The Lies He Told Me (Grace and Antonio) novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Young Antonio

My parents passed away in a plane crash.

Overnight, I became an orphan.

My relatives from the Parrish family started fighting over the money, and everyone turned against each other.

After the funeral, I took the warm milk my aunt gave me in the car. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on a hotel bed.

The bathroom faucet was running loudly.

Feeling weak all over, I struggled to get away, but I ended up falling to the floor.

A big-bellied, greasy man came out of the bathroom, grabbed me, and threw me onto the bed.

"Not everyone gets to have the Parrish family's girl. I heard you're still a virgin."

As he talked, he took off his bathrobe, showing something gross, and lunged at me.

I was terrified out of my wits. There was no way I could fight back. All I felt was total hopelessness.

Thankfully, Antonio kicked the door open as the man was about to tear my clothes off.

My eyes lit up.

He beat the man to a pulp.

The man ratted out my uncle and aunt. They sold me out for a 1.5-million-dollar contract.

After that, when Antonio took over the Kaufman Group, the first thing he did was get revenge for me. He was willing to go all-in, even if it meant risking everything, to take control of the Parrish family and give it to me.

Later, when someone from the Parrish family came after him with a truck, he wrestled the steering wheel with all his might.

In the moment the car flipped, he shielded me with his body.

I remember he was bleeding all over, with bits of glass and metal stuck in his back. The first thing he said when he came to was, "How's Grace?"

My memories were jumbled and broken, and the world felt like a big mess.

The young man who loved me so much, the one I deeply loved, got lost somewhere in time.

Rain was pounding on the window, making a loud noise.

My head was throbbing, and the night was dark.

***

I didn't know how long it had been, but Antonio was standing by the door, changing his shoes.

He sounded hoarse and looked exhausted.

"Grace, why are you sleeping on the couch?

"It's the end of the year, and there's so much going on at work. I stayed up all night. Don't wait up for me anymore. Go to bed early, okay?"

I didn't feel like moving. As soon as I tried to, the dampness and chill hit me.

"I'll carry you to bed," Antonio said, rubbing his forehead and squatting down, his voice gentle.