Entangled In Deceit (Deceit Series #1)

Chapter 27

XXVII. The Truth.

. . . . .

"Finally you decided to call for me. I've been extremely worried, darling."

I turned to look at him, my face calm and composed, betraying none of the turmoil churning inside me.

We stood in the vast gardens of the villa, the sun casting long shadows over the manicured hedges and the dense forest beyond. The very forest where I had once run like a wild animal, desperate to escape his clutches.

Seeing him standing there, so close yet so distant, still unsettled me.

"I have questions that you must answer, Dakari." I said firmly, my eyes narrowing into sharp slits.

He stood there, seemingly unfazed, his posture relaxed with arms crossed casually over his chest. That infuriating calmness never left him.

How annoying that he was still as dashing as ever. Tsk.

"Questions? You always did have a knack for dramatics." He quipped, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips.

"Well thanks, you damned bastard." I sarcastically rolled my eyes. "Let's get straight to the point."

"Hmm. . . Ask away, my dear."

Still calling me in nicknames huh? Shameless guy.

I began walking toward him slowly, each step measured and deliberate. "I heard them talking. . . Someone wanted to kidnap me. And I found out it wasn't you. Why did you claim that you're the one responsible for that?"

His expression shifted ever so slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he masked it with that infuriating calmness he always wore like armor.

He sure does have an insane amount of self-restraint.

"Well? Explain." I looked him straight in the eye. "I honestly don't like liars. So don't even think about lying to me, Dakari." I said as I maintained eye contact with him.

Those piercing blue eyes of his. . . they seemed to cut through me, as if they could see straight into my soul, unraveling every secret I tried to keep hidden.

This was why I hated staring at him. Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't read him.

Yet, there was something in those orbs that kept drawing me in, making me both irritated and strangely curious.

"I never wanted you to find out. . ." He began, his voice low, cold, and dark, like a shadow creeping over the garden.

What did that even mean? If he had used his brain, he could have claimed he saved the heiress of the Viviana family, making us indebted to him. Instead, he chose silence and deception.

What was going on inside his mind?

Was he mentally unstable, or was this some twisted strategy?

"Do you even realize how foolish that sounds?" I shot back, my voice rising slightly. "You could have turned this situation to your advantage! Instead, you chose secrecy and deception."

"What you said is true." He nodded slowly, but his voice was so cold it sent a chill down my spine. It was unsettling. Without breaking eye contact, he stepped closer, invading my space with a deliberate calmness. "However. . ."

"However what?" I pressed, refusing to back down despite his proximity. Our eyes locked in a tense battle, neither willing to yield.

"I'm a selfish person."