EX-WIFE REVENGE

Across the horizon, shining in the early summer light, was the Manhattan skyline. The city was a hive of activity, full of unrelenting drive and ambition, much like the guy who had left me broken yet determined to rebuild myself. There were ghosts of a life I had thought would be ideal on every corner of this city, and I hadn't expected to return. And yet here I was, back on the Upper East Side, acting as if my heart wasn't thumping my ribs with each stride.

"Anita, do you have this straight?" Over the clamor of blaring horns and clattering taxis, Sara's voice cut through my Bluetooth headset. My dearest buddy had always been my pillar of support, her worry piercing even the most basic inquiry.

As if the burden of the past didn't weigh on me, I straightened my shoulders. Yes, without a doubt. I'm now no longer going to permit him to manipulate my existence any longer. Like a drowning lady clinging to a lifeboat, I clung to the phantasm of control, although my voice sounded more potent than I felt.

"Good," she said, but her concern was clearly evident. Just keep in mind that you have evolved. Anita departed New York with her heart broken, but you've changed.

To stabilize myself, I inhaled deeply. No, that impressionable young lady was no longer me. From the wreckage, I had rebuilt myself, exchanging my weakness for armor. Despite the pain from the wounds, I had transformed my tender heart into a steely determination.

I added, trying to sound a little lighter, "Besides, I'm here for a wedding, not a trip down memory lane."

"All right, the enigmatic Alessandro," Sara murmured, her curiosity unabated by anything. "You never gave an explanation for how you got involved in all of this."

A few feet away, a black Sport Utility Vehicle screamed to a stop, and the door opened. Alessandro Moretti emerged with a poise that verged on predatoriness, his black eyes sparkling under his creatively tousled hair. He seemed to be able to go from office to ballroom to battlefield with ease because of his flawlessly made suit, which somehow managed to look both costly and casually casual. I was immediately aware of him, and his lips formed that endearing, perilous grin that had me wondering how I got here.

"That's my cue," I said in a whisper to Sara. "We'll talk later."

"I want every detail!" she yelled, but I had already hung off and put my phone in my clutch. Alessandro walked over and my fingertips caressed the velvet lining, a reassuring feel.

He murmured, "Anita," in a silky voice. "Your appearance is stunning." I was glad I had picked a cobalt blue dress that complemented my skin tone and accentuated my shape with a sense of understated authority as his gaze traveled over me. I felt vulnerable as his eyes lingered for a little longer, full of gratitude.

My eyebrows went up. "I was unaware that we would be acting as a wedding entourage today,"

The air between us hummed with his rich, teasing laughter. "Why ruin the surprise when it can be so much fun?" His confidence was completely intoxicating as he extended his arm to me. He was a mystery wrapped in polished appeal, and there was something about him that made me unsteady. However, I had discovered that mysterious males should be avoided.

However, I took his arm and we headed toward the old brownstone location where his closest friend's wedding was being held. "Tell me again why I consented to this." In an attempt to normalize the situation, I asked. However, my heart was everything but steady.

"Because you couldn't resist me," he said, grinning again with enough cockiness to be enraged. However, I was unable to ignore Alessandro's magnetic draw, which compelled me to wonder what was hidden under that refined exterior.

The wedding venue's entry was stunning, with flowing ivy and white flowers as decorations. The guests' pleasure was contagious as they poured through the entryway, laughing and chatting. But my well-maintained poise broke as Alessandro ushered me inside.

Despite the throng of well dressed guests, Matteo Julio was clearly seen across the room.

my former spouse. The millionaire who was my worst regret after being my everything. The guy who had made love into a battleground and driven me back in defeat.

With those sharp gray eyes and that powerful, well-defined jaw, he seemed almost uncomfortably familiar. The aura of power that encircled him like an imperceptible shield had not diminished, nor had time dulled his remarkable features. At one point, Matteo's effortless confidence made my heart beat. My chest flared with wrath now, along with something far more deadly.

The world briefly shrank to just the two of us as our eyes locked. He tensed, the tiniest hint of vulnerability flickering over his features before it was wiped clear. But I did see it. I had studied all nuances of his face for years, learning to read him even when he wanted to be unintelligible.

With a gentle rumbling in his voice that evoked memories I had made a valiant effort to ignore, Matteo continued, "Anita." It had once seemed secure and familiar to hear his voice. It was now a harsh reminder of a love that had broken me.

In an attempt to mimic his poise, I raised my chin. "Matteo," I said, letting his name be tinged with just the appropriate amount of contempt. I was no longer the woman who would give in to him in an attempt to win back a few pieces of love. I had more strength. I was.

Alessandro, beside me, felt the strain. In wordless support, his arm grew tighter around mine, but it did little to calm the unexpected tempest that was raging inside of me. Almost subtly, Matteo's jaw tightened as his eyes shifted to Alessandro.

"Ah, the notorious ex," Alessandro sneered, advancing with the poise of a man who never lost his temper. "So much has been said about you."

Matteo's eyes hardened, and the two men looked at one another as if they were warring monarchs. However, there was more than just animosity between them in the air between them. I could almost sense hidden historical currents and unspoken truths.

Matteo's lips formed a grin that was far from amicable. He said, "I have no doubt that Anita has a lot of stories to share." His remarks came across as a challenge, and I could tell he was attempting to uncover my weaknesses in order to determine if he still had any influence over me.

I did not recoil. "Not all stories are worth remembering," I shot back, my hands shaking but my voice unwavering.

Matteo's gaze met mine, and a thousand silent messages began to boil between us. However, someone shouted his name before I had a chance to comprehend whatever heartache or resentment was there. I felt Matteo's departure like a physical wound reopening, but not before his stare remained.

Alessandro leaned down and said in a whisper that was solely for me. He teased, but his worry was clear when he replied, "You're shaking."

In an attempt to grin, I swallowed the knot in my throat. "It's just the past," I said, attempting to seem casual. "I've also learned to accept it."

"Have you?" he said, cutting right through my armor. The wedding planner, however, declared that the ceremony was about to start and we were led inside before I could respond.

Although I sat down next to Alessandro, my thoughts were elsewhere. The ghosts of my past, Alessandro's mystery, and Matteo's presence all whirled around me like a hurricane, drawing me into the perilous undertow of a world I had assumed I had left behind.

My heart wrenched as the vows started because I remembered commitments that had been broken. And I knew in my heart that this was only the start. New perils and old loves greeted me as I returned to New York City. And the stakes were bigger than ever before the game had even started.