Page 14 of The Sexy Billionaire

“Gio, when we got together, there was nothing but friendship between Allegra and me. She set us up because she truly thought we would be a great fit. She knew you didn’t want to marry for love, and I needed the exposure,” Giada explains.

Luca looks over at me and his face says it all, he’s disappointed in me.

“So, you’re a gold digger?” Natalia snaps.

“I have my own money, I don’t need his,” Giada bites back. “I didn’t want to marry someone who was after my money and fame. Women can fall for gold diggers, too.”

Natalia huffs.

“Was this your plan all along?” I ask my sister.

She shakes her head. “I know I can be a bitch, Gio.”

“Yep,” Natalia adds.

Allegra ignores her. “But I never meant for this to happen.”

“How did it?” I ask.

Allegra turns to Giada and then looks back at me. “It happened when we were on that group ski trip to Gstaad when you first started dating. We were drunk, and I confessed my feelings for her, and things escalated from there.”

“Why didn’t you break up with me then?” I ask Giada.

She twists her hands together nervously. “Because I liked you and …” she lets out a heavy sigh, “because if I came outto the world, my career would have been over. There is no way everyone would have accepted Allegra and I being together.”

“You used him as your beard,” Natalia states.

“It wasn’t like that. I was confused,” Giada explains.

“So, you used my brother while you sorted out your confusion. You accepted his proposal, you planned a life with him all the while knowing you were sleeping with his sister,” Natalia argues.

“Yes,” Giada agrees.

“You both make me sick. How could you do that to him?” she yells at them.

“I’m sorry,” Allegra says quietly, her head down, unable to look at me. “You know Mamma and Papà would never allow me to date a woman, let alone marry one.”

“That’s not an excuse to do this to Gio,” Natalia yells at her.

“You should have spoken to me, both of you,” I say.

“Why are you not more upset, Gio? Why are you not throwing things? Cussing them out?” Natalia whirls around and glares at me.

“Because I didn’t love her.” The words come out and my hand flies up to my mouth and covers it. I look over at Giada and see her eyes well with tears.

“G, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”

She shakes her head. “It’s okay. I understand. Your feelings didn’t match my own,” she says through her sniffles.

Now I feel bad. How the hell does this happen? I’m the one cheated on and now I’m being made to feel like the bad guy because I wasn’t in love with my fiancée.

“That’s not fair,” I tell her.

“You were cheating on Gio. You don’t get to be upset because he didn’t love you,” Natalia says, glaring at Giada.

I love that she has my back on this.

“I’m sorry I hurt you, Gio,” Allegra says.

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