Page 126 of The Sexy Billionaire

“Shit’s going down, Gio,” Natalia yells down the phone.

“What?”

“That asshole has gone live and has told the world that you and Paige have been having an affair.”

My stomach sinks.

“He had the two of you followed. He has pictures of you in New York, Paris, and here. He is telling everyone who will listen that he’s the victim. That she left him for you. He’s trying to ruin her.”

“Fuck, I’ll call you back,” I say, hanging up on her. There’s no way. I tell myself this has to be a bad dream as I pull up my socials and see the numerous tags.

“What’s happening, Gio? Is it Michael? Have they found him?” Paige asks, sitting up in bed.

How am I going to be able to tell her about this? I scan my phone and it doesn’t look good.

“What? You’re scaring me, Gio?”

My shoulders slump. “Michael went live overnight and told the world that you and I were having an affair.”

Her eyes widen as she gasps. “No, no, no, no,” she says, shaking her head. I hand over my phone and show her what’s been happening. She jumps up off the bed. “Fuck. Fuck. I’m ruined. He’s ruined me,” she yells as she frantically paces the room, looking distraught. I jump up and try to reassure her that it’s all going to be okay, but she isn’t interested and pushes me away. “I have to go. They can’t know I’m here,” she mumbles as she tries to grab her things.

“No, it’s safer for you here.”

“Clearly not,” she yells at me and her words are like a slap to the face. “I want to go home. I can’t be seen with you.”

“Paige, please, security surrounds this place. You are safest here,” I try to explain to her.

“What don’t you get? I can’t be with you,” she shouts as she gathers her things in her arms.

Does she mean can’t be seen with me or does she mean she can’t be with me?She’s panicked, she doesn’t know what she’s saying.

“I think it’s better for you to stay here, Paige. Please, I promise I will sort this all out.”

She looks up at me, the fear clearly written all over her face. “I want to go home.”

My heart aches, my stomach twists. “I’ll take you home.”

She shakes her head. “Not you, someone else.”

“I’ll organize a driver for you.”

“Thank you,” she says, and I disappear out of the bedroom.

I’m like a bear with a toothache as I yell at my staff, unable to control my anger over the situation. I’ll make it up to them later, but for now I want to punch something. I grab my phone and dial Smith, maybe he can talk some sense into his sister.

“How is she?” he asks.

“She wants to go home. Nothing I can say will change her mind. She doesn’t want to be anywhere near me. I don’t know what to do.”

“Fuck.”

“The look on her face …. She’s devastated and afraid, but she won’t let me protect her. I can’t keep her prisoner,” I tell him.

“She’s scared and panicking. It’s not about you, she’s probably going into self-preservation mode. You know the whole fight-or-flight thing. Will she be safe at her apartment?” he asks.

“Yes, it’s secure.”

“Good. Look, Michael is here in the States. We found him in Vermont with some woman. She’s safe from him.” Thank God for that. “Paige will feel like everything is spinning out of control, and I’m guessing the only way she feels in control is in her own environment. If there is no way the media can get to her, let her go home.”

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