LOGINShare
68
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 69
GIANNII have prepared for meetings with highly violent, volatile men and felt less pressure than I do now, putting together a tray of food and coffee in the kitchen for which I plan to bring up to the bedroom. Caterina was asleep when I left her there, sprawled out on her stomach, her hair fanned out across the pillow. I could have laid there for hours watching her. Soaking in her soft sighs, the rhythm of her breathing, and the way her brow would sometimes wrinkle. Like even in her sleep, her troubles follow her.Today is a new day, and I hope, as I gather breakfast with Sheryl's help, that between last night and this morning I can convince my little bird that I'm committed to taking as much of her troubles away as I can.“I take it Miss Caterina is back?” Sheryl's eyes twinkle as she fills up a platter of muffins, fruit, and cheese. “This is what she likes best for breakfast.”“I'm sure she'll appreciate your thoughtfulness.” So do I, but it's unusual being in this situation. Almos
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 70
“I get it.” It’s the rest of the world I don’t trust. That’s the last thing she needs to hear after having Charles for a father. No doubt his work tainted the way he raised her, not to mention how his wife died. The hair on the back of my neck stands at the thought of her. I set Roger on the task of digging up information the day Charles showed up, and as far as I know, there’s been nothing yet. The woman was innocent, the way her daughter is.“So you’d back off with the following me and tracking if we were together?”“If?” The word stirs uncertainty in my gut. “What do you mean by if?”Her head tips back until it rests against the headboard. “You know how I told you that my dad thinks you killed my mom—and even though I don’t believe you did it, he does.” Her chin quivers before she adds, “It would kill him to know we’re together.”He already knows, little bird. It’s on the tip of my tongue, prepared to tumble past my lips and throw our entire conversation on its head. It might be ea
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 71
CATERINAIt's incredible the difference it makes when you wake up in a house where you don't have to dread what you'll find when you go downstairs.I hate thinking that way, especially since it’s the first thing that goes through my head when I open my eyes on Sunday morning. This is the second morning in a row I've woken up in Gianni's bed, only this time, he's not waiting with a tray full of food. He warned me he'd be busy with work today, but that's fine. I could use a little time with Tatiana, anyway. I've been so wrapped up in my own shit, I haven't been as good a friend to her as I could be.I allow myself to think of my father briefly. I wonder how he’s doing? Lately, it seems like he's more interested in avoiding me than anything else, and now that I know the truth about his job, I understand why. The less he has to see of me, the easier it is to avoid answering questions. At least he finally stopped blowing up my phone. He did send a message overnight.Dad: At least let me kn
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 72
If she's not going to bring Christopher up in conversation by name, I won't do it, either. Maybe she’s trying to open the door for discussion, but I don’t think she’s ready. It will only make things worse. Instead of launching into a speech about how he wasn't worth the time, anyway, I scroll through Netflix to find another movie. “Are we going with horror again? Oh, maybe we should pick a serial killer documentary?”“That doesn't sound like a bad idea.” She burrows deeper under the blanket before adding, “Bonus points if it's about a woman who killed a man for fucking with her while she was on her period.”“Are you kidding? I would start a Go Fund Me for her legal expenses.”The sound of her glee leaves me smiling. “I swear, if men had to go through a period just once, there'd be a pill to magically treat the symptoms within a year.”The sound of a man awkwardly clearing his throat gets our attention, and we both look up from the laptop to find Roger hanging in the doorway. His expre
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 73
GIANNICaterina is here. Safe. Secure. It amazes me how that knowledge makes me feel. Being aware of her presence calms me. It allows me to think clearly, focus. All because I don't have to worry about where she is, what she's doing, or if she’s safe.And if I want to see her, I can find her.All the more reason to keep her here permanently.One thing at a time. One step after another. Soon I’m going to make this a reality for both of us. I just have to get through a few things first.“What took you so long to get back?” I ask Roger once he returns to my office. “You were supposed to be getting coffee.” And here he is, with empty hands.Hands which he looks down at before shrugging. “Right. Sheryl sent me on an errand to grab some tea for your daughter as soon as I walked into the kitchen.”“Is she sick?”“In a manner of speaking.” When I raise my brows, he waves a hand. “Womanly stuff. She’ll be fine. Sorry, I was distracted.”“It doesn't matter.” I rotate my laptop to show him what
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 74
“And they didn't know there was a woman in the car and not a man?”“I don't fucking know,” he snaps, not bothering to apologize as he normally would. “My point is, just because it wasn't us doesn't mean it wasn't somebody else who worked with us at the time.”Now he’s got my attention. “Somebody who wanted to take the pressure off of us because he was stirring shit up, and their association with us could get them caught up in the investigation.”“Exactly. I mean, how many associates do you work with? How many deals have you put together over the years? It could have been any of them.”“And, of course, if he ended up blaming anybody, it would be me,” I muse. “Since he wasn't after them, per se.”“In the end, it might scare him away. Thus it wouldn't blow back on them.”“And if it didn't scare him away?”“They knew he had a wife,” he murmurs. “What else did they know about him?”I can't bring myself to entertain the thought. What if it had been Caterina? A man, cruel and cold-blooded en
