Page 47 of The Runaway Bride and the Billionaire

There were so many thoughts swirling around in my head that it made me want to scream. But when I finally got to the kitchen and saw Matteo, my thoughts quieted. He looked up from the pot and smiled at me. It was a soft smile, one that seemed to happen naturally rather than something he was conscious of doing. It was like he couldn’t help but smile at me.

The sight made my heart ache, and I hated him all over again for ruining what we’d built. Did we really build anything if the foundation of our relationship was lies?

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.

My question dimmed his smile and confusion contorted his features. “Tell you what?”

“About the deal you made with my father. The multi-million-dollar deal that is the only reason you allowed me to stay in this house.”

“Amelia—”

I cut him off before he could finish. “How could you keep something like that from me? I asked you why you agreed to let me stay here and you lied to me!”

“I didn’t lie to you!”

“You said you didn’t know why. Well, you did, which means you lied. You lied to me, Matteo!”

He switched off the gas. Clearly detecting that he wouldn’t be able to give it his full attention. “When I said, I didn’t know, I meant. Yes, your father offered me a great deal to house you for four months but that’s not why I took it. I took it because deep down, some part of me wanted you here. With me.”

There was a prickly feeling behind my eyes. I knew I was about to break down and cry. I wiped aggressively at my eyes even though they were still dry. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I knew you wouldn’t react well to the truth,” he said as he gestured to me.

“You should have told me anyway. You’re the one who said we needed trust if this was going to work, yet you betrayed that trust. And all for what? Money? I thought you were better than that.”

Matteo’s eye twitched slightly. I could tell he was getting angry. Good. His calmness was starting to irk me. How dare he speak like I had no reason to be upset? He claims I wouldn’t have reacted well to the truth. That was merely an excuse for his lies.

“I chose not to tell you because I thought it would be better that way. I thought—”

“Better for who?” I asked, interrupting him.

“Better for us! I didn’t even know where this was going back then. I had no idea we would make it back to each other. I had no idea that living with you would lead to us getting back together.”

I shook my head. “That’s no excuse for lying.”

“I didn’t say it was!” he flared. “I just want you to understand why I did what I did.”

“Well, I don’t. You killed what we had, Matteo. You killed it with your lies.”

His brows pulled together and I could almost hear the sound of his teeth grinding. “You killed it first when you chose your parents over me.”

It was a low blow, one that knocked the fight right out of me. I opened my mouth to say something but no words came out. I suddenly felt tired and too weak to do anything. Still, I knew I couldn’t stay here any longer. I couldn’t keep living with a man who never wanted me here in the first place, a man who only tolerated my presence for financial gain Not to mention that he clearly hadn’t forgiven me for our past. Even if I were to get past this, he’d resent me forever.

When we met in the park after my wedding, he’d been cold to me. He wanted nothing to do with me. The only reason he allowed me to stay in his house was because my father offered him the chance to fatten his wallet. I felt like a pawn. I felt like I’d never really gained control of my life. All this time, my father’s money was still what kept me afloat. Matteo had only treated me right so he could gain his favor.

I couldn’t stay there anymore. I had to leave. I walked out of the kitchen. The prickling sensation was back in my eyes, and it took everything in me not to cry. For a moment, I thought Matteo would come after me but he never did.

He stayed out of my way as I packed what I could and left his house. When I was standing in the elevator, I realized I had nowhere to go. My only friend in New York was Lisa. I dialed her number and lifted the phone to my ears.

As the elevator doors closed, Matteo came into view. Seeing him again was what finally broke me. When Lisa answered the call, I was already in tears. She immediately asked me where I was and she came to pick me up shortly after.

I cried my heart out that night. I was mourning my relationship with Matteo for the second time, but the pain felt just as fresh as the first.

Why did loving him have to hurt so much?

Chapter 24

Matteo

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