He Hates Me Not (Hate & Love Duet 2)

It’ll take time but I’ll get there.

But first of all, I need to get this night out of the way.

Deep breaths. I can do this.

I imagine Jasper by my side, smiling at me, and I know, I just know that this is only the beginning of the suffering.21JasperIt’s strange how your plans can fail or soar in a matter of seconds.

If I look back on the events that started since that day Lucio told me to look for Costa’s heir, neither of us imagined we’d be here.

We used to be on the same battlefield, now we’re not only separated but we’re also out to destroy each other.

From then to now, there’s only been one constant — my little Petal with her metallic eyes and fake smiles.

It has returned, the smile that reached her eyes but not her heart, the smile that says she’s hiding a lot more than she’s showing.

And yes, I’ve been watching, only from afar. I’m an addict, and addicts need to ease off the drug before completely cutting it off.

I’ve been watching how Paolo has been turning her into his own mafia princess, his legacy and heir. I’ve been watching how she stood in front of the mirror and touched her fingers to the collar.

I wonder if she thinks about me as much as I think about her, or if touching her collar has become a habit.

If she wanted to remove it, she could’ve asked for her father’s help and it would’ve been done, but she didn’t.

She didn’t even attempt to get rid of it herself, even when she escaped, almost as if wanting me to find her wearing that collar.

Tonight, my little Petal and I will have our final and real goodbye. I’ll make her worst nightmare come true, and she’ll hate me for fucking eternity.

She’s wrong. I can’t just let go.

Every time I sleep, all I see is my mother’s dead eyes and the blood soaking her chest after Petal’s fucking father, uncle, and grandfather killed everyone I had in cold blood.

Because of that, I turned into this bitter person with no attachment, trust or fucking belonging — aside from being a dog to my family’s mass shooter.

“Ready?” Enzo asks from beside me in the car.

We’re both wearing tuxedos to mingle with the rest of the crowd at Paolo’s party. A party where he’ll introduce my little Petal as his rightful heir.

A party I’ll burn down to the ground.

“Is Angelo in position?” I ask.

“Already in.”

I button my jacket as I step out of the car. “Let’s do this.”

We go into the house, flashing fake invites that the guards gobble up. They don’t suspect Enzo since he’s been a Costa ally his entire life, but the guard at the entrance must be new considering he doesn’t recognize me either. If he did, I would’ve gotten rid of him, so he’s lucky to live a few more minutes.

Enzo and I don’t waste time between partygoers — the fuckers in tuxedos and the women in expensive gowns and jewelry who are pretending they’re here for my little Petal. They’re only here for the Costa’s power. While Paolo is old and frail, his name is enough to attract the entire fucking city.

We go separately to corners and disable as many alarm systems as possible without triggering the control room.

Once I determine we crippled the outside security enough, I retrieve my phone and text Stephan that it’s time.

Sure, I could’ve brought what remains of my men and went in an all-out war against the Costas, but they have more manpower than me and the city is their turf. All my men would end up dead, and I’d be captured, tortured and probably killed.

Going all in would’ve only hurt me and my men, and the people who look up to me back in Sicily.

So I did the next best thing; using their manpower against each other.

With Stephan’s help on Lucio’s side, I’ve managed to convince the younger brother that his only way to rule is to get rid of Paolo and Georgina when they least expect it.

Lucio has been restless lately, thinking all his efforts will go to waste and he’ll lose the king position when he’s so close to tasting it.

But being a Costa, he never actually wanted to kill Paolo. He’s fine with finishing off Georgina and her mother, but not his brother. It’s his fucked up way of picking the only family member he has left.

However, now that Paolo is threatening his life, all I need is a devil — in the form of Stephan — to whisper over Lucio’s shoulder and convince him that Paolo will kill him, so he might as well do it first.

What’s the best way to catch Paolo off guard than at his own party?

The moment Lucio ambushes him, Paolo’s men will fight, and I’ll watch as they kill each other.