door. My hand was on the handle when she spoke again.

I walked to my supposed office with my heart beating against its rib cage like it was going to fall out any moment from now.

The office was too quiet. I sat behind the desk, one that was supposed to be in. He said I should handle things today. He said it was my battle to fight, so I dealt with it. He said he would be in there if I needed any help, but for now, he’d let me handle things.

I stared at the papers in front of me, the legal documents and financial statements, with Melissa’s signature everywhere. On everything now, I see what Sarah meant when she said Melissa had been busy.

So busy transferring money, selling assets.

If Dante had his memories back then, why the hell isn’t he doing anything?

I hadn’t told Ares about my encounter with Dante. I couldn’t. He was probably not going to let me hear the end of it, but as it is, it doesn’t really concern him, so I didn’t have to tell him.

I picked up a pen and tried to focus. I tried to read the words on the page, but my mind kept drifting.

Kept wandering.

The door slipped open.

I looked up, my heart stopped, as my blood ran cold.

My hands started shaking.

Dante wheeled his chair into the room.