Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire(43)

“It was a long time ago,” Harley said. “And this is something you should talk to Luc about.”

“Just tell me.”

Harley’s eyes widened at her vehemence.

“I need to know,” she said.

He looked back at Luc, but finally nodded. “Yes.”

Lia swallowed. “I didn’t want to believe it. I thought there must be some mistake. Oh, I know I had my doubts about what he was, what he did, but I really, really thought I’d been wrong.”

“Lia, darling, it’s not that bad, just ask Luc.”

Lia stared at him. “How can you say that? It is bad. It’s awful. He’s a criminal.”



A cold mask settled over Harley’s face. “If you want to know the truth, I suggest you talk to Luc.”

Lia watched him walk away, his shoulders stiff. She felt as though she were breaking up. The only thing that was solid and real was the cold, hard lump lodged in her stomach. She couldn’t bear it. What had she gotten herself into? All her childhood had been tainted with the shadow of what her father was, the way he’d lived. It had ruined her mother’s life, and Lia had sworn that she would never have anything to do with anybody involved in crime.

She pulled herself up short. Wait a minute, she thought. I don’t have anything to do with Luc. She stared at the ring on her finger. It was a sham, just like their whole relationship; it wasn’t real. Tonight, she had started to feel something for Luc Severino, started to believe that he was a good man. More sham.

Across the room, Luc seemed to sense that something was wrong and glanced across at her. He raised a hand and Lia quickly looked away, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him moving toward her. She forced herself to stand up straight.

“What is it, Lia?”

He put a hand to her shoulder, and she pulled away.

She stared him in the eye. “I just found out that you’ve been in prison.”

Luc went instantly still. She watched as he mentally withdrew from her, his eyes cooling until they held all the warmth of polar ice.

“So?”



“Aren’t you going to deny it?”

“Why would I deny it, it’s a matter of public record.”

“It’s true then?” She hated the desperation in her voice, but she needed him to tell her it was all a mistake.

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

He started to turn from her, and Lia realized that he was going to leave her, no explanation, nothing. Reaching out, she gripped his arm to stop him. He looked down at it through cold eyes, and shrugged her hand away.

“You can’t walk away,” Lia said.

“Watch me.”

And Lia did. She watched as he turned from her and walked away. For a moment, she stood, unsure what to do.

He scared her when he was in this mood. He was so cold. Or maybe it was finding out that she had spent the last week in the company of an ex-con that had her scared. Luc was capable of taking another man’s life. He had taken another man’s life, and he hadn’t denied it. He was rich, generous with his money, and she had no idea where that money had come from. From what she could gather, he’d been poor as a child. What had changed, where had his wealth come from? The questions nagged at her mind. Look at the people he knows. Obviously, he has some sort of shady past. Her whole being fought against the knowledge. She couldn’t be so wrong. If only he would talk to her. Trust her.#p#分页标题#e#

She followed him back into the small parlor where they had drunk coffee earlier.

“You can’t do this,” she said, slamming the door behind her.



Luc was already pouring himself a drink. “Do what?” He lifted the decanter toward her in question and she shook her head. “Scared you’ll do something you’ll regret?” he asked. “Lose some control? Give in and give us both what we want?”

Lia had a feeling that he was goading her, purposefully trying to steer her off the subject.

“Why won’t you talk about it?”

He swallowed the drink in one go and crashed the glass down on to the tray. Lia gave a little jump, but he just poured another measure, sipping it this time as he peered at her over the glass.

“What’s there to talk about? It’s past history. Nothing to do with you.” She stared at him and finally he shrugged. “What do you want to know?” He sounded disinterested.

“I know you wouldn’t have done anything bad—”

“Of course you don’t know,” he interrupted. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

He put down the glass, gently this time, and came toward her, coming to a halt only inches away. For the first time since she entered the room, Lia forced herself to look into his eyes. Suddenly she became aware that he was furious.