Scorned Love: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Scorned Fate)
Scorned Love: Chapter 17

No blood was spilled.

For now.

But Ivy was subdued on our return to the apartment. I’d expected her to berate me for nearly causing a brawl with Edward Sinclair. Shame niggled at me that I behaved like a bully. I used my physical strength over a man who depended on bodyguards for protection. Still, it was just a niggle.

“What’s wrong, princess?”

“Nothing.” She shrugged and said she was going to change into more comfortable clothes.

“Need my help?”

“No.”

Something was definitely wrong. It was as though the spunk had drained out of her and she was so different from before we left to see that fucker.

Maybe there’d been too much excitement, and she was tired.

Oh…hmm. I had a theory about why her attitude changed.

I went into the kitchen to prep the beef soup and pulled out the ingredients. Fortunately, the only thing that needed chopping was the white radish. It wasn’t in the recipe, but Daniel said Ivy liked it.

I was adding the beef to the pot when Ivy showed up in the kitchen and sat on the barstool in front of the counter.

“I think I should move out and get my own security. Not involve the De Luccis in whatever mess I’m in.”

I flicked my gaze to her briefly before I returned my attention to the pot. “Is this the diagnosis from Sinclair’s infinite wisdom?”

Ivy sighed. “Nico…”

“Or are you worried that he’s going to unleash his minions and dig up dirt on the De Lucci family?”

Her eyes widened, and then she looked away.

Nailed that one.

I adjusted the heat on the stove. “This needs to simmer for a couple of hours.”

“You can also do it in the pressure cooker, but don’t ask me how.”

A suppressed chuckle heaved my chest. “Let’s keep it simple, shall we, princess? Get comfortable on the couch. I don’t want you passing out watching me fumble your dinner.”

“You didn’t have to make it.”

“Oh, but I wanted to make it for you,” I said. “Come on.”

She huffed in irritation. “I can’t deal with you when you’re so nice.”

I barked a laugh. “How do you know I’m not just keeping you off guard?”

“Are you?”

“Maybe.”

When we sat down, it wasn’t as close together as we were pre-Edward visit. I tried not to read too much into it. I had more problems to sort out. As Renz pointed out, I might be the next victim of the De Lucci Obsession. I was not appalled. Neither was I jumping to conclusions. I was old enough to look at this objectively.

Ivy grabbed the remote.

“Leave it,” I barked. Startled, she squinted at me.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to bite your head off, but I think we need to talk first.”

“About what?”

“Who. You’re going to tell me who Edward Sinclair is to you.”

Her lips parted, and her entire body stiffened. “I beg your pardon…I don’t think it’s any of your business.”

“He’s made it my business. He didn’t make that statement about his sources having more information an empty threat. I need to know what we’re up against.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” she groaned. “I shouldn’t have involved you, your family. I shouldn’t have contacted Edward either. It’s a mess.”

“No, it’s not. You just have to trust me.”

“I don’t know what I can tell you.”

“He wants you back?”

“No. He just…” She glanced away again. “He has this need to take care of me.”

Well, it appears I’m obsessed with taking care of you, princess, so fuck him.

“Look at me.” When she did, I continued, “Help me understand how he figures in your life now. Start from the beginning—”

She gave another groan. “Nico, I can’t—”

“I don’t see why not—”

“I really can’t. I signed an NDA before we had a relationship.”

She said those words in a rush and I wasn’t sure I understood her. But when the implication of her relationship with Sinclair sunk in, I stood up slowly and put the coffee table between us. I had to distance myself from her before I gave in to the urge to grab her shoulders and throttle the truth out of her.

“What…the fuck were you thinking?” I thundered. “Is it one of those Dom-sub contracts?” I was familiar with people in that life and they told me there were a lot of impostors and wannabe Doms preying on vulnerable women who hadn’t done their research into that life. For those who were psychologically and sexually attuned to it, it was a very rewarding connection.

“He has a reputation to protect.”

