Aria: Devil's Spawn Book 2

30. Murder Can Wait

A video on Instagram begins to play.

"What are you doing, baby?"

Shit.

"Claiming what is mine."

Shit!

Shit!

Shit!

"I'm already yours."

A sickening feeling twists in my stomach. I understand, now, why my phone wouldn't stop ringing.

"Who do you belong to, principessa?"

Last time, I only heard the audio recording. Seeing and hearing the play-by-play of our every touch, every breath, every push, and every pull is a whole other beast. That entire night should've been a beautifully heated memory belonging only to Nicco and me. What happened in Inverness was no one's fucking business but ours.

"You, Nicco. Only you."

I feel sick. Disgusted. Knowing that anyone can now access our most intimate moments makes me want to shrivel up and disappear. But there's no use in crying over spilled milk. Or leaked sex tapes. As the horror wears off, my shame swerves into a cold and vengeful kind of contempt. All of a sudden, I'm ready to take names and stab a few bitches.

When I turn to Nicco, I can tell that he's also ready to commit murder. "It is him, isn't it?"

"It has to be," I mutter.

There's no doubt in my mind. Juan Pablo is the mastermind behind this shitstorm. The fucker must have found out about the Danmore acquisition. His timing's too obvious to be coincidental. Right as Nicco is about to finalize the deal, this fucking tape drops. A migraine starts throbbing in my temples. Stress levels soar. I bet Juan Pablo's going to take full advantage of the chaos. He'll run a smear campaign with the intent to destroy Nicco's reputation and undermine all of his accomplishments these last few years in the banking industry.

Not wasting any time, I assess the damage, "Is the video already on other platforms?"

"At least three others. Several media outlets have picked up on it as well."

"Bloody hell," I growl as I grab my phone to ring our PR team.

Thank fuck that I've long been prepping with them to overcome a disaster like just this one. We should be ready to launch a counter-offensive to quell the scandal within twenty-four hours. The fact that Nicco and I are now engaged is a blessing. I can use it to combat Juan Pablo's narrative.

I flash my ring at him. "Juan Pablo hit us where it hurts, but I'm about to hit back. Harder. I'd like to see him degrade our relationship any further once the public finds out that we're getting married."

"You look ready for murder."

"I've been waiting a long time for this day. I'm so sick of kissing his ass when all I want to do is send him to hell."

Nicco reaches over to press his lips into my palm. "Then let me be your diavolo. I will help you burn him alive."

"Is it wrong to think," I mumble, "you're the most perfect man I've ever met right now?"

"Not at all, principessa," he remarks wryly. "We were always a match made in hell, no?"

"You raise a fair point," I drawl with a small smirk. "Let's get to work, then. I need to round up our troops."

He grimaces, "Time for some damage control?"

I sigh, "You know it."

My ring glimmers on my finger. A throb hits my heart. As much as I want to bask in the romance of Nicco's proposal in this gorgeous library, valuable time is slipping away. I must do what I can to salvage the situation and rearrange the playing field in our favor. It won't be easy. Usually, once a sex tape is out, it's impossible to destroy. The internet is, unfortunately, a black hole of shit that never dies. All I can do is bury our story under juicier ones until the public wants to move on and forget about us.

"Good luck," Nicco grunts as he rings up his security team. "I will call in more reinforcements for you."

"I already have three bodyguards. I don't need more security."

Nicco snorts. "Juan Pablo is out for blood. We absolutely need to bulk up your security detail. I will assign you seven more men."

"I don't need ten bodyguards, Nicco!"

"I have made up my mind. Do not argue with me."

"You don't think you're being a tad excessive?"

"Not at all. Until this threat has been resolved, you should not go anywhere alone. Hell, you are not to leave my sight, capisci?"

I peck him on the cheek teasingly. "As long as you don't leave mine, principessa."

He laughs. "Bene. We are stuck with each other."

I hate that Juan Pablo has ruined Nicco's beautiful proposal with this vile stunt. Yet, a part of me feels closer to Nicco than ever. He's got my back. I have his back. Come hell or high water, we're going to survive this together.

We'll show that fucker the meaning of unbreakable.

Like a woman on a mission, I swipe through my social media apps in between calls. I scan my messages and emails. My fears have come true. We've gone fucking viral. Our sex tape is trending over Instagram, TikTok, and popular media outlets.

Who is Aria Senarath and why does the entire banking industry hate her?

The clickbait-driven headlines are simply despicable.

Sex addict billionaire caught on camera with former assistant!

My expression turns ever grimmer.

Idiot heir disgraces the Vitale empire!

These incendiary headlines speak for themselves.

Nepo baby scandal threatens Danmore acquisition deal!

Every word was intentionally chosen to tell the truth at a slant, set up to draw blood from our most vital pulse points. Most articles and reaction videos paint Nicco as an irredeemable, entitled fuckboy who doesn't deserve any of his success while I'm being crucified as the dumb, lazy slut who humped her way up the ladder, sucking dicks instead of securing a career through actual merit.

The final nail in the coffin?

Thanks to Juan Pablo, the public knows about the Danmore acquisition now. He used the media to let the cat out of the bag. Our leverage in the final negotiations has been significantly compromised. Oliver's going to have a field day with this shit.

My time in Juan Pablo's good graces has officially run out.

"I am scared for you, principessa," Nicco admits as he pulls me closer to his chest. "I think it is safe to say that Juan Pablo knows you're no longer his loyal bitch. He will come after you with everything in his arsenal."

"That's why we must act now," I insist, burrowing my face into his neck, "before he has time to gain momentum."

"I will kill him," he vows calmly, "before he can touch you."

"Murder can wait," I murmur. "I have a better idea."

"Always two steps ahead of the game, aren't you?"

My eyes narrow. "It's the only way I play."

His gaze sharpens. "Dio, I cannot wait to hear what you are plotting in that twisted, little mind of yours..."

I lean over to whisper what we must do in his ear. It's going to start with the SEC and end with an empire in ashes. Nicco listens carefully to my every word.

We will make Juan Pablo suffer for his sins. I can't wait to rip off the mask I've been wearing since Hawkins and show him just how much I hate him. I've been the prey to his predator for over a decade. It's my turn to toy with him.

If everything goes according to plan, the fucker won't even know that he's six feet under until maggots are crawling over his flesh.