Page 32 of Burning for the Billionaire 8

That makes me laugh.

“Don’t get used to this kind of romance. I’m ditching this thing in a few weeks,” he mutters.

We chat—I mean, I talk his ear off and he listens with a slight smile—until we reach his car. It already feels like us.

Like we never missed a beat.

Epilogue

Rowan

Four months later...

I step out of my car and hurry across campus. I was supposed to be here earlier, but I got held up at the office.

It still feels strange saying that. I’ve never been an office kind of guy. However, I’m now elbow-deep in the Lockwood family empire.

I quicken my steps when I see the football field. I’m so glad I don’t have to move at a snail’s pace anymore. That back injury was a pain in the ass. Grace will kill me if I miss her graduation.

My mother is the cause of my tardiness. She spent forever at the office trying to bargain with me, as if she could sway me into giving her all the money I’ve decided to give her at once. But I know Rebecca. She’ll squander it in one go and be right back on my doorstep.

With James going through a legal shitstorm, he can’t steal to provide for my mother anymore. I might despise her for my childhood and emotional traumas, but I’d never let her starve. So, I’ve decided on a sizable amount to give her, and it will be released into her account in monthly installments over two years. I’m hoping that by then, she’ll learn some financial responsibility.

The money is enough for her to be comfortable for the rest of her life. If she blows it all by the end of two years, that’s on her. I made her sign an agreement to leave me the fuck alone—forever. No pestering me for more money.

As if my mother wasn’t enough of a headache, I had to linger at the office and listen to my lawyer and my accountant regale me with the tale of how Devlin is begging for my help. She wants me to testify in court on her behalf.

I laughed, of course. She was caught trying to swindle money from one of the Lockwood accounts, and this time, the authorities got involved.

The woman tried to steal from me again and still wants me to rescue her. She’s crazy. She’s going to do her time behind bars. And now that I’ve gotten the trash out of my life, Grace and I can finally have our peace.

I gaze into the crowd and spot Grace’s sister. She turns, sees me, and waves me over. Hurrying to my seat, I greet Grace’s parents. Her father is still giving me the side-eye. I think he’ll always hold the opinion that I’m too old for his daughter.

Mel is here, too—I guess she left Adam at home with Kevin. She waves at me as I take my seat beside Matt and clap his shoulder.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

---