Chapter 48 Forty - eight

Chapter 48 Forty - eight
Her eyes find mine again, and she nods assertively. "Yeah, he does. He's being a total hard ass, but he cares about you, Liora. That's something I know for sure. He just doesn't know how to... show it." She pauses. "And he thinks you hate him too. So he's just being cautious."

I don't know what to do as I process this flood of information. I blink weakly, mulling over Carmen's revelation in silence.

"Especially after what happened to Lia..." she adds solemnly, the atmosphere around us quickly shifting.

My gaze snaps back to hers instantly at the mention of Lorenzo's late ex-wife. My stomach drops as I once again recall the brutal fate of that woman. The rumors still haven't been cleared—Lorenzo was the one who murdered her in cold blood.

A cold shiver runs down my spine, my nerves fraying as I stare at Carmen.

She's supposed to be the good one. How come she's still with him after the cruel thing he did?

I don't understand any of it.

Carmen notices my change in demeanor and asks with concern, "What's wrong?"

I shake my head nervously. "Nothing..."

If she could see through me right now, she'd probably see how badly I'm unraveling. Everything has come crashing back on me. The reason I hate Lorenzo. Skylar's words of affirmation that I will suffer in this marriage. The reason she didn't agree to marry him and handed me over to him as the bride instead. The accusatory posts I saw about him online.

All of it.

Carmen observes me closely, her response jolting me from my train of thought. "I can tell you're lying," she says. "But I understand. You're probably worried about what happened to Lia." She pauses before asking, "You believe the rumors, don't you? You think my brother really hurt her?"

I swallow, my chest still hammering. Once again, I'm dumbstruck because I don't know how to answer her.

What exactly am I to say to her?

What does she want to hear from me?

Carmen smiles sadly and brings her mug to her lips. She doesn't drink her coffee immediately; she simply pauses to gather her thoughts instead.

Eventually, she places the mug back down without taking a sip. I study her expression, trying to decipher her thoughts.

She genuinely looks sad, and I wonder if it's because she feels guilty about what her brother did or if it's something else entirely.

Her brother hurt a woman—his own wife—because she defied him. That's something I don't think I can ever get over. I don't even know how she managed to overlook that.

I'm still lost in my thoughts when Carmen breaks the silence once again.

"He didn't hurt her, Liora."

No, he didn't. But he killed her!

My chest tightens painfully as I think about the poor lady who had to meet such a cruel fate just because she was married to that sick bastard.

However, what Carmen says next completely throws me off.

"He didn't kill her either, if that's what you're thinking. I know you've seen false accusatory posts about him on the Internet. They're blaming him for her death, but he didn't kill her."

I stare at her, bewilderment crashing over me like a tidal wave.

What the hell is Carmen talking about?

She shakes her head thoughtfully and adds, "He couldn't have killed her. He loved her to death."

"If he didn't kill her, then what happened to her?" I don't know how I was able to blurt out that question, especially since I'm scared shitless at the moment. But I need to know the truth. I think I'm due for one.

Carmen glances at me again and smiles softly. "It's not my story to tell."

"What do you mean?"

"Lorenzo made me promise him I'd never talk about what happened on the day Lia died to anyone..."

I frown deeply, my curiosity piqued. "W-Why?"

"Because he doesn't want the truth out."

"Why not? Because..." I swallow thickly, absolutely terrified, but I summon the courage to finish my sentence. "Because he killed her?"

Although Carmen has already told me he didn't do it before, she doesn't appear angry when I mention it again.

Instead, she shakes her head and clarifies, "He didn't. He's innocent."

The breath catches in my throat. I can't believe my ears.

"Innocent?" I scoff in disbelief. "If he's innocent, why didn't he bother to clear his name on the news? He surely has seen the rumors going around about him, no? Everyone dreads him because they believe he killed his ex-wife in cold blood. And if I'm being honest, I dread him too because of that."

"Really?" She sounds surprised as she stares at me. "I thought you hated him for a completely different reason."

I sigh exasperatedly. "Maybe I do. But this is where the hatred all began. My sister told me about what Lorenzo did. It's a long story, but she made me believe I'll meet the same fate as his ex-wife."

"Oh my goodness." Carmen blinks in disbelief. She shakes her head firmly. "No, you won't. Heaven forbid, you won't. My brother would never let anything happen to you, I promise."

"You don't know that," I counter, my nerves stretched thin as my eyes flicker between hers.

Carmen's voice is soft. "There's a reason my brother is being overly protective of you, Liora..." She sighs heavily in disappointment. "You don't know what really happened to Lia. Nobody does except my family. I thought you hated my brother for an entirely different reason, but I'm kind of disappointed you hate him because of the rumors, just like the rest of them."

I press with desperation. "Then make me understand what happened! You can't blame me. I know nothing about him. I wasn't meant to be his bride; my sister was. But she betrayed me."

"How did she betray you?" she asks curiously.

