Page 20 of The Sexy Billionaire

7

GIORGIO

“I’m worried about you,” Natalia states as she chews on her bottom lip before walking over and giving me a hug. “You never deserved this. You’re a good guy, Gio. Allegra is such a bitch. How are we related to her?”

I hug my sister back, enjoying her concern. As the oldest sibling, I’m used to being the one that the family relies on to be steadfast and stable. I’m the pragmatic one, always looking at both sides of a problem, understanding where the two parties are coming from, especially when making decisions, but this time, I don’t understand what happened. I don’t want to feel empathy for my sister, who is obviously hiding her sexuality because how she went about it is messed up. I can’t imagine what that must be like, to not have a chance to be who you really want to be. Might explain why she’s such a bitch all the time. Why didn’t she come to me, especially after I proposed, before I had announced it to the world? She should have said something then and there. It would have saved the fucking mess we are in right now.

“I’ll be okay. Please don’t worry about me.”

Natalia looks up at me. “It’s my turn to look after you. You’ve always been there for me, let me do the same.”

I give my youngest sister a small smile and hug her back.

“I’m worried about Papà, his heart can’t take this news,” Natalia says tearfully as she buries herself into me even more.

This is my worry as well. “He’s going to be okay. Luca will make sure. Plus, Lilly is a doctor, she will be right beside him if anything happens,” I try to reassure her.

“That’s true, Lilly will be there. She’s a great doctor, he will be fine.” She sniffles. “Sorry, I’m supposed to be cheering you up, not the other way around.” She chuckles.

“You are, just by being here. How about we get out of here and head back to my place? We can hang out on the sofa eating ice cream just like we do when you have a breakup. How does that sound?”

“Perfect,” she says, nodding and wiping her eyes.

We walk over to my car and unlock it. Thankfully, I have tinted windows on my car, so if anyone does spot me escaping, they shouldn’t get a photo of me. I put my sports car into drive, press my foot flat to the floor and get out of there. We zoom out and head through the busy streets of Rome. The hustle and bustle of the city simmers my tension.

“I’m sorry this happened to you, Gio,” Natalia says as we stop at a red light.

“I know,” I say as there isn’t much else to say.

“She was the wrong woman for you.”

“Clearly,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

Natalia rolls her eyes at me. “I’m being serious, Gio. You’re a catch. All my friends think so.”

I turn and give her a look.

“I mean it, or maybe my friends have daddy issues and like older men,” she jokes, which makes me smile. “I know you’re not as romantic as Luca is or are up for public displays of affectionlike I am, but that doesn’t mean you can’t love someone in your own way.”

She’s right; I am a little more reserved when it comes to my relationships. I reach out and give her hand a squeeze. “Thanks.”

“I think the universe had other plans for you. Maybe you weren’t listening to the signs it was giving you until it gave you a big one. Marrying Giada was a mistake.”

I love my sister, but she believes in fate, star signs, tarot cards, and other hocus pocus stuff. When really, it’s just that my fiancée is a cheater. It wasn’t the universe telling me I was making a mistake; it was two consenting adults making bad choices.

“If the universe had other plans, I wish I didn’t have to see my sister going down on my fiancée to tell me it was a bad idea.”

Natalia lets out a scream, nearly causing me to have an accident.

“Nat, what the fuck?” I curse as I right the car again and try to still my racing heart.

“I’m sorry. But, Gio, what the fuck? You’ve scarred me for life.”

“How the fuck do you think I feel? I saw it. It’s seared into my brain. I need theMen in Blackguys to come and wipe my mind,” I confess to her.

“That’s messed up. No wonder you’re traumatized. Just the thought of it has me wanting to book a late-night session with my therapist. Maybe I should make a booking for you, too.” She chuckles.

“If they can hypnotize me to forget what I saw, I’m in,” I tell her.

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