Page 49 of The Kiss that Captured a Billionaire
“I don’t even have her number,” he said flatly, as if admitting a tactical oversight in a deal.
“I’ve got her friend Kerry’s,” Nikos offered.
Theo took it without hesitation, already punching in the digits. The call rang once—twice—before dropping into voicemail.
“Kerry, this is Theo Kallistratos,” he said, his voice hard-edged with control he didn’t feel. “It’s urgent you call me back. It’s about Rose.”
He hung up and strode toward the door. Nikos fell into step beside him.
“She’ll go back to the theatre—it’s the only place she feels safe. I have to reach her before she decides I’m a bigger bastard than she already thinks I am.”
They exited the penthouse, the elevator doors sliding shut with a metallic finality that only sharpened the pressure in his chest.
She has to listen,he thought with a growing sense of panic.I’m not letting her walk out of my life. Not without a fight.
Rose zipped the last pocket of her backpack and exhaled a slow, shaky breath. Everything she owned worth taking fit inside it. Her carry-on held the keepsakes she couldn’t leave—programs, her grandfather’s watch, old letters, her grandmother’s scarf, and on top, a photo of the two of them smiling.
Her fingers lingered on the glass, tracing the lines of his familiar face.
You’d know what to do, Pop.She blinked against the sting in her eyes.You always did.
She zipped the carry-on before she walked over to the kitchenette table. She placed an envelope addressed to Mimi on it. The letter inside was short: she quit, and she was gone. Beside it, she placed the theatre keys, the cold metal feeling heavier than they should in her palm before she let them go.
By the time Kerry arrived, Rose had her coat on and was tightening the straps of her backpack. Kerry didn’t ask questions. She just crossed the small space in two strides and wrapped her in a hug that smelled faintly of coffee and floral shampoo.
Rose tried for a smile, but it wavered at the corners. “I’m ready.”
Kerry gave a small nod, her eyes warm but shadowed with unspoken concern. “Robby’s waiting at the loading dock. He’ll swing me by my place, but he’s eager to get on the road.”
“Thank you.” Her voice was thick. “I’ll explain everything… I just can’t right now.”
“You don’t have to,” Kerry said softly, giving her hand a squeeze that was both a promise and a lifeline. “I’ve got your back. So does Robby.”
Rose swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. Kerry picked up the carry-on and together they slipped out through the back.
The chilly morning air hit her cheeks as they stepped onto the loading dock. Robby stood by the idling truck, leaning against the door with his arms crossed. His eyes softened when he saw her.
“Hey, it’s good to meet you finally,” he said simply, taking the bags from them without another word. He placed them in the back of the truck while she and Kerry climbed in the cab.
Minutes later, the truck was rumbling through the thin, early-morning traffic. New York slid past in a blur of gray and gold, the sun just starting to edge over the skyline.
When Robby pulled up in front of Kerry’s apartment, Rose climbed out so her friend could slide from the cab. Kerry caught her in another hug, holding on tight.
“Promise me you’ll call when you can.”
Rose nodded, the motion small.
Kerry’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m assuming this has to do with the billionaire.”
“He turned out to be a toad, not a prince,” she said, the words brittle. “Better to find out before I fell in love.”
She knew Kerry could see through the lie. It was there in the way her friend’s eyes softened, in the way she pressed her lips together but didn’t call her out.
“Stay strong,” Kerry said firmly. “Keep in touch. And if the toad calls, I’ll tell him to hop straight into a boiling pot.”
A reluctant, strained laugh escaped Rose. “Deal.” She hugged Kerry one last time, breathing her in like she might never see her again, then climbed back into the truck.
The city faded behind them within minutes, swallowed by the highway. Rose stared out the window, her heart aching with each passing mile, Theo’s betrayal slicing through the thorny wall she’d always used to protect her heart.