Not a direct answer.

“And that gives him the right to do whatever the fuck he wanted to do with you by hiding behind a contract?” My molars ground hard as I controlled the tone and volume of my voice, aware that Ivy had shrunk into herself and scooted against the arm of the couch, her shoulders and head dropping.

In a calmer voice, I added, “You were nineteen.”

Her chin lifted. “You had me investigated?”

“Yes. Part of your security.”

“That’s bullshit!” Her eyes flared.

Good. I wanted her fighting, not beaten down. “It was a difficult time in your life. The Triad killed your father and you were looking for a way to handle your grief.”

“Did you also talk to my therapist?” Sarcasm dripped from each word.

“No. I didn’t have to. It’s basic inference. Why else would you go into a relationship with a man twenty years older than you?”

“I was drawn to him.”

Dammit, I knew discovering these things would be torture. Was I obsessed with Ivy? Was I destined to obliterate the memory of any man who’d come before me? “Are you still?”

She was silent. She wasn’t ignoring my question, but by the way an intense concentration came over her face, she was figuring things out.

I waited for her to answer. We weren’t glossing over this. I needed to know where Sinclair stood.

“No. I’m not even sure if contacting him wasn’t a mistake.”

“Then why did you?”

“Xander. I want good things for him. He deserved it after how our family treated him.”

I heard the story from Daniel. Xander’s father, who was the bane of Daniel’s existence, disowned his own son for his alternative lifestyle. Never mind that Xander’s talent was what elevated their department store name into a multi-billion dollar clothing empire in Asia. Their expansion and success in North America and Europe would be a big fuck-you to him. Daniel even floated the idea of getting out of Wheeler Corp and carving out Donateka from the sale. But I knew Daniel wouldn’t push through with it.

“You don’t need that exposure from Glamourique. You’re already making waves, Ivy.”

“I’m just impatient. You don’t understand how hard it is for a non-white designer to make it in the big four fashion capitals. I want Donateka to be a brand known for diversity. Despite the times, most runway castings are tone-deaf. Xander and I have the same vision, and luckily Marie Pierre is on board. I couldn’t have done that without Edward.”

“Are you sure he’s the only route to success? I believe in you, Ivy. You’ll get there,” I told her and I was surprised how fiercely I meant it. My blinders were gone. Now that I saw past the shallowness that I had painted Ivy with, I was seeing her fight for social equality. “You need patience.”

“I don’t have a lot of it, apparently. I think it’s the side effect of social media. You go viral and you’re an overnight success, and you keep seeking that high.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t install the app on your phone for now.” Or all the contacts.

“You know what? I haven’t even thought to update my account.”

“Take a break from it.”

“It’s a responsibility most of the time. Hopefully, Katie updated Donateka’s account.”

“I’m sure she has it handled. So let’s get back to Sinclair.”

“I can’t tell you anything.”

“Anything at all? How about why you broke up? Whose idea was it?”

She closed her eyes briefly. “It was messy.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“First it was him. He felt I wasn’t what he needed and I thought he was everything I did need.”

My chest grew tight, but I breathed through the vise gripping my lungs. “Go on…”

“I was reeling from my father’s death and he was teaching me ways to cope with my grief. Something happened that freaked him out, so he broke up with me.”

Her tone was flat, almost like she was reading aloud a boring dissertation.

“I was pathetic,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t stop calling him. Then he blocked me. But it was a good thing Daniel came back from one of his business trips and I was reminded that I was loved. It gave me perspective that what I was doing with Edward was not for me.” She smiled weakly. “But he broke something inside me. Made me feel worthless.”

I wanted to yell at her about why she would contact that motherfucker again.

“After three months, he called me, begged me to take him back.”

“What the fuck?” I rounded the coffee table and took my seat beside her. “But you didn’t, right?”

A smile tugged on her lips. “No, I didn’t. Ip Man saved me.”

“Ip Man the movie…the mentor of Bruce Lee?”

