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.

I'd loved for five

past leaving me vulnerable to my colleagues' manipulations. They'd made me a

had been my lifeline then,

soared, believing I'd found

to cook his

worlds were irreconcilable. My brother and I, orphans raised by

Our relationship was

proposal in the stairwell had felt like

office romance secret, but his introduction to his

revealed

He'd

me to provoke Gina, parading me before his friends, their public displays of affection

I was just a clingy

us was

all knew

were

was a fool, oblivious to their

prince-and-pauper fairytale gone horribly

floor, despair consumed me. Finally, I

done with you, and so

flicker of unease

friends, and ruined our party.

was

clutching her head, watching our

saw the scratch I'd

grabbed my wrist.

his gaze, a smirk playing on