The One He Left Became The One He Couldn’t Have Chapter 08
Adrian turned sharply toward Dakota. “I thought you and Gianna were close.”
“How could I ever be close to her? I can’t stand her.”
Now that the dust had settled, Dakota wasn’t bothering to pretend anymore.
Getting close to Gianna before was deliberate.
Just to win her trust and steer her into doing stupid, obnoxious things.
Now she didn’t have to fake it. It felt amazing.
So Dakota didn’t notice the shift in Adrian’s expression.
She just kept running her mouth. “Cousin, how about this—you stay with your fiancée. I’ll go deal with Gianna.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she’s properly humiliated.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“Have security throw her out.”
“She shows up to someone’s engagement to cause trouble? Word gets out, her dead parents won’t rest easy…”
Adrian’s hand came up.
A crisp slap cracked through the air.
Everyone froze.
Summer especially.
She frowned.
Looking at Adrian, her eyes grew darker by the second.
“Cousin, why did you hit me!”
Dakota burst into tears, hand pressed to her cheek.
“Gianna is still my sister in name.”
“And you call her your older cousin.”
Adrian’s face was ugly with anger.
“She lived in this family for over a decade, Dakota. You humiliate her. Does that make the Valentinos look good?”
“Why are you defending her?”
“You hate her, don’t you?”
Dakota’s tears came hotter. “If you didn’t hate her, how would any of us dare talk about her like that?”
Adrian stood there, silent for a long moment.
Did he really hate Gianna the way they all said?
But back when Gianna first came to the Valentino house.
The two of them were the closest.
When Gianna fell and got hurt, he was the one who comforted her, carried her home on his back.
When Gianna got bullied at school, he was the first one there, backing her up.
Even when she got her first period, he was the one who bought her supplies.
Gianna had been attached to him since she was small.
As she grew older, her possessiveness toward him became extreme.
He’d liked it, at first. Gianna clinging to him.
When did that change?
A sudden blankness settled in Adrian’s chest.
Summer’s crying yanked his thoughts back to the present.
Right. Gianna changed first.
As she grew up, spoiled by the Valentino household.
Her personality turned too willful.
Willful and overbearing.
Wouldn’t let him near any other woman.
Jealous tantrums at the drop of a hat.
So he got more and more annoyed. More and more distant.
Even ignored her tears and pleas and sent her alone to Boston to clean up the mess there.
He did it.
Only because he wanted Gianna to grow up a little. Mature a little.
Once she learned her lesson, he’d naturally go bring her back.
With all the history between them.
How could he truly bear to abandon her in a strange city?