“So you know him!” Her eyes lit up. The first spark that I’d truly seen in her eyes since yesterday.

“Of course I know him. I know everything about Bruce Lee.” Most people involved in the fighting arts did. He was the godfather of all things martial arts.

“Daniel made me watch it and it inspired me.”

“You want to kung fu Sinclair’s ass?”

“No.” She leaned into me. “Something in that movie struck a chord in me. It was about standing up to oppressors. In that movie, it mentioned a woman invented Wing Chun. That was so she could defend herself from the warlord who wanted to marry her.”

“That’s interesting.”

“That’s why Sera and I get along. Both our inspirations were great women destined to marry terrible men.” Her voice was so animated, and the way she said it made my heart swell with adoration. Humorous laughter gusted past my lips.

“Okay, was that when you went back to Hong Kong?”

“Yes, to avoid Edward. I realized his issues ran deep. He had no business making me sign that contract. I was almost two years ahead in my studies anyway, so I could take it easy.”

“And that’s when you learned to kick ass?”

I was teasing, but her face grew serious. She stared at her hands. “That’s when I learned a lot about myself.”

“That’s when you found yourself.”

She glanced up. “You could say that. I think that’s enough about Edward Sinclair, and that’s all I can tell you.”

For now. But from the information she’d given me, I could dig for more information. Sinclair thought he had all the connections in media, but he was mistaken. The De Luccis knew many people in media but also sources who the media wished they had access to. How else could we control the narrative of our crime family and keep it off the radar of the masses?

“I think you need to check on my dinner.” The teasing and levity were back in her tone.

“Your dinner, huh?” I drawled.

“I’ll share it with you,” she deadpanned.

I glanced at the TV. “Why don’t you cue up the episode you missed and we can watch it together?”

Ivy

I never expected to see Nico’s nurturing side. I always thought he was my number one tormentor who poked at my insecurities, the overbearing brother to Bianca, and Matteo’s broody younger brother. I still didn’t know where the broodiness came from. He came from such a loving family. But seeing how sweet and teasing he was to Bianca this morning was heartwarming and a revelation.

It made me miss Daniel. I wanted to call my brother, but I was afraid of disrupting his focus.

Nico was protective of me. He genuinely showed outrage about my past, even if I didn’t want to dwell on my stupidity and I didn’t want to put all the blame on Edward. Edward cared for me, but he was unhinged, prone to outbursts of temper and meanness. A therapist classified him as a closet malignant narcissist.

He certainly wouldn’t take the time to make me herbal beef soup.

I had set the table for three while Nico dished up our dinner. He made rice in the rice cooker while I hunted down the soy sauce and other condiments to go with it. Surprisingly, my mobility was better. Nico slathered more of the liniment on my body and promised another round tonight.

He lowered the bowl. “Xander is at the door.”

“Perfect timing,” I chirped. I hadn’t configured my phone yet. I welcomed this freedom from social media and relished this new connection with Nico.

My cousin crossed the threshold and stopped. “Why does the apartment smell like a Chinese medicine shop?”

I burst out laughing. “Didn’t Nico tell you? He’s making beef herbal soup with goji berries and ginseng.”

My cousin leaned in and sniffed Nico. “Hate to tell you, man, the smell is all over you, too.”

“I’m commiserating.” He shot me a look that was heat and tenderness rolled into one. And I must be really feeling better because I felt that look between my legs and my toes curled.

Nico returned to the kitchen while Xander approached me. “What did you do to that poor man?”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s besotted.”

“He’s not. He just takes his responsibilities seriously.” I didn’t want to analyze Nico at the moment. It would give me a headache and I was absorbing the soup’s essence via aroma osmosis.

Nico returned with a platter of rice. “That’s about the extent of my culinary skills for the day.” He wiped the sweat off his brow and I laughed. Before I could stop myself, I went on my tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

I realized my impulse too late, but his arms came around me and he went with a full-on kiss. He groaned into my mouth and I clung to him and returned his kisses.