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 75
CATERINABreathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Get it together.Only I can’t hear anything but the roaring of blood in my ears.“Wh-what did you say?” I can barely hear my voice. “Sorry. I’m…” Can’t find the words. Can hardly breathe. I’m going to hyperventilate if I don’t calm down. Deep breaths. Slow, deep breaths while the pieces of my life that just shattered all around me drop to the floor in a million fragments.I walked in here, knowing it was possible. I even knew it was a better outcome than if I was sick. I won’t lie, I was still hoping for something simple, like stress.Fate had other plans. Now comes the actual stress.“Based on your reaction, this is a surprise.” The doctor pulls off his gloves and tosses them into a trash can while I lie here, dressed in this thin paper gown, with my feet still in stirrups. He indeed said what I thought he did, didn’t he? My ears aren’t playing tricks on me.I’m really pregnant.He pats my hand before rolling away on his whee
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 76
Her eyes move back and forth like she’s making certain no one else will overhear us. “He doesn't want to be tied down with a baby,” she whispers. “So if he hasn't forced you to do it yet, he will soon enough. Mark my words.”“Sure, because explain to me why I should believe a fucking word that leaves your mouth again?”“He didn't stay with me, and I had his daughter. What makes you think he's going to stay with you?”“Let me ask you something,” I counter, hands on my hips. “What does it feel like to lose? Because that's what this is about. You lost, and you can't handle it. Just like you can't handle the idea of him moving on with somebody younger than you.” I look over at the list of doctors in the building. “You’re right about one thing. Men like to keep their women young, so maybe you should head over to the dermatologist. You'll give yourself more wrinkles if you keep worrying about things that don’t include you.”She huffs out a staggered breath, and this time when I advance forw
Latest chapter
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 98
When I try to send a text in response, it goes undelivered. The number comes up as ID Blocked. No surprise.“I'm wondering if we should have brought more men,” he grunts, swerving around a slow-moving minivan. A glimpse at the passenger side mirror reveals the car behind us, matching our speed, following Roger's every move.“Between the five of us, if we can't handle it, then we have bigger problems.”“What if this is all a way of drawing us out? Whoever is behind this would know I'd come on the run.”“Do you want to take that chance?” He glances away from the road to stare at me for a moment. “We can always call for more backup.”“By the time they get there, what point would it make?” We're already halfway there as it is. “I don't want to wait for them.”Besides, this doesn't feel like an attack is imminent. It feels more like the attack has already taken place, I'm afraid. I don’t want to think about what we might discover when we arrive. Don't let it be Caterina. Don't let it be Ta
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 97
GIANNI“You can tell summer's winding down.”I look up from the spreadsheet Roger insisted we compile—always organized, which I suppose I should be grateful for even if a Friday evening spent poring over spreadsheets isn’t my idea of a good time. “What do you mean?”“It's already starting to get dark, and it's barely past seven o'clock.”Sure enough, a look out the window confirms this. “I wonder how long the girls will be out.”“You know how it gets sometimes. Crack open a bottle of wine or two, and time melts.”“I don't think they'll be doing that tonight.” When he lifts an eyebrow, I break the news I've been waiting all week to share. “This stays between us, but Caterina is pregnant.”Now both brows lift. “Oh. I... congratulations?”I can't help but grin. “Yes, congratulations are in order.”“And she's happy about it?”“You know. Things are still complicated.” I'm trying to be kind toward Charles for her sake, but I can't pretend his bias against me isn't a real pain in the ass at
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 96
Something snaps inside my head. No, no, this isn’t happening. Not to me. Not to my baby.Every self-defense lesson Dad ever taught me comes rushing back. I can’t breathe in if I want to stay conscious, so I hold my breath while stomping a foot against his instep with all my might. He grunts in pain but doesn’t release me. In my frenzy, I reach out, sinking my nails into any flesh I can touch, then I drive an elbow into his ribs.“You bitch,” he growls before slamming me headfirst into the trunk of my car. Everything goes dark and foggy. My body slumps when I lose control of it, and I can’t help but breathe in.My baby. My baby…I don’t lose consciousness, though. Not completely. It’s more like being sedated; my brain still works. I hear everything, but I can’t make my body move. I’m floating in a dream-like state, but this is all very real. A living nightmare.“Get moving,” one of the men snarls, shoving me into the car. I can’t open my eyes. My head is pounding.Tatiana’s body slumps
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 95
