The Lies He Told Me (Grace and Antonio)

Chapter 257

The suddenness of my attack on Gina froze the room.

A beat later, they surged forward, pulling me away just as Gina's head was about to smash into the wall.

I landed hard, cheek scraping against the icy tiles.

Their earlier disdain morphed into gleeful violence.

"Damn it. Gina said she'd say sorry, why'd you hit her?" someone snarled, yanking my hair.

"Feral thing, no upbringing."

All eyes turned to Antonio.

He wouldn't fail them.

He approached, his eyes glacial, sending a shiver down my spine.

Before I could react, his kick slammed into my stomach.

Pain exploded, doubling me over, my face paling. I gritted my teeth, refusing to cry out.

He looked down, his voice as cold as

his gaze. "Don't flatter yourself You're nothing.

"You and your brother are just pets."

The sneer was familiar. I used to cower, apologize, and beg for his mercy.

the man I'd loved for five

college, my insecurity from a difficult past leaving

had been my lifeline then,

soared, believing I'd found someone

become obsessed, learning to cook his favorite foods, absorbing everything

and I, orphans raised by

was a fantasy I never dared to

proposal in the stairwell had felt like

kept our office romance secret, but his introduction to his had falsely convinced me

return revealed their

He'd

He'd used me to provoke Gina, parading me before his friends, their

I was just

was vast, fueling their

knew

were

fool, oblivious to their

fairytale gone horribly

despair consumed me. Finally,

and so

flicker of

hurt Gina, insulted my friends, and ruined

silence was

clutching her

the scratch I'd

rage intensified. He grabbed my wrist. "Last

met his gaze, a smirk playing on