Chapter 136 Emiliano
CHAPTER 136
Emiliano.
SCARLETT – POINT OF VIEW
It is a trap. I know it is a trap. It is obviously a trap, and a bit too obvious – he is digging into me.
How can he hold me as he does in the shower, fuck my mouth as he did upstairs, and yet dig into me so viciously? Probably the same way I lie to him while taking his cock like a good little suburban wife.
I am quick to lie, so the first thing that comes to my head is Creative Writing, then Interior Designing, but that is almost laughable. I am … I was the daughter of Rafeal Diaz. There’s no way in hell he'll let me study something as laughable as the arts. No, my education, career and research were things that needed to help our family, and the Cartel.
I should lie to him, but I don’t.
“International Relations,” I confess, cheeks burning.
He raises his eyebrow in shock, and thankfully, before he can respond, his phone rings. He seems to be talking to Damian. I tune out of the conversation, thinking about Percy in the only way I can. Like a predator does to its prey. I refuse to be anybody’s prey, definitely not Percy.
The car comes to a stop minutes later in front of the building.
Roman kisses me softly on the lips, grazes his head on my forehead, and leaves. I watch him go with longing in my heart. I can’t help but wonder … is today the day everything explodes? Was that the last warmth I’d ever feel from him? Was I doomed?
“Where to?” Rue asks me.
“We are picking up Adeline, then we are heading to Rivering Heights,” I answer calmly. I watch them stare at each other in confusion, but they have the sense not to question me.
Adeline is waiting for us outside her hotel, dressed as if she’s going on a run. She’s holding two large coats. She gets in the car immediately and throws me a red coat and a beanie.
“We are about to break into Percy’s hotel room. Your husband’s hotel, and you know how Roman is with security, so we are taking zero chances.” She gushes, cheeks flushed, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. She’s such a fool, but she’s my fool.
I take the beanie from her and drag it over my beautiful hair.
We drive into the private parking lot. Her security details are with us.
“Here’s how this is going to happen,” she begins, shooting daggers with her eyes, glaring at them. “Scarlett and I are going in. Your job is to be the lookout. Two of you will follow us to the top floor, while two will stay in the lobby. Immediately Percy leaves, we go in, and you make sure no one catches us, do you understand how important this is?”
They hesitate, and I smile. A heist is obviously not in their job descriptions.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t involve Mr Sterling and Mr Valentino?” Russell asks cautiously, but the damage is done.
Addie gasps dramatically. “Involve them? Why? Because we are women and our mental capacity has dwindled? Because we have br –”
I cut in, “We do not have time for this. Percy will leave in the next five minutes, and we will move. If we are careful enough, we can go in and out in less than ten minutes. No one has to know, definitely not our husbands. Understood?”
They hesitate again, but finally nod their heads begrudgingly.
We wait for the perfect time, then we go in. Adeline swiped an all-entrance key card from her husband, because he is one of the board members. Our entry is smooth. No one looks at us. The lobby is packed with the most pretentious crowd, looking to splurge a thousand dollars per night.
We linger in the lobby for ten minutes until Percy leaves. I frown, watching him from the corner. He looks as pretentious as this crowd, which confuses me. A couple of years ago, we mocked people like these, we protested against class disparities, we were disgusted by the wealth gap, yet, here he is, strutting out, wearing expensive designs that I know he cannot afford on a professor’s salary.
It is all the motivation I need.
Addie and I get in the elevator.
A smile tugs on my lips when we step out moments later. It’s smooth sailing.
“Room number 7543. Come on,” Addie pulls me forward, all the humour drained from her words.
I watch as she slips a small knife out of her sleeves. She is prepared for anything. We don’t know what’s waiting for us on the other side of this.
I swipe the key card and exhale in relief when the door opens.
My heart is pounding as we step into his personal space. Addie sends a quick message to her detail, telling them to join us on this floor and be on the lookout.
I am distracted by the cleanness of the room. The sheets are smooth. The pillows look fluffy. Books are arranged carefully, and the bathroom walls are not wet. Percy once told me that a person who could be this perfect is performing and is obviously a psychopath.
Which is he? Performing or just gone off the rails?
Time will tell.
“Look for anything, gadgets, documents, files, journals, letters, maps, even, just … anything,” Addie whispers urgently.
My pulse throbs loudly. I check the angles of the bed, then crawl underneath. I check the drawers, his closet, and shirt pockets, but I find nothing. Adeline has similar luck, too, but we don’t give up. We keep searching. I make my way to his bathroom. He might be a different person now, but I knew him a long time ago.
I close my eyes and run my mind over our memories. Memories I’d shoved deep into a pit, memories that meant something now.
My eyes widen as a light bulb goes off in my head.
I get on the WC, balance myself and climb on the counter. Adeline watches me, worried.
“Your knife.” I snap, and she passes it.
I carefully run it over the ceiling, trying to find a gap, trying to find something.
I exhale in relief when I do. Carefully, I give it a nudge, and it gives way. I try not to squirm as I run my hand around, trying to find anything. Then, I do a file?
I pull it out, fix the ceiling and make my way down.
Addie takes it from me, and my blood runs cold immediately.
The first is a picture of my parents and me, taken right before I left for Uni. How does Percy have this? He didn’t even know me then.
I look further and find a marriage certificate. I recognise my father’s handwriting. I also recognise Emiliano’s name, as well as mine. A certificate binds Emiliano and me together.
Ice floods my veins.
Emiliano sighed, but my father never did. Instead, there are droplets of blood on the certificate.
Horror sinks into my bones.