King of Greed (Kings of Sin, #3)

by Ana Huang

Dominic was never done with work. It was the world’s most demanding mistress.

The voices were loudest in times of crisis. I reigned over a multi-billion-dollar empire that included dozens of subsidiaries and tens of thousands of employees spread across the globe, but I walked through the halls every day with the prospect of a crash hanging over me.

“I don’t have the money to buy you all the flowers you deserve yet,” he said, sounding so solemn and formal I couldn’t help but smile at the contrast between his tone and the jar of colorful paper flowers in his hands. “So I made them instead.”

“I’m asking you one last time,” I said quietly. Blood roared in my ears, nearly drowning out my words. “Where is my wife?”

If only it didn’t take me leaving to unbury a piece of the person I’d fallen in love with.

“You know you’re basically eating toothpaste, right?” “Delicious toothpaste.”

“You know I would choose you.” “That’s the thing. I don’t.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “Because you haven’t chosen me. Not in a very, very long time.”

“You honestly think we’ll be happier if we divorce? That I’ll be happier without you? This is us.” The word ripped from my throat, raw and loaded with emotion. “Você e eu. Para sempre.” You and me. Forever.

The thought of living without her was incomprehensible, like asking a heart to stop beating or the stars to give up the night. “I promise.” We had to. Maybe I haven’t expressed it as much as I should have, but Alessandra was an indelible part of me. She had been since the moment I laid eyes on her eleven years ago, though I hadn’t known it at the time. Without her, there was no me.

Learning foreign languages didn’t come easily for him, but the fact that he’d done it anyway because he wanted to make a good impression on my family… The ache deepened. God, I adored this man. “Maybe, but I wanted to.” Dominic’s face softened. “Faria qualquer coisa por você.”

“Ask me again on another day, and my answer might be different. I would stalk you if it meant you’d talk to me again.” “How romantic.” “I’m past romantic, Alessandra. I’m desperate.”

I didn’t believe in fate as a general rule, but as with all rules, there were exceptions.

I couldn’t believe I’d kissed him back and followed him into a bar bathroom, of all places, where I’d orgasmed so hard my toes curled just thinking about it.

“You touch a single strand of hair on her head,” I said softly. “And there won’t be a place on earth where I won’t hunt you down and kill you so slowly you’ll be begging for death.”

“When the chaos erupted and everyone was running, you were the first person I looked for. I didn’t want to, but I did.”

Thank god for the penthouse’s private lift because there was no chance in hell we could make it up the stairs without injuring ourselves. Not when my blood was on fire and Alessandra was grasping my hair with a desperation that cut into my soul.

“Fuck you.” “You already did.”

“You can go on as many dates as you want, amor,” Dominic said softly. “But no one will love you like I do. Você e eu. Não tem comparação.”

Alessandra, laughing and talking with him like she was already moving on when I’d been slowly dying inside for the past six weeks, five days, and four hours.

“Alessandra’s leaving for Brazil tomorrow morning,” Dante finally said.

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

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.

“By not pushing me away.” His throat flexed. “That’s all I ask. A chance for us to talk and get to know each other as we are now. I want to know what makes you laugh, what makes you cry, what your dreams look like when you sleep and what keeps you up when you can’t. I’ll spend however many lifetimes I need to rediscover those parts of you, because you’re it for me. In every iteration of every life. Things may have changed since we got married, but you and me? We were always meant for forever.”

“No.” He didn’t take his eyes off mine. “But you’re still my love. That hasn’t changed.”

I knew better than to fall for it, but sometimes, resisting him was like a falling stone trying to resist the pull of gravity.

“I’m pregnant,” Vivian confirmed. Her smile blossomed into a full-blown grin when we erupted into screams and laughter.

At the end of the day, I had to do what was best for me and go with my gut, and my gut told me that no matter how many people I dated or how far I tried to run, I couldn’t outrun my heart.

Dominic and I didn’t work the first time, but sometimes, the strongest things were those that had been broken and healed.

“Don’t buy the bank.” The distorted voice sliced through my work fog like a dagger. I stilled, a cold sensation crawling down my throat and into my lungs. “If you do, you’ll die.”

I would never look at her and not marvel at the fact she was mine. I would never think about how close I’d come to losing her and not thank God she came back to me. I would never kiss her and take the opportunity for granted again.

It didn’t matter if I was trying to pass a college class or build an empire in her honor, she would always be my driving force.

Our hearts had scars that would never go away, but they also glowed and grew with every new day that came to us.