Page 11 of The Runaway Bride and the Billionaire

“Sorry, dearie. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Agnes.”

I bent to pick up the pot cover and walked over to the sink so I could wash it. “Nice to meet you, Agnes.”

“Are you hungry?” she asked. Without waiting for my response, she opened the dishwasher and pulled out a white bowl.

“No, I’m fine.” I tried to lie but my stomach grumbled.

Agnes laughed loudly. “From what he told me, you just got off a long flight. You should eat something.”

“What else did he say about me?” The question was out of my mouth before I could even stop it.

The older woman smiled. “Nothing much, just that you’ll be staying here for four months.”

“I hope that’s not a problem.”

“It’s not my house, dear,” she said with a shrug. She opened a second pot and scooped a serving of mashed potatoes into the bowl. Then she served the coq au vin on top of it. “I don’t make the rules.”

“Yes, but you’ll have to cook food for another person,” I said as I placed the washed cover back on the pot.

Agnes set the bowl of food down on the counter and gestured to the stool in front of it.

I took a seat and smiled. “Thank you.”

She leaned forward as she spoke. “I don’t mind cooking for an extra mouth. I love cooking good food and having people enjoy my cooking warms my heart.”

I looked up at her and I saw the kindness in her eyes. It felt good to know that she would be here during the four months I spent in this house. Hopefully, her presence would ease the tension between Matteo and me.

I took a bite of the food and the savory flavor made me hum with satisfaction. “This is incredible, Agnes.”

She and I spent the rest of the afternoon talking. It was only when I heard the elevator ding that I realized how much time had passed. I glanced down at my watch. Matteo had come home at past ten p.m.\. Either his meetings ran late or he’d been avoiding me.

I was inclined to believe the latter.

Chapter 6

Matteo

Isat in my office as the hours ticked by. I did my best to concentrate but I found myself thinking about Amelia as usual. I couldn’t believe she was in my house right now.

I told myself that I sent Eddie to pick her up because I was busy with work, but the real reason was that I was avoiding seeing Amelia until it was absolutely necessary. After how we left things last week, I wasn’t sure how it would be when we saw each other again. She probably hated me for how I left her there. I knew she had no right to feel that way. She was the one who ended our relationship. She picked pleasing her parents over me.

I doubt she ever even loved me. She gave up on us way too easily. She never once thought to fight for me. For us. All her parents had to do was ask and she dropped me like I meantnothing. I tried to remind myself of that whenever I felt guilty. Despite everything she’d done to me, I still felt strangely bad about leaving her in the park in her wedding dress.

I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. This was becoming too much for me to handle. I shouldn’t be thinking about this right now. I should be working, but all I could think about was Amelia. She occupied my thoughts in a way no one ever had. So much time had passed but she still had power over my thoughts and actions.

I’d done everything I could to fix that, and I knew that by agreeing to let her stay in my house, I was setting myself back several years. I was regressing to a time in my life when she consumed me. I told myself I would get closure from this but there was a good chance it would end up destroying the progress I’d made over the years.

I was already starting to regret agreeing to Joseph’s deal. It was a terrible idea. I couldn’t possibly live with Amelia for four months, not with all the history between us. History that if Joseph knew about, he’d rush to get his daughter away from me.

I imagined what his reaction would be when he discovered the truth. He would be livid.

Agreeing to his deal would only complicate my life. I knew that but it was too late to go back. Amelia was already in my house. I knew because Eddie called to let me know he’d picked her up. It was a quick conversation because I fought against the part of me that wanted to ask about her. I knew I shouldn’t care but there was a part of me that worried.

This was the first time Amelia had gone against her parents’ request. It was a huge step; one I couldn’t help wishing she’d taken years ago. Maybe then things would be different. Maybe she and I would have—

My door swung open and my thoughts were cut off abruptly. I looked up at Kayla who stood in the doorway with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry sir. I knocked for a while but you didn’t answer.”

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