Page 67 of The Billionaire and the Maid

Chase’s jaw clenches. “I see. And where didsheget them?”

“Oh…uh, I don’t know. I just remember seeing them in her closet when she was sick and I thought they were beautiful,” I explain.

“They are worth a lot of money. Did you know that?” he asks.

I shake my head and frown. “What do you mean?”

“May I?” he asks as he motions toward my bag.

I pull out the shoe and pass it back to him. He turns it upside down and holds it toward the sun that is now making an appearance. The shoe shimmers in the light, the crystals sparkling. I squint and then I see it. A very faint etching. A name. My eyes widen.

“Wait. Are those…” I trail off because I’m speechless. I’ve never noticed that engraving before now. How could I have not seen it?

“My grandfather made these shoes a long time ago. He gave them to my nonna and she gifted them to your mother when she was sick.”

“Oh my God. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Does he want them back? I can give them back to him. I just figured Mom had them because she always had this thing for butterflies,” I explain, the words coming out rushed because I’m embarrassed. I can’t believe I never inspected the bottoms close enough to see the etching.

Chase places his hand on my leg. Part of me wants to pull away but a bigger part feels comforted by the warmth of his touch.

“No, Ella. They are yours. But you should know something,” he says slowly, handing me back the shoe, which I carefully wrap and place back in my bag as he continues. “Those shoes are worth over a million dollars.”

I freeze while zipping my bag. My head shoots up to look into his eyes. “What?”

“Nonno made a second pair that sold at auction last year for just under a million dollars. That pair is more intricate and would go for more than the pair that sold,” he says, keeping his hand firmly on my thigh as if he needs this physical connection as much as I do.

I take a deep breath because I feel like I’m going to pass out. “You’re telling me that I’ve owned a million-dollar pair of shoes and I just wore them to a ball like they were from Heather’s thrift shop?” I begin to breathe faster.

“Hey, it’s alright.” He places his hands on my shoulders. “You’re OK. Take deep breaths.”

He inhales deeply and then I do the same as we stare into each other’s eyes.

“Get your hands off her!” Gus’s voice roars from the parking lot.

I look up and stand as Gus charges forward. “Gus! No! Stop!” I yell but it’s too late. Gus pulls Chase to his feet and lands a punch on his jaw.

Chase doesn’t move. He barely flinches from the hit. He rubs his jaw. “I guess I deserved that in some way.”

“Leave her the fuck alone.”

“Listen, Gus, I appreciate you looking out for Ella, but she needs to hear something. Well, a few things,” Chase says. “Give me ten minutes. And if you want me to leave after that, I’ll leave.”

Gus looks at me and I nod. “I want to hear what he has to say.”

Gus sits on the bench across from us and David walks up and looks at all of us. “Uh, is everything OK?”

We all nod and he slowly takes a seat next to Gus.

Chase opens his mouth to begin saying something when a voice interrupts us.

“Well, it’s busy here today,” Greta says. My head whips toward her voice and I find Lorenzo and Greta walking with their arms linked. What the fuck is happening here?

“Chase was just going to explain something very important,” Gus says, his voice laced with sarcasm.

“Oh, well, let’s hear it,” Greta says as she motions for Gus and David to move over. They take a seat next to them and Chase clears his throat.

“I didn’t expect such an audience today,” he begins, but then turns toward me again. We lock eyes, and for a brief moment, I forget about everyone else. “Ken was fired today. I just got a text confirming it. What he said, Ella, was…well, if I’d heard him, he would be in the hospital. Also, he stole my phone at a meeting and read all our messages. That’s how he knew about our…” Chase glances over at his grandfather. “Our strange beginning to our relationship.”

I swallow nervously. Chase sighs and turns to Lorenzo.

---