I pause and explain, "She lured me into this marriage with him, only to tell me later that I don't know what I've gotten myself into. She said all this stuff about Lorenzo's past. She mentioned Lia too, and when I looked it up online, I was shocked to find out she was right. I haven't been the same since then."

She trails off with realization. "That's the reason you keep trying to run away."

I sigh with defeat. "Yeah." A knot of dread forms in my stomach, pressure building behind my eyes. "I'm scared of him, Carmen," My voice lowers with heartbreak, "I'm scared of your brother. If I'm being honest, I spend most of the day wondering when he'll be fed up with me and decide to..."

"He didn't kill Lia," Carmen cuts me off, her voice firm but sympathetic.

"Then tell me what happened. The truth might make me start seeing him in a different light."

"It doesn't matter. It's not my story to tell, Liora," she adds. "If you want to know the truth, just ask him. It's his story to tell."

I shake my head pathetically, a tear slipping down my cheek. "You know I can't do that."

"You have to if you're so eager to know. I won't tell you what happened, but I'll give you a hint," she pauses, holding my gaze, "My brother is a Mafia underdog. He has enemies. Enemies retaliate against each other once in a while. He provoked the wrong one, and Lia paid the price." She stops, covering her face as tears threaten to spill.

Her revelation sends another jolt through me. I think I finally understand what happened.

No way.

My lips part, astonishment flooding my senses.

It's just dawning on me. Lorenzo probably wasn't the one who killed her, as we all thought. But why didn't he just tell the truth and clear his name?

My head spins with conflicting thoughts as I try to fathom his silence toward the rumors circulating about him. How could he go on so unbothered and nonchalant, knowing there are people out there who believe he's a cold-hearted murderer?

A strange ache settles in my chest. I swallow, trying to piece together the puzzle.

I have more questions to ask, but Carmen made it clear she's not answering any more of them. She advises me to ask Lorenzo about any concerns I have.

I don't know if I can do that.

The last time Lia's name was mentioned, he got so enraged.

I'm not sure I can take that risk.

Eventually, Carmen stands up from her chair. I look up at her and notice her eyes are red with unshed tears. I need no soothsayer to tell me how much this conversation has affected her. There's no doubt she was attached to Lorenzo's ex-wife, Lia, and the reminder of her has her heart breaking.

I hate that I had to make Carmen revisit the past. That's one request she made when we started talking earlier.

I want to apologize, but I don't even know where to start when she beats me to it with her unexpected announcement.

"I'm leaving New York, Liora."

I blink, confusion washing over me. "Huh?"

"I'm returning to Russia. I have work to do there. I'll be gone for a while."

A sinking feeling settles in my chest, as though I've just been handed terrible news. This is terrible news.

"When will you be back?" I ask anxiously.

Her vague response makes my stomach twist. "I don't know. It depends on when I finish with work there. It might take a long time."

"No." My chest caves in, devastation sweeping through me. We just reconciled. I just got my friend back, and she's leaving me already?

Why?

Why?!

"Is Lorenzo the one sending you away?" I ask when I can't make sense of why she's leaving so abruptly. Little wonder she came to my room tonight. She came to inform me that she's leaving.

"No, he's not. I have work to do, Liora."

"I'm sorry, that was a stupid question. I just..." My eyes quickly fill with tears, much to my surprise. I sniffle, tears trickling down my cheeks. "I don't want you to leave. I just got you back."

"I know. But I have to. It's going to be okay," she reassures.

I spring to my feet and throw my arms around her, embracing her tightly. "I'm going to miss you, Carmen. So much."

"I'm going to miss you too, but we'll be in touch," she says after we separate.

I highly doubt her reassurance. "How is that? I have no means of communication. He has my phone, remember?"

Carmen chuckles. "He'll give it back to you soon. Just be patient."

I nod, wiping my tears even though my chest still aches with misery.

Carmen holds my shoulders and smiles at me. "Be good, Liora. Be good to my brother. He will be good to you too. Ask him anything you want to know. He'll tell you the truth." She chuckles. "I think he has a soft spot for you."

I chuckle too amidst my tears. "I doubt that."

"Don't doubt anything. Lorenzo cares about you. He'll take care of you. Just be patient with him."

I nod in understanding. "I will."

She smiles with approval before giving me another hug. We embrace for a moment before pulling apart once more.

"I'll see you in the morning before I leave. Good night, Liora," she says softly.

"Good night, Carmen," I return in a broken voice.

I watch her make her way to the exit and pull the door handle. But before she finally steps out, she gives me one last glance, a sad smile touching her lips even though her eyes are red with pain.

"You're going to be alright."

That's all she says before closing the door behind her.

After she leaves, I collapse to my knees, breaking down in tears.

I don't know why this hurts me so much, but I'm really sad she's leaving.

I cry for some time. I cry about a lot of things.

I cry because my friend is leaving right after we just reconnected.

But mostly, I cry because all this time, I've gotten the wrong idea about my husband.

He might actually be innocent, and I've just been hating him for unfair reasons.