Page 15 of The Runaway Bride and the Billionaire

“I’m okay. Just trying to survive New York,” she said with a tired sigh.

“Yeah, about that. I’m here.”

“Here? Where?”

I couldn’t help laughing. “Lisa, I’m in New York.”

“No way!”

We ended up making plans to meet up that evening and it was great to finally have someone to go out with. I took a bath, picked out my clothes, and got ready at my dressing table. I’d settled on a dark blue denim skirt, a white top, and black boots. I chose a dull red color for my lips to match the bag I was carrying.

My mother would probably have a heart attack if she saw me dressing like this. As far as she was concerned, the only type of clothing I was allowed to wear was from high fashion designers.

I smiled at myself in the mirror, grateful to be away from my mother’s influence and in a place where I could dress the way I wanted to. I texted Lisa to let her know I was on my way out. Then I grabbed my bag and walked towards the door.

When I pulled it open, I was shocked to see Matteo standing outside. He looked like he was about to knock. I raised my brow in a mixture of surprise and confusion. We’d barely spoken over the last few days so the last thing I expected was to see him standing outside my door.

He spoke first. “You’re going out.”

It was more of a statement than a question, but I answered anyway. “Yes.”

“Have fun.”

That was it. He walked away. On any other day, I might have followed him. I desperately wanted to know why he was standing outside my door. What would he have said if I wasn’t going out?

I didn’t have a chance to find out. I got a message from Lisa telling me she’d gotten to the restaurant, and I didn’t want to keep her waiting. After one final glance in the direction Matteo left in, I walked down the hallway and stepped into the elevator.

A few minutes later, I was sitting with Lisa at the restaurant. We placed our orders and the waiter left. I smiled at my friend. We hadn’t seen each other in six years but she still looked the same. Her blonde hair was held above her head in a loose bun and her glasses sat on top of her nose. Behind them, her beautiful green eyes shone brightly.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you,” she said with a wide smile.

I returned her smile with one of my own. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

“Neither have you. How are your parents? Are they still micromanaging everything you do?”

“My parents are fine and yes, they still micromanage my life. But thankfully, I am on a journey to breaking free of their tight hold,” I said, dramatically.

Lisa chuckled. “Well, I wish you good luck, my friend. By the way, how is Matteo?”

Her question destabilized me for a moment. Lisa didn’t seem to notice. She carried on speaking. “The last time I saw you, you were madly in love with him. You used to talk about your future together all the time. How are things with him? Are you guys married now?”

“Um… no. The thing is that we…. broke up,” I said, doing my best to keep my composure.

Lisa was right. A few years ago, I used to spend hours talking about and planning my future with Matteo. That future was a dead dream now. My parents had urged me to kill it and I obliged. It broke my heart to know I would never have the life I dreamed of. Matteo would never love me again.

When I returned home later that night, I met Agnes cleaning up in the kitchen. “You went out?” she asked me, looking confused.

“Yes, I met up with an old friend. We had dinner.”

Her confused expression deepened. “Really? I thought you had dinner with the boss.”

“Why would that happen?” I asked as I took a seat at the counter.

“He told me to make dinner for two and serve it in the dining room.”

I considered what she was saying but I knew it wasn’t possible. Matteo would never willingly have dinner with me. “He must have had someone else over then.”

“No, it was for you. When I told him dinner was ready, he said he would let you know himself so I went to rest.”

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