85

Gael

"What... did you do, Paige?" I insist. And she makes a dismissive gesture that bothers me.

"I had no other way out, darling. I had to kill her." Her voice sounds in a mix of amusement and resentment, and my entire body shivers again. God, there's so much satisfaction in her words!

"What do you mean?" I need to know more. She lets out a few more laughs before continuing.

"I paid some men to kidnap her. The idea was to ask for more than my family could pay for her ransom. That way, they would have a reason to eliminate her from my path." She takes another breath and resumes her walk around the pink crib. She rests her elbows on the wooden railing and crosses her fingers, bringing them under her chin, and a pair of laughing eyes stare at me. "Everything was going well until you got involved. You had to come with all that money to save her, didn't you? Oh, my sweet Gael, I couldn't let that happen. Anne couldn't come back home and stay in our midst again." Disturbed, I rub my fac