Page 78 of His Cruel Billionaire Scorecard

Roman’s voice softened, and he grabbed her hands. “You see this? It’s the problem with us. We bring out the worst in each other. I cared about you once, Scarlett. But that chapter of our lives is closed. It’s time for both of us to move forward.”

Scarlett’s shoulders slumped, her anger dissipating into resignation. “Fine, Roman. If that’s what you want. But remember, I have those pictures. And if you ever change your mind, I’ll be waiting. Meanwhile, hurry up on that tip. The window isn’t going to be open for long.”

“I know a friend who dated the daughter of the real estate holder. Don’t contact me unless it’s necessary.”

With those words hanging in the air, Roman turned away from Scarlett and walked away.

***

Hours later, and business over, Roman sat in his living room, the TV background noise, his thoughts consumed by Olivia, an assault on his conscience; he nursed a bottle of beer, its cold glass offering a temporary solace. He couldn’t escape her; he couldn’t talk to her. Each sip brought a bittersweet taste to his lips, a reflection of the emotions swirling within him.

He settled deeper into his thoughts, adjusting to his sofa. Sleep would not come; what else could he do? His phone buzzed, interrupting the melancholic silence. Roman sighed, annoyed at the intrusion, but still answered the call. It was Lily, his sister.

“Lily, what do you want?”

“I just got back from my volunteer mission in Namibia. What’s this I’m hearing? Did you guys break up? There’s your ex saying it was all staged.”

Always a sharpshooter, his sister.

“Yeah, so?”

“You can do better than that, Roman.”

Roman’s frustration grew. “Why are you asking me? We’re not together anymore, remember? Olivia is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and she can be independent and private when she wants to be.”

Lily paused for a moment. “You always do this, Roman. You push people away when they care about you. I thought you were better than that.”

His jaw tightened as her words hit a nerve. “Don’t pretend like you know me that well , Lily. You have no idea what I’ve been through or what I’m dealing with.”

Lily’s voice wavered with a hint of sadness. “You pushed yourself away after the incident. I know you felt guilty about the shooting, and I never blamed you for that. Please don’t make the same mistake again. Fake or not, you were so good together, and I hate seeing you both hurt.”

“I don’t see how–”

“Roman, I tried to reach out to her and couldn’t find her. You should know that Olivia has been dealing with a lot. She deleted all her social media because of the bullying she faced.”

Roman’s heart sank as he absorbed the magnitude of Olivia’s struggles. His grip on the bottle tightened as guilt seeped into his conscience. “Lily, I messed things up between us. It’s my fault, and I don’t know if I can fix it.”

There was a brief pause on the line. “Roman, you need to find a way to make things right. Olivia cares about you, and I believe you still care about her, too. Don’t let your pride get in the way of what could be something beautiful.”

There was a brief silence on the line, both parties grappling with their emotions.

He thought of Scarlett.

“I think it’s best if I don’t fix it now.”

“What do you mean? You know what? I’m done trying to make you see the reason. Olivia deserves better than this, and I hope she finds happiness without you.”

Before Roman could respond, Lily hung up; He stared into the half-empty beer bottle, its amber liquid sloshing around.

He felt like the biggest idiot in the world.

With a heavy sigh, he set the beer bottle aside.

He picked up his phone to dial her; how long had it been? It felt like an eternity.

He sent a message, but it didn’t deliver; he’d been blocked. No surprise there.

Chapter 31

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