Page 5 of The Runaway Bride and the Billionaire

“Yes, I do.”

If I didn’t know any better, I would think he didn’t recognize me. There was no malice in the way he looked at me and no condescension in the way he spoke to me. He also said it was nice to meet me. It was strange.

“So, Mr. Pierson, you requested this meeting but failed to mention what it was about.”

Joseph nodded. He set his cup on the table and reached for the bag on the chair beside him. From it, he brought out a brown manila folder.

“I have a proposal for you,” he said as he handed me the folder.

For a moment, I simply stared at it. I’d assumed the man came here to insult me, but he was here to do business with me. That was what made me certain that he didn’t recognize me. He would never work with me if he knew who I was.

“My firm is constantly looking to partner with burgeoning companies such as the one you’ve built here. I mean, in only five years, you’ve managed to achieve what has taken some people decades. That’s very impressive. You see, I’ve always been praised for my ability to spot a good investment, and you, Mr. Hayes, are a good investment.”

I took the folder and opened it. Joseph and I spent the next two hours discussing the details of our proposed partnership. I considered turning him down, but I wasn’t an idiot. There was no need to reject a potential good business deal simply because I still hated the man for what he did to me. There was no place for emotion in business. I knew that, which was why I accepted the deal.

“You’re not going to regret this,” Joseph said as he shook my hand. He adjusted his suit jacket and reached for his briefcase. He was just about to walk out the door when he paused. “That reminds me, do you have any plans this Saturday?”

“No.”

“Great. I was thinking we could celebrate the birth of our new partnership. My daughter, Amelia, is getting married. You should come.” He walked back into the room, reached into his briefcase, and pulled out an invitation. Then he handed it to me. “It’s going to be great. My wife is going all out on the whole thing. You know how women love a good party.”

I stared at the invitation card long after Joseph left. “Amelia Pierson weds Lucas Everett,” I read aloud. I repeated the words over and over again as if that would somehow make it better. I closed my eyes and opened them hoping I was simply imagining what I’d just read. But Joseph had been very clear. Amelia was getting married this Saturday.

And I was invited.

Chapter 3

Amelia

He was really here.

Matteo had come for me. Somehow he’d heard about this wedding, and he came to save me from making the biggest mistake of my life. He came back for me even after everything I put him through. I couldn’t believe he’d done that for me. It was the sincerest display of love I’d ever experienced.

He loved me so much that he was willing to fight for me even after everything I’d done. I looked at the priest who was still waiting for my answer, at Lucas who looked slightly annoyed by the fact that I was still silent, and then at my parents, whose brows were knitted in confusion.

My gaze returned to the back of the crowd where the man of my dreams sat. He was all I could see. In this large crowd of people I didn’t know, seeing him was incredibly comforting.Seeing him pushed me to do something I never thought I would be able to do, because if he could come here to fight for me then I could fight for us too.

“Miss Pierson, do you take Lucas Everett to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the priest asked again.

I started shaking my head before the words came out of my mouth. “No. No, I won’t.”

A low murmur rippled through the crowd, along with loud gasps from my mother and her friends. Their horrified faces did nothing to deter me. I bent to pull off my heels and I ran.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I ran down the aisle, out of the room, and out of the building. My bare feet touched the hot pavement and for a moment, I wondered if I was making a huge mistake. It was the first time I’d ever gone against my parents. I was terrified of the repercussions.

But then I thought of Matteo. My determination to reunite with the man I loved outweighed all else. And so I took off down the sidewalk, ignoring the curious glances I got from the people on the street. I tugged at the clips that held my hair in place, pulling out every one of them until my hair fell down my shoulders.

With my dress and hair flowing in the wind, I ran to the place that held sentimental value for Matteo and me. I was certain he would meet me there. It was a hot and windy day, which was a bad combination for someone in a wedding dress but that didn’t stop me.

The heat of the ground and my need to see Matteo propelled me forward. Waiting meant my feet got burned by the hot pavement. I arrived at the park a few minutes later. Matteo and I had many memories in this park. Unfortunately, one of those memories was me breaking up with him.

My feet touched the cool grass and I relaxed. I walked slowly over to our spot and waited by the bench. I received morecurious glances from the people in the park, but it didn’t matter to me. All that mattered was Matteo.

He walked into the park ten minutes after I got there. My vision became blurry as he approached me, and I realized I was on the verge of tears. I’d missed him so much that the sight of him made my heart ache. When he was finally standing in front of me, I felt the ache disappear as if his presence had completely healed it.

I blinked the tears away and focused on him. The Matteo who stood before me looked nothing like the man I remembered. Gone were his loose-fitting flannel shirt, ripped jeans, and brown boots. In their place was a designer suit and Italian leather shoes. His hair was also different than before, and he wore an expensive watch that shone under the glow of the sun.

Despite all that, he was still my Matteo and he’d come back for me. A shaky smile spread across my lips.

---