Catherine cleared her throat, but the words felt stuck somewhere deep inside of her. Her hands shook, and she pressed them to the sides of her thighs. She wanted to scream curses and insults, to describe every horrible thing Marco had ever done to her, to ask Sean to order his guards to reenact every act of violence on Marco. But her voice didn't work.

Levi's calm voice cut through the room, "Well, if she won't speak, maybe Marco has something to add. Perhaps by listening to his story, you can determine who is telling the truth, sir."

​​

Sean's lip twitched, and his eyes flashed, but he turned to Marco and asked, "So, you claim you have no feelings for Catherine at all?"

"I swear, I don't," Marco said.

"And you say that she seduced you?" Sean asked.

"She did," Marco whispered. "She was shameless, really. She practically threw herself at me. I have my ambitions, of course, but I'm just a man. When a woman makes herself so available to you, well, it's hard to ignore her, isn't it?"

Catherine bit her tongue and tasted blood. Marco was describing her as some sort of desperate whore. She wanted to shout at him, to tell everyone he was lying, but when she thought of some of her attempts to pursue him, she felt the heat of shame flood her body. She had been young and naïve and under Madison's control at the time, but the memories made her cringe.

"Let me get this straight," Sean said, his voice almost a whisper. "You're trying to earn my favor by arguing that my wife was obsessed with you? You're suggesting that the woman I married couldn't keep her hands off of you?"

Marco stared at Sean and then at Catherine. His mouth hung slightly open, and his one good eye darted back and forth. Catherine fought the urge to roll her eyes—he was such an idiot. He clearly wanted to pin the entire affair on her, but he'd taken it way too far. Didn't he understand how jealous men like Sean could be?

A wicked gleam flashed in Marco's unbruised eye, "Mr. Blair, I can prove my story. Everyone at school could see how crazy Catherine was about me. Just ask our classmates—they can confirm my story."

"I'm still interested in your side of the story," Sean said, taking a step closer to Marco. "Why don't you tell me just how Catherine threw herself at you? And please, spare no detail."

"Um, I, well," Marco said. Beneath the bruises and crusted blood on his face, he seemed to be blushing. "I mean, she wrote me these love letters and sent me texts sometimes. It was kind of annoying at first, to be honest."

Out of the corner of her eye, Catherine could see Sean's face twist into a terrifying mask. The air around him seemed to crackle with the force of his anger. She shivered—his ego was terrifying.

"It was suffocating," Marco continued. "She was so needy, and I had trouble focusing on my exams. Her uncle came to me in private and said he was worried about her behavior. He suggested I study abroad. He said he wanted a clean break for her. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity."

Catherine's mind spun. What was Marco talking about? Was her uncle really involved in Marco's study abroad plans? Did that mean he was involved in planning the elopement too?

"If you found her so tiresome, why did you elope with her?" Sean asked.

A long, tense silence filled the room. Marco's good eye darted back and forth, and his jaw worked furiously as he ground his teeth.

"Well?" Sean asked.

"I didn't know," Marco blurted. "I thought I was going to study abroad, and then she was there, and then you guys grabbed me. It all happened so fast."

"Liar," Catherine screamed.

Everyone turned to stare at her, and she felt the blood rising in her face. She hadn't meant to say anything out loud.

"Okay," Marco said. "So I knew she wanted to elope with me, but I thought it was the delusional fantasy of a foolish girl. I just wanted to study, okay? I have no interest in her. Please believe me, Mr. Blair, sir. Please just let me go."

"I'll give you thirty seconds to get your story straight," Sean said. "Did you want her for her money? Or were you duped into the elopement? It can't be both."

"I—I—" Marco stammered. "I've been in here a long time, and I think they hit me in the head. It's hard to remember things."

"Bullshit," Catherine whispered.

"What was that?" Sean asked, drawing his eyebrows.

"Nothing," she said.

"Okay, listen," Marco said. "I was born in a regular family, and I was raised by a single mother. It's always been a dream to make a name for us and to find my place in the world. I dedicated my whole life to that. I didn't have time for needy women, but with her looks and money—how was I supposed to resist?"

He turned to look at Catherine, "Please, Catherine, you've caused me nothing but misery. It's enough."

Strange, choked laughter filled the room. It took Catherine a few seconds to realize that the chilling sound was coming from her own throat. She tried to stop, her chest shook, and her eyes filled with tears. Gasping for breath, she finally said, "I caused you misery? I never thought I'd hear that."

Marco tried to straighten in the chair, but he winced and slumped back down, "You're just a spoiled rich girl who enjoyed the chase. Look at you, you're free and happy now while I'm being held like a prisoner."

"Don't act like you didn't encourage me or want me," she snapped. "You pretend I threw myself at you, but you never complained when I gave you gifts. The Italian shoes, the tailored suits, the money—you never complained about those things."

"How could I?" Marco asked.

"If you were a real man, you would have thrown them in the trash," she said. "You never rejected me—not once. On your own, you would have spent your entire life struggling to make a name for yourself, but my family's wealth would have bought you immediate respect and success. You said so yourself."

Marco's lips trembled, and for an absurd moment, she wondered if he'd burst into tears like a child. She stared at his face, his full lips and soft chin, and wondered how she'd ever found such a man handsome. Compared to Sean, Marco's face was weak and childish.

She sighed, remembering the way his face became flabby and soft as he aged. His boyish good looks had faded away, leaving a sagging, greasy man behind. Had she ever even found him attractive? Hadn't Madison been the one to point him out and praise his looks over and over again?

She turned to Sean, "I don't want to look at him anymore."

Sean stared at her, his fierce eyes fixed on her face. She waited for him to nod, but he was frozen. With a deep breath, she turned and walked toward the door. If he didn't want her to go, he could stop her himself.

"Wait," Marco shouted. "Ask Sean to set me free. Please. I've suffered enough for you—have some mercy."

"You're pathetic," she said, opening the door and slipping into the brightly lit hallway. She paused, waiting for Sean's iron grip to clamp around her arm, but it never came.

She checked for guards and then ran down the long hall and out the front door. Her head spun, and her knees felt soft beneath her, but she pushed herself to keep moving. The bright day blurred around her as she gained speed.

Tires crunched on the gravel path beside her, and she saw Sean's black car pulling up next to her. The door opened, and Sean's hand beckoned her to come inside. Knowing she couldn't outrun the car, she ducked into the car, sat down on the leather seats, and closed her eyes. As the gar glided across the path, she felt Sean's eyes on her.

The car pulled to a smooth stop, and Sean reached to take her arm. Ignoring him, she opened the door and hopped out of the backseat.

"Wait, you're not well," Sean shouted.