Page 123 of Jude

Is this when she moved into the stripping scene?

My mind whirled.

Perhaps even tricking for money? For the mafia?

The pain that lanced me at the the thought almost made me gasp out loud.

I needed counsel, and without hesitating, I punched the speed dial for my dad.

‘Judah,’ Kian answered on the second ring, his deep, familiar voice filling the line with a calm cadence. ‘How’s it going in Rome, son?’

‘We’ve got a situation,’ I growled, leaning on the iron railing. ‘You remember me telling you about my cell mate Ignazio? He just cornered me right here in the lobby of my hotel. He’s got photo evidence from Milan. It turns out Sofia’s electronics factory story was a complete fabrication. She was working the neon runway in Milan.’

Kian whistled under his breath. ‘The hell?’

I went on to tell him about the photos, Sofia’s past, and the secrets she had hidden from me.

‘Ignazio’s demanding five million to keep the shots away from the media. He’s blackmailing me to fund Dario and Luisa’s legal defense and/or get the authorities to release them from jail. Otherwise the prints get plastered all over the press,’ I ended.

The line went quiet for a long moment, the distance across the ocean humming through the receiver before my dad let out a slow sigh.

‘Ignazio?’ Dad asked, his voice deepening. ‘Your old cellmate from state pen?’

‘Yeah, the same bloke,’ I ground out, as my utter shock gave way to my anger. ‘Dario must have twisted his hand, because his betrayal makes zero sense, Dad. We spent four months sharing an eight-by-ten box. The guy was my fitness buddy; we repped out thousands of burpees and push-ups together in the yard. When I got my walking papers, he was happy for me, at least that’s what I thought. I’m floored that he’d flip on me like this. I want to tear him apart, and as for Sofia -.’

‘Son, take a deep breath. Jealousy is pretty big motivator. Ignazio saw your life and probably hated on it despite your connection. As for Dario and the blackmail, it’s a reach. Don’t let your frustration override your wisdom,’ Kian replied, his voice softening into a steady, fatherly reassurance.

‘Fuck.’

The despair in my growl reverberated down the line.

‘I know where your mind goes when you feel cornered, son, but you can’t be too hasty with your wife. Don’t go charging up to her, treating her like she’s guilty yet. Men in Dario and Ignazio’s position get desperate, and things are rarely what they seem on the surface, especially when extortionists are involved.’

Kian’s wise words went over me, disappointment and anger raging through my veins, making it impossible to grasp the meaning of his words.

The betrayal from both Ignazio and Sofia burned in my gut, choking out every ounce of logic.

‘The face is exact; it is her. She lied straight to my teeth,’ I gritted, trembling with fury. ‘There’s no way it’s someone else. I’m handling it.’

‘Judah, listen to me -,’ Kian began, his tone shifting into an urgent plea.

With a growl, I pressed the end-call icon, cutting him off in the middle of the sentence, and shoved the device back into my pocket.

All this time, Sofia had been playing me for a fool, twisting me around her finger while I took the bait like an amateur.

I stood on the shadowed terrace, fury burning through my veins as I stared unthinkingly at the blood-red glow of Rome’s skyline, sickened by my own weakness.

I had let my guard down and let her in.

I dragged air into my lungs, my jaw set, ready to tear into the woman who used calculated lies to claw her way right into my soul and wreck me from the inside out.

SOFIA

The lively chatter of the band and crew echoed off the glass walls of the rooftop restaurant.

At its center, a wooden banquet table groaned under platters of truffle gnocchi and baked sea bass.

Mason was in the middle of delivering another punchline to a story that had Nari doubling over with laughter.