Page 35 of Forbidden Billionaire Next Door

"I know Hudson. Of course, I know that. I am just worried about what this will mean for us." So am I, but I can't control everything.

I pull her into my arms and kiss her. "It doesn't change anything between us. I love you, Gianna."

She stiffens. I have said it. I have been wanting to say it for the longest time, but now I have just said it out loud to her. I run my thumb over her lips. "I love you, Gianna," I say it again.

Her green eyes are pools of wonder as they pierce into me.

Her lips curve into a gentle smile.

"I love you, Hudson." She replies softly.

"Everything is going to be okay, Gi." I want it to be okay, so much.

I wrap my arms tightly around her and hold her until she falls asleep.

* * *

I walk into the office early. I wanted to get here before everyone else so that I did not have to walk through a building full of people whispering about whatever they had just read. I drop the newspaper onto my desk and put the takeaway coffee cup next to it. I may as well just get this over with. Read it. See what bullshit they are claiming and then figure out how to deal with it. I know my lawyer is already aware of everything and will already be working on a response. I sigh and unfold the paper. Front page. There is a massive picture of Gianna and me. It was taken as we were leaving one of the restaurants. She looks beautiful, elegant and poised. My hand is on her lower back. Neither of us is looking at the camera.

I read through word for word. Then read it again.

The article is written by my ex-wife's brother but it is the words of my own brother. He is claiming that I only pursued Gianna to hurt him and that I have stolen away the love of his life as revenge for my own wife wanting to spend time with her son. He suggests that I have been physically violent towards him when he had tried to come and talk to me; brother to brother to try and resolve our differences so that my wife could at least see her son and said that it broke his heart seeing the man that I was turning into.

The story goes on to claim that I had actually been having an affair with Gianna long before my ex-wife and I had divorced and that is the real reason for our divorce. I throw the paper across the office. Pages explode out of it as it hits the wall.

Fuck.

This is not good. This is definitely going to impact the case.

I sit at my desk for a long time, watching my coffee get cold. Not knowing what to do.

Eventually, the office begins to fill up and my assistant sticks his head into my door and says, "Your lawyer is on line one sir, can I put him through?"

"Yes. Thank you."

He knows better than to comment on the article even though I know by now the entire building will be aware of it.

I pick up the phone. "What is your plan?"

Straight to the point, my lawyer skips over the polite greetings, knowing I just want to know what the solution is. "You have a press meeting booked for eleven and you are going to publicly deny any association with Gianna. You can say you just happened to bump into her leaving the restaurant and---"

"No." I stop him in his tracks.

"What do you mean no?" He's shocked at my response.

"I mean, no. Gianna and I are together. The story is total bullshit, but we are together. Keep the press meeting. I will make a public statement, but that will not be what I say. I will prepare something and send it over to you in a bit." I am not going to put her through me telling the world I don't love her --- fuck that. My brother will not win.

"You are making a mistake, Hudson. This is not good for the case. It's not just the one paper with the story. Every newspaper that came out this morning has it plastered on the front cover." I am aware that they have their claws in this story --- I just don't care.

"All the more reason for me to tell my side of things. How can my telling the truth be a bad thing?" I'm done with all the bending to make the world like me.

I hang up the phone.

At eleven sharp, I am standing outside my company building. Reporters are swarming around me and it is pure chaos. I stand silently waiting for them to shut the fuck up; no expression on my face; giving nothing away.

Finally, as someone steps forward to hold a microphone close to my face, the crowd begins to hush.

"In response to this morning's article, I have a few things I would like to say." I start and hushed whispers move through the crowd. "I will not be answering questions or making further comments after this, so I request that you do not waste your own time or my own by pushing me." I wait for them to hush again, "My brother, Daniel Drake, has made some untrue claims about the reason my ex-wife and I split a few years ago as well as the reason for me choosing to be in a relationship with Gianna Perth." There is a dull murmur running through the crowd again, so I stop talking, waiting for silence. I am not going to be repeating myself.

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