Isabella stared at me as if seeing me with new eyes. I saw fear in them. Fear of what I might do if she fucked with me again. She might be my mother, but that didn’t mean I was blind to her flaws. Blind to the type of person she was. Her own self-interests were more important to her than me.
“Why did Frank threaten me with your life?”
“Yes.”
“Because you’re a disappointment to him. You wouldn’t do what he asked so he took it out on me instead. He told me it was my fault you’d turned out the way you have. That’s why I told you to obey him. That’s why I encouraged you to be the heir he wanted. I didn’t want him to hurt you. You’re my daughter and he knew how much I’d sacrifice for you. He used my love for you against me and by extension you.”
I knew Frank was a monster. This sickened me even further. Frank wasn’t proud of who I was. That I hadn’t become the daughter he needed to be. Pity for him, I’d never be his heir. No, I was going to be the instigator of his downfall. Isabella didn’t need to know that. I didn’t trust her even after what she’d just told me.
“Why did you make a deal with Quinn?”
She looked away, her face paling a little.
“I wanted to shake Frank up a little. I wanted him to stop treating you like you were expendable. I wanted to prove he really cared about you. So when I found out what Nate was doing, who he was reporting to, I decided to take matters into my own hands. You weren’t supposed to be with those men for long. Quinn told me he’d keep you safe and I believed him. It was only afterwards when he wouldn’t let me speak to you, I knew he’d played me.”
Well, I couldn’t exactly blame Quinn for doing it considering I knew why he’d taken me in the first place. What Frank did to Casey was awful. Since being with the boys, I’d come to terms with it. Knowing Quinn didn’t hate me for what happened any longer helped. And deciding I was going to destroy Frank had given me something to focus on. He’d pay for the shit he’d put me through.
“So that’s why you sent Viktor. You were worried about me.”
“I didn’t want to involve him but I had little choice. I see now that was a mistake. He was never meant to find out you’re his daughter.”
I had nothing to say to that. She clearly didn’t care how she’d lied to both of us. Instead, I took a sip of my tea and glanced at André. He was watching us with a neutral expression on his face, but I knew the instant he thought something was wrong, he’d be by my side, protecting me. Viktor would expect it. If André let anything happen to me, I dreaded to think what Viktor would do to him.
“Why did you tell Frank who Il Diavolo is?”
Her expression turned dark.
“You told Viktor you wouldn’t leave Quinn. That wasn’t supposed to happen. You weren’t supposed to want to stay with them.”
“That was my fucking choice to make.” I slammed my hand down on the table, making her jump. “It wasn’t your decision. I’m twenty-one years old. I don’t need to be treated like a child.”
“You needed to come home, Ashleigh. Frank was growing ever more agitated behind closed doors. I was worried for my own safety and yours. You have no idea what it’s been like since you’ve been gone. He barely let me out of his sight for the first few weeks, suspecting I had something to do with it. Of course, when I told him I knew who had you, he went ballistic.”
That hardly surprised me. He might have been calm and collected when he came to get me at the Syndicate, but I knew he’d have been angry.
“And he’s even more annoyed now Quinn hasn’t paid him for you. Then again, I don’t know what he expected when you disappeared. He’s going to declare war on Il Diavolo. He just can’t do it alone, which has obviously annoyed him further. The other families won’t help him since no one knows where you are. If they had proof Quinn still has you like Frank suspects, then it’d be a different story.”
I froze. For Frank to declare war on Il Diavolo meant he’d lost his shit and patience with Quinn. This wouldn’t bode well for us at all.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“You’re not safe any longer and neither are they. You are with them, aren’t you? You did say you love Quinn. Has that changed?”
I didn’t know whether to admit it or not.
“Who I’m with is none of your concern. Have you left Frank or is this just a ploy?”
Her eyes widened.
“It’s not a ploy. I genuinely feared for my life when I found out Quinn knew you aren’t Frank’s daughter. The only person I had to go to was Viktor but even he doesn’t care any longer. Not when I kept you a secret from him. I haven’t officially left Frank, but he’s too wrapped up in his own revenge plot to notice I’ve gone. No doubt he’ll come looking for me sooner or later.”
If she thought I felt any sympathy for her, she was mistaken. I might not want her dead, but I didn’t give a shit if Frank came after her. After all her lies and the shit she’d done, that was on her own fucking head.
I stood up and slung my handbag over my shoulder. André was up and by my side before Isabella had a chance to say anything.
“You’re leaving?”
“I came here to get my questions answered. That’s it. I’ll tell Viktor
