Chapter 12

Savina~

Though the early arrival of Niles Gerber felt like a reprieve from up above, my chest still ached with a pain that I wished I were entitled to. Aurelio had every right to laugh at my request for help, and it was clear that my moment of desperation hadn't been worth it.

"Thank you, Mandy," I said. "Will you please let him know that I'll be with him shortly?"

"Of course," she replied cheerfully, eyeing Aurelio one last time before shutting the door behind her.

When Aurelio looked back at me, he said, "Well, I guess that's my cue to leave."

I stood up, wanting to look confident, though I knew that I was failing miserably. "Please tell Nero that I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

Aurelio arched a brow. "So, then I take it that your problem is solved now?"

I couldn't help but glance down at my hand really quickly before saying, "It is."

With that answer, Aurelio stood up from his seat, and he was so tall that the entire room shrunk with just his presence. He was six-three, and built to match, and my office wasn't any bigger than a shoebox, really. The desk was the only thing protecting me from him, but even then, I knew that he could rip it to shreds if he'd wanted to.

Staring me down with those black eyes of his, he said, "Unless it's a family emergency, stay out of Sartori territory, Savina. You're not wanted there."

Tears immediately flooded my eyes, but there wasn't anything that I could do about that. Besides, pride was a luxury at this point in my life. "I understand."

Aurelio had one hand on the doorknob when he said, "Also, don't forget my invitation to the wedding." He glanced at the ring on my hand when he added, "I've no doubt that Congressman Oliver will pull out all the stops for his eldest son's nuptials."

I let out a choked sob as Aurelio walked out of my office, and I could only thank God that he'd hadn't heard that little escape of pain. I dropped back into my chair, mentally berating myself for opening a Pandora's Box that should have been left closed. My life was a fucking mess, and I had no idea how to keep it from continuously spiraling out of control. No matter how many nights I wracked my brain to find a solution to my situation, I couldn't find any. Though we all had choices in life, marrying Ashton was the only one that I could live with, but it was going to cost me my soul by the time that it was all said and done. I was already grappling with the knowledge that I was a weaker version of myself, so how much longer until I really faded away to nothing?

With nothing else to do, I got myself together, then went to get Niles Gerber. He was a local restauranteur, and he was looking to expand his business, and he had reached out to me a month ago to help him with that. I'd be remiss to deny that my relationship with Ashton hadn't helped me career-wise, and that was another bitter pill to swallow. With every sale, I felt like I was selling my soul to Satan, and Ashton Oliver was definitely evil.

Hours later, with another successful day under my belt, I should have felt reasonably content walking into the house, but again, I knew my enemy, and I knew him well. I could smell the aroma of a gourmet Italian dinner as soon as I'd shut the door behind me, and Ashton only did this when he wanted something that he couldn't just take.

While I'd wanted to step out of my heels, then head upstairs for a hot shower, I knew better. So, instead of nursing what was left of my mental health, I headed towards the dining room to see a beautiful display stretching the entire table. It was a setting worthy of any home magazine in the country, and my stomach immediately soured with all the possibilities for such a grand gesture.

I startled when I felt Ashton's lips on my neck, so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't heard him approaching. "Christ, Ashton…you surprised me."

He let out a soft chuckle as he gave me a kiss on my cheek. "Sorry about that."

"What's all this?" I asked as I watched him set down a bottle of wine on the table.

"Well, I know that Italian is your favorite, and I missed you so much while I was out of town," he lied. "I figured I'd do something nice for you."

I wanted to scream so many things at him, but I knew that I couldn't. I had to let him play out this farce, even though he'd left me bleeding on the kitchen floor his first night back. After he'd taken me on the kitchen island, he had turned aggressive, fucking me as if he'd had no concept of pain, and maybe he didn't. He'd grown up privileged after all.

"Here," he said as he grabbed my purse and briefcase. "Let me get that for you while you sit down."

"Thank you," I muttered, always floored by how he could show such impeccable manners sometimes. "I appreciate it."

Though the food smelled delicious, I knew that all I'd taste was the motive behind the meal. I also hadn't corrected Ashton on Italian being my favorite food. Whether on purpose or by ignorance, he always assumed that my tastes and opinions on life were centered around my heritage, but they weren't. Though I did love Italian food, Thai food was my favorite. The burst of exotic flavors on my tongue made each meal a real experience, and that was my favorite if Ashton had ever bothered to ask. During that first year on my own. I had experimented a lot with my freedom and hitting different restaurants had been one of many adventures before meeting Ashton.

Ten minutes into our meal, Ashton finally came clean with why he'd made me dinner. "Do you remember Cooper Donaldson?"

It was on the tip of my tongue to remind Ashton of the beating that I'd gotten the night of meeting Cooper, so how on earth could I forget the man, but I didn't. "Yes, of course."

Ashton swept back his blonde hair as his blue eyes regarded me from across the table. "He took a particular liking to you, Savina."

My entire body froze.

No.

Doing my best not to freak out, I said, "Well, I'm glad that I was able to make a positive impression on him, despite running late that evening." I had to clear my throat after I was finished speaking, praying that he didn't care enough to notice.

"When we walked outside, he mentioned how beautiful you were, and how lucky I was to have you," he went on, making my throat feel like it was closing off.

"That was…that was very kind of him."

Ashton set his utensils down as he cocked his head. "Do you know how powerful Cooper Donaldson is, Savina?"

I shook my head, trying to come off aloof. "I just know what the media prints about him, Ashton. I really don't know much about the man."

"His pockets are incredibly deep, and he practically controls the stock market with his word alone," he went on, and I could feel the food in my stomach already souring. "His power and influence aren't limited to the US, either."

"I…I hadn't realized," I remarked absently, my mind already screaming in denial.

"I think that having him as a political ally would go a long way to helping Dad make a run for Senator," he said, and I had to set my fork down, so that he couldn't see my hands shaking.

"Well, it's always good to…to have strong backing."

God, please…don't do this to me.

"I couldn't agree more," he replied, his blue eyes glittering with another lottery win. "Which is why I think it would be a great idea if you could escort him around the next time that he's in town. He'd love to get to know you better, and I don't blame him."

"Ashton…" I had to clear my throat again. "You…you said that you'd never-"

"Savina, this is an opportunity of a lifetime," he said, cutting me off, his voice hard and unyielding. "It's not like you're a goddamn virgin, for fuck's sakes."

"The last time-"

"The last time was a miscalculation," he said, never daring to utter the words that he'd been wrong. "However, I can hardly be jealous of a man twice my age." He snorted like the very idea was preposterous. "Once he's done trying to get it up for you, you'll come running back home, thankful that I don't have to take any blue pills to be with you."

Even though it wasn't going to do me any good, I said, "Ashton, I don't want to entertain Cooper Donaldson."

His eyes glittered with the possibility that he was going to have to do whatever it took to change my mind. "You're going to be an Oliver soon, Savina," he bit out. "You need to understand that it takes a lot of sacrifices to be a member of this family." Ashton leaned back in his chair like he was a king. "Luckily for all of us, the sacrifices pay off big in the end."

Yeah, for everyone but me.