Chapter 7 - The Uncle’s Trap|
Back at the Obsidian Tower penthouse, the morning sun poured through the massive glass windows.
Mia sat in a plush armchair near the fireplace, wrapped in a soft cashmere blanket, sipping warm tea that Matthew’s private chef had prepared for her. Her cheek was still discolored, but the swelling had gone down under Dr. Mercer's care.
Matthew sat across from her at a small glass table, reviewing financial documents on an iPad while drinking black coffee.
"Matthew," Mia spoke up softly, breaking the quiet. "What happened to your uncle Arthur?"
Matthew set his iPad down, his gray eyes darkening as he looked at her.
"Arthur is currently sitting in a private holding facility in New Jersey," Matthew said flatly. "When you disappeared five months ago, I started digging into his private accounts. I found out he had been leaking Castille import routes to the Genovese family in New York."
Mia gasped softly. "He was betraying you?"
"He wanted me removed so he could take control of the Syndicate," Matthew explained, his tone dropping into an icy register. "He knew that if I married you and had an heir, my position would be unassailable. So he forged those medical records, paid off your apartment landlord in Queens, and convinced you I was a monster."
Mia looked down at her tea, a heavy lump forming in her throat. "I believed him, Matthew. I thought... I thought you only married me because of the arrangement between our grandfathers. I thought I was just a burden to you."
Matthew stood up from his chair. He walked across the room, dropping to one knee in front of her armchair, taking both her small, warm hands in his large palms.
"I married you because from the moment I saw you at your grandfather's estate three years ago, I knew no other woman would ever touch my heart," Matthew said, his voice trembling with a deep, uncharacteristic vulnerability.
Mia stared into his gray eyes, seeing the absolute truth shining beneath his fierce, protective gaze.
"Matthew..." she whispered.
May you like
Before she could say another word, Rocco stepped quickly into the living room, holding a encrypted radio.
"Boss," Rocco reported nervously. "We have a situation downstairs. Chloe Kensington and her father are at the main security gates. They're demanding to see Mrs. Castille."
