Page 38 of The Sexy Billionaire

I shrug my shoulders. I don’t know. Before I have a chance to say any more, the waiter brings our drinks. I pick it up and take a large sip. Ah, that feels better.

“You seriously thinking about leaving the city?” Callie questions me again.

“I have no home or job here anymore.”

She remains silent for a little while, thinking over what I’ve just said. “You would be okay giving everything to him?”

I turn the glass in my hands. “If I didn’t have so much, I would be fighting harder, but if I’m honest, I want nothing more to do with him. I want him out of my life.”

“I get that, babe, but don’t you think he wins if you give in?”

“Callie, I’m a fucking countess. I have twenty million dollars in my bank account, I don’t think I’m losing,” I say with a chuckle.

My best friend’s eyes widen, and then she bursts out laughing. “Fucking hell, bitch. You are rich, rich.”

“Right?” I say, holding my glass up to her. She does the same and we clink glasses.

“If you think you will feel better about moving on, then don’t fight it. Let him have the apartment and restaurant. I’m a petty bitch so I would fight tooth and nail, but with the way he’s acting, I don’t blame you for wanting to walk away. You don’t need to worry about that man any longer than you need to.”

I knew she would understand. “I want a fresh start. Having a shitty apartment isn’t going to make or break my fortune.”

“You’re too good. I would want to make him pay.” She smirks.

“Me living the life Lucia’s given me is the best payback. He could have been living this life, but he chose to screw other women instead. That’s the price he must pay, seeing me thrive without him.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” she says, raising her glass again and we clink it together.

12

GIORGIO

Thankfully, my family finally left me alone and have gone back to their homes, happy in the knowledge that I seem to be doing okay after last night. Guess most people wouldn’t be doing so well after finding out their fiancée is cheating on them. Normal people would be sitting on the sofa crying; I’m not sure if I’ve even shed a tear. Something is wrong with me, isn’t there? That’s not normal.

As I stare out of my home, looking over the gardens of the Villa Borghese, my mind wanders back to this morning when Paige messaged me back.

Paige: You might regret that offer.

My reply was instant.

Giorgio: There’s a lot I regret, but that offer isn’t one of them.

I realize I haven’t heard back from her since my last text. I swipe up the international times and it’s late afternoon for her. Was the text too much by bringing up the past? I thought itmight be playful. Because I do regret choosing Bella Gallo over her. I don’t know why I did it; I knew Paige hated her, but Bella joined our school, hung out with my friends, was hot, and wanted to do all the dirty things to me. I was a young guy. How was I going to say no to that? Seeing the pain on Paige’s face when she discovered us ripped my heart out; never in my life have I ever felt more of a jerk than I did in that moment. And what does an idiot do when they are confronted? They double down on it. I hurt her and I just hope that my stupidity didn’t mess her up over the years. Should I have reached out as soon as Bella and I had broken up and apologized to Paige for messing up? Yeah, I should have—especially after finding Bella screwing one of my buddies only a couple of days into our vacation, but I didn’t want Paige to think I only did it because Bella messed me over. I did go back once that summer, but Paige had fled back to the States. After that summer, she stopped coming to her aunt’s place. Instead, they would head off to Greece, or France, or wherever, and I hate that there’s a chance she stopped coming to the place she loved the most because of me. So yeah, I have a lot of regrets when it comes to Paige, and I guess I’ve shoved them deep down inside me, and it wasn’t until I saw her again that they decided to bubble to the surface.

Giorgio: Hope your day was better than mine.

As soon as I send it, my anxiety gets the better of me, and I quickly swipe up to delete it, but then I see bubbles appear underneath it and I still.

Paige: I’s drunk to escape mi day.

A smile falls across my lips at her jumbled text, then a frown sets in when I realize what she’s said,to escape her day.

Giorgio: What happened?

Paige: French penis

Not sure what that means. I’m going to assume it has something to do with her ex-husband.

Giorgio: That explains a lot.

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