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

One-way ticket…doesn’t know when she’ll be back.

Dante’s words haunted me through the night and into the following morning, when I sat at my desk and stared at the market numbers on my computer without really seeing them.

The office was a ghost town the day before Thanksgiving, which made it one of my favorite days to work. However, I couldn’t focus on the SEC investigation into DBG or any of the investment accounts in my portfolio.

Alessandra couldn’t be moving to Brazil. My private contractor had confirmed she was headed to Buzios, where her mother owned a house, but she’d just rented a storefront in Manhattan, for Christ’s sake. One did not break a commercial lease in that neighborhood without paying an arm and a leg. Still, the idea of her flying thousands of miles away with no return date made my throat close.

How had I ever willingly spent so many hours away from her when I would give up my fucking kidney for a moment alone with her again? Why had I been more afraid of losing everything else instead of losing her?

I’d given Alessandra space since the divorce because it was too early to reach out. The emotions were too raw for both of us, and I needed time to figure out how to win her back. I’d signed the papers, but that didn’t mean I’d given up on us. Not by a long shot.

Every end came with a new beginning. I just had to make sure we started over together.

My cell rang, dragging me from my thoughts. I cursed at the caller ID. That damn unknown caller again. I should stop picking up, but curiosity got the better of me every time.

As always, silence greeted me.

Annoyance flared, and I gritted out a warning. “If you don’t stop calling, I— ”

“Keep an eye on your brother.” The voice was so distorted, I couldn’t distinguish its gender. “Or you’ll be next.”

The soft click of the call ending filled the line before I could answer. I cursed again and tossed my phone on the desk.

I’d had my guy look into the calls, but whoever was behind them was skilled enough to make them untraceable.

Fucking Roman. It had to be him. He’d used to pull similar stunts all the time until our foster mother had whipped him within an inch of his life for racking up the phone bill. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he’d picked up some black-hat tech tricks over the years. He was a fast learner. It was too bad most of what he learned involved some type of lying, cheating, or manipulation. I didn’t know what game he was playing at now, but I was damn sick of it.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Sir?” Martha entered, her expression hesitant. Her behavior had been much more subdued since I’d chewed her out for the way she’d treated Alessandra. “Your eleven o’clock is here.”

“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

I’d forgotten about my meeting this morning. The thought of sitting and smiling through an hour of bullshit suddenly made me want to crawl out of my skin.

I loved the city. The noise and people drowned out the voices in my head; the breakneck pace prevented me from dwelling on any one moment too long. I found safety in the chaos, but Alessandra’s absence and Roman’s presence had upended my neat, ordered world. The only reason I wasn’t in a constant panic was because I had a discreet security team guarding Alessandra in the city and another one watching out for Roman.

It’s Thanksgiving week. Lighten up. Dante’s advice echoed through my head. The bastard was a pain in my ass half the time, but he occasionally had good insights. After all, he was the one who’d inspired part of my Win Alessandra Back plan.

I waited until the door closed behind Martha before I opened a new tab on my browser.

I couldn’t believe I was even contemplating doing what I was about to do. It was so far-fetched, so out of character, that I felt like someone else was piloting my movements as I navigated to a familiar website.

But dammit, I wanted my wife back, and if that meant taking drastic action, then so be it.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t overthink or dwell on the fact I’ve never missed a single work meeting before. I simply clicked on the blue button, input my payment details, and bought a one-way ticket to Brazil.





CHAPTER 17



Alessandra




“IF WE DIE HERE, I’M BLAMING YOUUUU!” THE ONCOMING wave crashed over me and swallowed my last word. The world silenced, and for an endless moment, I hung suspended underwater.

Then I resurfaced, spluttering, to Marcelo’s raucous laughter.

“You’re out of practice, irmã.” He lay on his board, his face shining with brotherly teasing. “You used to out-surf me.”

“That was years ago.” I dragged in a lungful of sweet air, my body aching from the force of my wipe out. “Manhattan isn’t exactly known for its waves.”

Despite the humiliation of eating it in front of everyone on the beach, my blood buzzed with adrenaline. The water, the sunshine, the salt-laced air…it was good to be home.

Even though Marcelo and I grew up in New York, where our mother had lived for the majority of her modeling career, we’d spent every summer and holiday in Brazil as kids. It was only after I got married that my trips had tapered off to once a year.

Still, I’d always considered Brazil my second home, and I was glad I’d convinced my brother to join me in Buzios for a last minute but long overdue sibling vacation. We’d arrived on Wednesday and spent the past two days eating, swimming, and catching up. New York felt like worlds away.