Xander cleared his throat and the ensuing snort of laughter didn’t faze Nico at all, so I didn’t let it stop me from getting drunk on his kisses. Finally, Nico pulled away and muttered, “I’ve been wanting to kiss you all day.”

I bit my lower lip and stared at his throat.

“Should I come back?” Xander asked dryly.

“No, the soup’s going to get cold,” I said.

“But Nico made it especially for you,” my cousin teased us as he took his seat across from me. Nico sat at the head of the table between us.

“There’s four pounds of beef in there,” Nico said. “Plenty for everyone.”

“And most of the nutrients are in the soup anyway and you put a lot of broth in it,” I gushed, still giddy from the kiss and the words that followed. “Thank you for doing this. You didn’t have to, but it’s really sweet.”

“Taste it first before you thank me.”

“It’s the effort.” Xander winked at me.

I didn’t have to taste it to know it was good. The aroma made my mouth water. Yes, it had the medicinal smell, but I’d learned the body craved the things it needed. My years of practicing tai chi taught me this, which reminded me I should do it tomorrow morning to center all the misaligned energy. The beef melted on my tongue, the rich broth complementing its flavor. Its connective tissue turned into collagen and amino acids that would serve as building blocks to help me heal.

I was so focused on tasting the soup, I didn’t realize Nico hadn’t eaten a bite until he asked, “Well?”

“Oh my goodness, why aren’t you eating?”

“I was going to, but watching you eat something I labored over is so damned satisfying.”

Heat crept up my face, and it wasn’t from the steamy broth.

Xander fanned himself. “It’s hot in here.”

“You’re eating soup,” Nico shot back, then he turned to me and the slow grin on his face made me warmer. “Well?”

“It’s good. More than amazing. You’re a MasterChef.”

Someone stop me from babbling.

Nico rolled his eyes, but as he started sampling the dish he prepared, a smugly pleased smile tipped the corners of his mouth.

Why was it the swooniest when it was the grumpiest, broodiest men who smile? And why was it so hot when it wasn’t a full-on smile, but just a hint?

Xander cleared his throat, drawing our attention, but it was clearly meant for me to stop ogling Nico if I went by the glint of mirth in his eyes.

What could I say? Nico checked all my boxes today, so I couldn’t believe that this man once annoyed me to within an inch of murdering him.

“So how was work today?” I asked Xander.

“You’re avoiding your messages, cuz.”

“I’m enjoying the unconnectedness.”

“Now is not the time—”

“Leave her alone. It’s only been a day.” Nico raised the bowl to his mouth and slurped soup. “This is good.” He made a production of tasting it. “Different, but good.”

“I’m glad you like it, too. It would suck if you spent all those hours cooking and not liking it.” I looked at Xander. “I’ll sync my phone to the cloud tonight.”

“Leave it until tomorrow,” Nico said in between soup slurping.

Xander raised a brow. “You’re the boss of her now?”

“He’s the sick ward warden. So, what happened?”

“Katie and I checked out our runway. Cuz, it’s amazing. We can do all the floral and wildflower arrangements. She’s going to contact other designers using the same runway to coordinate our lighting preferences.”

“In short, you don’t need me anytime soon.”

“I’ll need you for a fitting.”

I put down my spoon, wanting to bang my forehead on the table, except that would hurt. “Are we really going to do as Marie Pierre says?”

“Of course. And we’re going with the plum blossom vibe.”

“That’s our flower for spring,” I told Nico. “It symbolizes resilience, hope, and courage.”

“Five weeks,” Xander warned me. “We’ll do the Glamourique shoot next week. Katie followed up with the Maserati dealership to discuss details.”

“Maybe you don’t have to be there,” I told Nico. “We’ve already taken so much of your time.”

“Will you be in it?”

“Next week?” I squeaked, staring at my cousin.

“Maybe we can make you go as Xena Warrior Princess complete with battle scars?”