Page 17 of The Sexy Billionaire

“Would you stop pacing, Smith, it’s making our heads spin,” Callie snips at him.

“If I don’t pace, Callie, then I’m worried I’ll shoot the fucking weasel and that isn’t going to benefit anyone, is it?” my brother argues back.

Callie rolls her eyes, and huffs before she holds out the bottle of wine toward Smith. “Drink this, it will calm you down.”

My brother stares at the bottle of wine in disgust. “It’s too early for wine.”

Callie shakes her head at him.

“I’ll grab another beer instead,” he adds before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Sorry, his nervous anxiety was doing my head in.” Callie chuckles.

I give her a small smile, knowing anything my brother does annoys the hell out of her; it’s been this way since forever. Those two always seem to be able to get on each other’s nerves.

“Why did he do this to me?” I ask, turning and looking at my two best friends before bursting into tears. They both cuddle me on either side as I sob.

“It’s not you, it’s him. It’s always been him. That man has always had an overinflated ego for someone so mediocre,” Callie states angrily.

“You didn’t deserve this, you’re too good for him,” Savannah adds.

I had no idea they all hated him so much. I mean, I knew Smith wasn’t Michael’s biggest fan, but my girls never let on at all that they hated him.

“You all hated him?”

Savannah and Callie look up at each other and they both nod in agreement.

“Not at first, but like a true narcissist, he showed us what we wanted to see and as the years have gone on, that façade has slowly slipped. He was slowly dimming your light to make his brighter,” Callie explains.

Wow. I had no idea.

I guess when you’re right in the thick of the relationship, you don’t see what someone on the outside might. I thought because Michael was such an extrovert, a creative, an artist, he deserved the limelight more than I ever did, but maybe that was his goal all along, to be the face of our business, to keep me hidden, so everyone thought he was the genius behind it all. He needed me as he couldn’t have done it by himself. Was I truly that blind?

“What am I supposed to do now? We have the restaurant and our apartment together,” I ask.

“That restaurant was more his dream than yours, you never wanted to do French cuisine,” Callie reminds me.

“I know, but all that money we sank into it, all those debts. I can’t go back and work there. Everyone must have known aboutthe affairs; he didn’t seem to be hiding them. Why did no one tell me?” I sniffle. They could have saved me so much heartache.

“They probably didn’t want to lose their jobs,” Savannah suggests.

Smith bursts out laughing. “You’re seriously worried about that restaurant after everything Lucia left you in her will?”

Callie and Savannah look between Smith and me.

He’s right, I kinda forgot, and then I burst out laughing, too.

“Is she having a breakdown?” Savannah asks.

I shake my head. “No, the complete opposite. That moron has no idea how much he has fucked up, nor how much that dalliance today has cost him. I’m fucking rich, ladies,” I scream as reality starts to set in.

I’m rich.

I don’t have to worry about where the hell I’m going to live because I have a home, multiple homes actually, and hotels and vineyards, and cars and a million and one other things.

I’m a countess!

“Rich?” Callie questions me as if I’ve lost my mind.

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