Page 76 of My Forbidden Billionaire

“Oh, gosh, stop … you’re making me cry and I spent so much money on this makeup,” Emmy says.

We hug again and I can feel the love radiating off them. It’s the number one reason why I’ve always felt both Emmy and Larisa are my sisters.

“Okay, now can we talk about this dress?” Larisa looks at me from head to toe and gently lifts one of the folds of the champagne-colored dress. It sparkles in the June afternoon light as if the entire surface is covered in diamonds.

“You look ... incredible. I can’t even find the right words to describe it. You have got to let me photograph you,” she says, pulling her camera out of her bag.

“Of course, go ahead.” I twirl around, enjoying the weight of the fabric as it swishes around me. She snaps a few photos of me, perfectly capturing the joy and excitement of the moment.

“Is this dress ... Gucci or what?” Larisa asks.

“Oh, no. Miuccia designed especially for me for this occasion.”

“Miuccia? Miuccia who?”

“Miuccia Prada,” I reply, feeling myself blushing a little.

“The Miuccia Prada? As in Miu Miu? As in, one of the most famous designers of all time made a dress especially for you and your anniversary party?” Emmy says, entirely stunned.

“Jacob and I met Miuccia when we were in Paris … and umm ... she came up with this idea.”

“Oh, my gosh!” Emmy squeals. “Who are you and what have you done with Josephine Andrews? Not even a year ago, the three of us were sitting on the floor in your little apartment, drinking cheap wine, and stressing about ... everything.”

“I know! I mean, aside from still living in that tiny apartment … pretty much everything else has changed. Honestly, I feel like an entirely new person. It took hitting rock bottom to finally figure out what I want in life. But now, I’m so much better for it, and so much stronger.”

“You sure are, friend. I’m so proud of you. You took a chance on love, and now you’re taking a chance on your career. I’m confident that you’ll achieve anything you set your mind to,” Larisa says, a tear pricking the corner of her eye.

“And now ... you’re wearing a dress that probably cost more than my car, and you’re in a relationship with a billionaire who lives in a house that I honestly don’t think is even real.” Emmy laughs.

This last remark genuinely makes me laugh.

“What makes you say that, Em?”

“I mean ... this is not a house. It’s a hotel! Do you even know how many rooms there are? And what does Jacob do with all of them? And it’s got three pools. What does anyone need three pools for—”

“Wait until you see the library,” I interject, before leading my friends down the stairs and into the foyer of Jacob’s mansion. We pass through the grand hallway and into the library—a place that must be seen to be believed.

My friends’ jaws drop as they take in the enormous room, lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with an impressive selection of literature from all over the world. Every single inch of the space is occupied by some sort of book, map or artifact. Even more astonishing than the vast diversity and sheer size of this collection is the fact that each item has been meticulously placed on its respective shelf with precision and care—it’s almost as if Jacob knows exactly where to find any book he wants in seconds.

“Miss Josephine? The guests are starting to arrive.” Jarvis interrupts us with his announcement.

“Oh, alright. But … Jacob isn’t here yet. Have you heard from him?”

“No, Miss, I’m sorry.” He gives a bow and leaves.

“I have no idea whatsoever what’s happening. I’ve been trying to call him, text, email ... you name it—all afternoon. And nothing. He’s not picking up, he’s not answering. I mean, Jacob told me that he has a big meeting today, but ... this? Our guests are here and I have to receive them all by myself. It’s our anniversary party...”

“You’re not alone, you have us! Come on, we’re the three musketeers! I mean, I know we’re not Jacob, but I think we can receive some guests,” Emmy says and refreshes her lipstick.

My heart lifts a little and I agree.

In the main dining hall, a crowd of people has already gathered. Theo, Jacob’s best friend and partner is already here, which is a little strange since Jacob himself is still at work.

My stress levels rise again, but I try to brush it off.

Stephanie waves at me and I try to signal to her that I must greet everyone before I have a chance to stop and chat. She gives me the thumbs up and then stuffs three jumbo shrimp in her mouth. A girl after my own heart.

There are many other people here whom I don’t know personally, but I do understand they’re business partners of Jacob’s. When we made the guest list together, Jacob explained that it’s a sign of respect to invite them to these types of social functions.

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