Page 58 of Contract of a Billionaire

I wanted to ask him if Alessio has been happy these past few months. If he missed me at all. But my level of pathetic hadn’t reached that level yet. Thankfully, Ricardo moved around me and left before my resolve weakened.

“Oh- okay,” I muttered to his retreating back.

I entered the large, luxurious foyer. Marble shone. The chandelier gleamed. Paintings worth millions hung on the walls. But I couldn’t focus on any of it. The door closed behind me with a soft click when I reached the second step.

Glancing over my shoulder, knowing Ricardo wasn’t there anymore. The man moved quickly and quietly. I returned the attention to the front of me. I took another step, and another. Until I found myself at the top of the staircase. A cracked door.

I ignored the ache blooming in my chest with the memory of the last time I peeked through a cracked door. I had to do this. For the baby.

Exhaling heavily, I strode towards the door with a certainty I didn’t feel.

Knock. Knock.

I held my breath as I waited. “Come in.”

God, that voice. My pulse drummed in my ears. My heart tripped up in anticipation. My thoughts became an indiscernible white noise as I pushed the door open and I came face-to-face with him.

My demon. My savage. My gentleman.

He sat at the little desk, and the moment his eyes met mine, I forgot to breathe for a few seconds. The darkness in his sober expression consumed me. Burned.

Eyes of melted steel looked back at me.

My skin lit like a live wire and my heart filled with a desperate hum. It clawed its way through my chest so it’d go back to him. His sins no longer registered. His betrayal was forgotten for a fraction of a moment. I wanted to run to him and throw myself into his arms. Like I had done every time he came to see me in a different town, country.

Except for Abu Dhabi.

My heart cracked another inch. My feet remained still.

He stood up, then ran a hand down his tie, watching me with that gaze that could light me up or destroy me. He held such power over me. Did he know it?

Something deep flickered through his eyes but it was replaced by a cold steel gaze. A mask.

I love you, I wanted to scream.You hurt me, I wanted to yell.You promised not to break my heart.

None of those words came out. Instead, I stood still as my heart thundered and the hole in my chest grew bigger and bigger. There’d be no patch big enough to bandage that wound.

“Autumn.” He headed to the little minibar. His movements were smooth and sure as he filled his glass. “Want something to drink?”

“No,” I rasped as my heart started cracking all over again. I didn’t know what I expected. Maybe an apology. Maybe some regret.Something. But not this awkward silence and a cold shoulder. “No, thank you.”

“Always so fucking proper,” he muttered. “Except when you shoved that hotel tab on me.”

He downed his drink, then poured himself another.

Was he drinking because he missed me? It was a dumb thought. The hope that flickered in my chest at that possibility was even dumber.

“You can afford it,” I mumbled under my breath.

“And how would you know?”

“A wild guess,” I retorted dryly, watching his broad shoulders and tense back.

He didn’t bother looking my way and he barely spared me a glance as he passed me on his way back to his chair, the scent of sandalwood and spice lingering in the air. My lungs tightened with every breath as I watched him unbutton his jacket and sat back down.

His eyes returned to me. Unreadable.

It was then that I heard it. A toilet flushing. Running water. My tongue swept over my bottom lip and I looked in the direction of the noise. It had to be the bathroom.