King of Greed (Kings of Sin #3) by Ana Huang

But perseverance crumbled in the face of truth, and Alessandra’s truth smashed any excuses I might’ve had to smithereens. So I went with my own truth, the only one that had remained indisputable since the day she walked into my life.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever loved.” I didn’t recognize my voice. It was too raw, too laced with emotions I’d sworn I would never feel. “Even if I didn’t show it. It’s always been you.”

A fresh tear slid down her cheek. “I know.”

But it’s not enough.

I knew her well enough to hear the unspoken words, and if it was possible to die multiple deaths, I would’ve visited hell a thousandfold in that one moment.

“If you really loved me,” Alessandra whispered, “you would let me go. Please.”

Silence echoed, deep and mournful. There was nothing left to say.

A strange, watery film obstructed my vision, so I relied on muscle memory to navigate to the nightstand. Shards of glass wedged between my ribs with each step, but an icy numbness enveloped me as I opened the top drawer.

I retrieved a pen, slid a sheaf of documents out from the waiting manila envelope, and, after one last, agonizing heartbeat, I signed our divorce papers.





CHAPTER 15



Alessandra




IT WAS OFFICIAL. I WAS DIVORCED.

The papers went through exactly six weeks after Dominic signed them. Most divorces took three to six months in New York, but Cole managed to pull some strings and expedite the process.

I thought I would feel different. Lighter, freer, happier, but I only felt numb as I went through the motions of setting up my shop.

I’d had a lawyer look over the lease Aiden sent and it all looked good, so things had moved as quickly on that front as they had for my divorce.

“Ále. Ále!”

I startled at my name. The coffee I was pouring overflowed from its mug and spilled onto my temporary desk.

“Merda!” I cursed and scrambled to shove papers out of the way before they got soaked. My friends helped, though I suspected their tangible worry had less to do with ruined order sheets and more to do with me.

Isabella was drafting her next novel in the shop since the construction noise “helped her focus,” and Vivian and Sloane had dropped by on their lunch breaks. It was out of the way for both of them, but they’d been extra solicitous since the divorce.

“Here.” Vivian ripped a paper towel off a nearby roll and handed it to me so I could wipe the coffee off my skin. “Are you okay? Do you need ice?”

“I’m fine.” Luckily, the liquid had already been lukewarm when I poured it. “I just got lost in thought.”

She exchanged glances with Isabella and Sloane. The sounds of drills and construction from the bathroom filled the silence. Workers had been coming in and out for the past two weeks, renovating the old interiors and installing new tiling. The store wouldn’t be ready for at least another three or four months, but at least the prep would keep me busy through the holidays.

My first holiday season without Dominic in a decade.

“Thinking about him again?” Isabella asked softly during a lull in the noise.

“It’s inevitable.” I forced a smile. “We were married for so long. It’ll take me time to adjust.”

My friends tried their best to take my mind off him. We went out dancing, took a weekend road trip to see the fall colors in New Hampshire, and gorged on popcorn with jalapeño peppers while watching Sloane’s much hated/loved rom-coms. It worked in the moment, but when I was alone, the hollow in my chest returned with a vengeance.

“Exactly. You need to adjust.” Sloane tossed her empty salad bowl into the trash. “Which is exactly why you should jump into the dating pool again. The best way to forget the old is to move on with the new.”

Vivian shook her head. “It’s too soon. Let her enjoy being single.”

“Dating is part of the single experience,” Sloane countered. “I’m not saying she should jump into another relationship, but she should at least get a feel for what else is out there. It’ll help take her mind off— ”

“She is standing right here.” I interrupted before she could say Dominic’s name. I hadn’t gone on a date with anyone else in so long that the mere thought made me itch with anxiety. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

“Of course you do.” Sloane’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, her fingers flying over the screen as she dealt with whatever new PR crisis had just popped up. “But you’ve spent eleven years with the same man. It’s time to broaden your horizons. Think about it.”

Despite my best efforts, her words echoed in my head for the rest of the afternoon. I’d gone on a handful of dates that never went anywhere before Dominic, but I’d never been a one-night stand person. I needed an emotional connection for sex. Then again, I wasn’t twenty-one anymore. Maybe Sloane was right and I should broaden my horizons. There was no harm in trying, right?

The construction workers left, and I was preparing to lock up when the door opened and Aiden walked in. He wore his standard uniform of flannel and jeans, and his warm smile flashed white against his beard.

“I was in the area and thought I’d drop by,” he explained. He handed me a to-go cup from the coffee shop down the street. “Matcha. Figured you don’t need espresso this late in the day.”