Page 51 of Contract of a Billionaire

I rushed out of the elevator eagerly. My heart floated on a cloud while a happy smile danced on my face. My eyebrow furrowed, usually Alessio waited for me in front of the elevator.

Because I can’t waste an extra second to see you,he said.

No matter. I rushed down the hallway. There was only one room up here. The Presidential Suite.

But with each step that I took, a dread in the pit of my stomach grew. Ignoring it, I took another step. And another.

Cracked hotel door.

I held my breath. What if someone had come after Alessio? He warned me of his enemies. His father’s. His friend’s.

None of it deterred me.

Another soft step and I pushed the door wide open.

I blinked once. Twice. Three times.

It took a fraction of a single breath for my heart to shatter into a million pieces. For the bleeding to start. My stomach lurched. An invisible knife clawed its daggers into my chest and refused to let go. I’d bleed out. In a daze, my eyes lowered to the floor, almost expecting to see pieces of my heart around me. There was nothing.

Yet, the pain was unlike anything else I had ever experienced. It clawed at my chest, cut me open and left me bleeding. A scream bubbled in my throat but I couldn’t quite manage the strength to make it known.

Your eyes turn brown when you’re sad, Alessio said once, the stupid words echoing in my mind as hot tears stung and burned.

I stood frozen as I watched Alessio, sprawled on the ground and a woman between his legs, bobbing her head up and down. The coal black hair fell down her back. Alessio didn’t grip it like he had when I kneeled in front of him.

Bile rose in my throat. I was stupid. Just another soft body to him, while he waseverythingto me. How many women had he fucked since we started dating? This time, I snickered at the notion. We were never dating. I was just a stupid woman.

Heed the warnings of your parents. My mother said she didn’t want to be part of that world. Men in it lied, cheated, and killed. Her father had done it to her mother, Maman wanted something better. So did I.

Except, Alessio felt so right. Like an extension of me. When he touched me, my body melted. When he was around me, I felt complete. But I guess the joke was on me.

I couldn’t watch anymore. I couldn’t be here.

The light in my soul dimmed. The pain in my heart made it hard to think. To feel anything else. But I knew I had to get out of here.

I turned on my heels and headed back for the elevator. I couldn’t stand there and watch that man for another second.

I never wanted to see Alessio Russo again.

* * *

It wasn’tuntil I got back to my room that my body collapsed.

Sobs shook my body as I slid down the hotel door and sank to the floor. The flood of tears and my chest clenched so fucking bad that it made it hard to breathe.

The image of Alessio’s face while that woman pleasured him tormented me. Slack jaw. Closed eyes. He looked so fucking relaxed while the pain clawed at my chest watching another woman’s mouth on the man I love. It felt like someone was ripping out pieces of my heart and shredding my soul with a grinder.

I squeezed my eyes trying to erase the image of Alessio’s face as he laid on that floor.

This agony tore at my insides. My heart had splintered into a thousand sharp pieces, cutting me on the inside. It hurt so fucking much that I expected blood to stain my skin at any moment.

I drew my knees to my chest and buried my head against my knees.

The thought of him, only a few floors up, sent a shiver down my spine.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. I’m stupid, My mind chanted.I’m so fucking stupid.

I’d known the age difference between us would eventually bring an end, but I was too caught up in the excitement of falling in love. For the first time.