CATERINA“Hey, what are you looking at?”My heart just about jumps out of my chest as I quickly close my browser before turning in my chair to find Stephanie standing at the entrance of my cubicle. The way she lifts an eyebrow while folding her arms reminds me too much of my best friend—it hurts, since we haven’t spoken all week.I touch a hand to my chest, laughing. “You're like a ghost, I swear. How are you so quiet?”“Maybe you were too busy looking at naughty things to notice me coming up behind you.”“Naughty things?” The idea makes me giggle, because she couldn't be further from the truth. It was dirty things that got me pregnant in the first place. Now, I am reading advice columns and googling baby names when I should be working.“Nobody closes their browser that fast if they aren’t looking at something they shouldn't be.”“Sorry to disappoint you, but I was reading junk on Reddit.” At least it's a believable lie. “I don't want to get caught screwing around.”“Who cares?” she s
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 94
The look of heartbreak on Caterina’s face makes me want to order a hit on Amalia at this very moment. “That you’d want me to get an abortion if you found out because you didn’t want any more children. That the last thing you wanted was to be tied down again.” The anguish in her voice slices me down to the bone.I’ll kill her. It’s as simple as that.How long have I told myself I must spare her pathetic life because she’s Tatiana’s mother? She’s never been a mother to her, anyway. I could have done Tatiana and the world a favor by getting rid of her, but I didn’t. Now it doesn’t seem to matter if she’s alive or dead.“For one thing,” I speak carefully so I don’t spook her, “Amalia does not have the first clue on how I would feel about anything. She doesn’t know me. You should know by now that she wants me to be miserable, which means making everyone around me miserable by association. Plus, she’s herself, so I’m sure it must make her jealous, knowing you’re going to have my child—a chi
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 93
GIANNI“Patience,” Roger advises, his eyes constantly moving as he scans the area around us while we stand beneath the covered stoop in front of his cottage. “Just because I haven't found anything yet doesn't mean I won't.”“It isn't you I'm frustrated with,” I grunt, trying not to appear suspicious. There are no fewer than five guards within my line of sight, and I can't help but wonder if it's one of them.The traitor.“It's barely been two days since I installed the software,” he reminds me. “Give it some time.”“I get it, but until then, I have to pretend I trust everyone equally, and that’s frustrating as hell when you know one of your men is sharing information he shouldn’t be.”“There is another solution. It’s faster, if that’s what you’re looking for. You could just fire everybody and start over.”He recoils under the sharp glare I shoot at him. I know he wasn’t serious, but I’m not in a joking mood. “I can't afford to lose my entire team at a time like this. Not with a new de
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 92
“Not really.” Tatiana looks me up and down. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little green.”Once we move closer to the register, the feeling gets worse. Only once the girl behind the counter reaches for Tatiana’s clothes do I realize it’s Tatiana’s perfume that sets me off. The stronger the smell, the sweatier and more nauseated I get.“I’ll meet you outside.” Nothing in the world matters more than getting out of this store. The glass doors are my sole goal, and I walk toward them as calmly as possible, even as my insides start churning. Stupid me, thinking if I never got sick like this before now, I’d be one of the lucky ones who never had to go through it.I burst through the double doors to the outside, sucking deep breaths into my lungs. The sunshine is so bright, glaring off the concrete, but there’s an awning over the wide front window, and I take shelter beneath it. A few minutes pass, and the nausea seems to pass with every breath I take. Shit. Suddenly it occurs to me that I
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 91
CATERINA“How come you're not trying on any clothes?”Damn it. I was hoping I’d get away with it.We’ve been shopping for the past half hour, and only now has she thought to ask why I haven’t picked out anything. I was kind of hoping she wouldn't pay attention. She's having a good time trying on skirts and dresses and jeans. Now she’s frowning at me from the three-way mirror outside her dressing room stall. “Why aren’t you shopping, too?”I’m sure the response: I don't know how much longer I'll fit into anything. It would be a waste of money to buy anything in my size when I don’t have the first idea of how pregnancy will affect my body... wouldn’t go over well.“I feel bloated,” I groan, rubbing my stomach. “It's just not a good day.”“I'm sorry. Would you prefer we go back home?”I like that she thinks of it as home for both of us. “No, I’m fine. I just know I would hate myself in everything I tried on.”“You always look great, if that helps.”“Thanks. And you look hot in that dress
Best Friend's Daddy, Billionaire Devil 90
“There he is, going around with all these suspicions without solid proof. I'm finally starting to understand how he must feel.” That, and how Caterina seems determined to look after me—the way she does with him.“Speaking of which, have you reviewed the list of names I compiled?”If my head doesn't fucking explode, it will be a miracle. I walked into this room feeling good, energized, confident. All it takes is a catch-up session to remember how overwhelming the past few weeks have been. Caterina or no Caterina, I've got enough on my plate to make any man want to throw in the towel.I made her a promise. I’m going to find out who killed her mother. I only hope she isn’t in a hurry, since at least a dozen possible culprits could’ve had reason to send a message to Charles.“I scanned the names,” I confirm. “And I'd like to set up meetings. Only this is touchy, so we can't make too much noise, or word might spread that I'm digging.”“You realize one of those names was Salvatore Costello.
