Brother...mother.I thought of the words over and over, wondering if the meaning had changed.Why couldn’t Matteo get a break from his family? It’s no doubt that they wanted money, but they abandoned him first. They have no right to his time or fortune.So why follow him?Desperation?With a sigh, I rest my back on the sofa as I watch the maids move food to the outside dining table.How do I soothe him?There was music and some shimmering light to lighten the ambience, but everything ‘family oriented’ feels lonely without Elizabeth. Was it the same for her when I was gone? "Your head seems far away. Are you okay?"Matteo asks as he slides his hand into mine.“What if your brother asks you for money?”It could be my imagination, but I feel as if Matteo’s lips twitched upward slightly at my question.“I thought you said we talk about this in the evening?”“I can’t help myself.”I answer and he presses a kiss to my lips."Olivia, why do you want me in the guest bedroom?"The question co
"I- hmm."Matteo begins speaking before he swallows his words.It's evident that he has never had to choose between family because his family has never been big enough.My hand squeezes his thigh from underneath the table, and he startles at the contact."He will support his family."I answer on his behalf."We are his family."Mum says, pressing me."Exactly, and Christopher is his family too. When the time comes, if the time comes, Matteo will make his decision, and there will not be consequences for following his heart.”I clarify, and Mum frowns.Matteo has a mother and half-brother, both want his money. Aside from me and the kids, his only other family is Christopher, while I have my family, friends and the occasional cousins once they are in the country.Unlike him, I have multiple people to run to, while he only has Christopher.A complicated expression forms on Matteo’s face before he speaks. "You mean that?”He asks."I do."“Even if I choose to help Christopher?”“Yes, even
“Your next marriage?”I ask, stunned by his blatant confidence.“You think Elizabeth will say yes?”“Yes.”He says softly, then reaches for something in his pocket: cigarettes and a lighter.After glancing at my belly, he shoves the pack back into his clothes, but the black lighter remains in his hand.“There aren’t enough guns in the world to threaten her to say yes-”“Do you honestly believe a gun is the scariest thing on earth?”Christopher says as he flicks the lighter on and off.“What is that supposed to mean?”“It means this and that are separate matters.”“Go to hell.”I whisper with ease before turning away from him.“Then at least tell me this; I dreamt that you and Blair sang ‘Wind Beneath My Wing’, and Blair’s mother also mentioned that she shared the same dream and that you said- ”“Stop talking!”I say, but the words sound like a cry tearing from my lips.If he had that dream then it means Blair forgives him. It means Blair wants him to be happy; it means Blair doesn’t w
Without a word, Matteo scoffs and walks with the kids in the direction of the car; I guess whether he is upset or not, we still have to head to his townhouse.After calming Luca, the kids went back to sleep relatively fast.The drive into town was quiet, and when we finally arrived at his beautiful, luxurious townhouse that even had a fountain in the pool and genuinely impressive facilities, he spoke,“Do you still regret loving me?”His voice was so small that I feared it would be carried by the wind.“Sometimes.”I respond as a plump maid with a bright smile opens the main door for us as if she knew we were coming.I follow Matteo up the grand staircase, ignoring the lift because I need to get my steps in despite the awkwardness.After we arrive in the kids' room and he places them each on their bed, I finally speak because the silence has grown too loud.“I- I never expected you to love me, so I thought it would be a memory that I cringe at later and when I finally meet someone els
Hello!So, the main story, Trillionaire after Divorce, is complete!I know most perhaps wanted to see Matteo caught on his schemes, but remember, Olivia’s biggest issue is falling in love too easily. When she is in love, she trusts the person she loves so much that she begins to doubt herself. That is why she begins fearing that one day, Matteo will go back to how he was when he didn’t love her, and she will be stuck defending him. (That is still her biggest fear).But because Matteo is good at calming her and because he shows openly how desperately he loves her, Olivia trusts him. Olivia says repeatedly that she is a fool for love, meaning she tends to ignore or explain away red flags unless they are obvious (That’s why she tells Matteo ‘don’t change’ in Chapter Forty: Ninja Librarian). (The only one who keeps her centred is Elizabeth, and she has been preoccupied for most of Act 2, allowing Matteo’s cunning side to thrive.)Matteo has always been a schemer. Don’t forget he was initia
"I'm not asking you; I'm telling you that that's too much chocolate."I say calmly, staring into my employee’s brown eyes.Of course, Reimund, my head baker and the co-owner of this pâtisserie, rolls his eyes at my words."Hah! I'll die before I take pastry advice from an amateur like you.""How am I an amateur when I studied under your tutelage?”I respond, but the door's bell echoes in the empty space, forcing both of us to halt our discussion and smile. We haven’t opened the shop yet, but it's only five minutes to seven, and since Mitchelle has taken a sick day, it's just Reimund and me. We might as well start serving now.As if Reimund did the math, too, both of us speak at the same time."Welcome to Ombré-”"Welcome to Ombré Gold pâtisserie."Noticing that he is the only one who finished the greeting, Reimund looks up at me, but I can't drop my gaze from the man standing at the door dressed in all black.Christopher.He looks like the Grim Reaper; the only thing warming him up is
"Please, Reimund."I plead, leaning over the counter as I soften my eyes."No.""But you like Henry!""A. I love Henry and B. I told you that I need to prepare for my date today. You were supposed to help me, you know.”"I'll fill in for you.""Unless you can grow a Penis, I don't think that is possible."Reimund says with his eyebrows furrowed.His French accent gets more noticeable the more agitated he gets. It even makes his sarcasm sting."I meant I'll fill in for you next week and do the closing shift today, not that I will fill in for your date.""No, you make mediocre coffee, and your pastries don’t have enough chocolate. ""Wha- hey!""Look, Riley.”He sighs.“I love you; I love Henry. I want to part my legs for the big man who came here the other day, so if you do not tell me his number, I will spread my legs to my beneficial friend.”“You mean your friend with benefits.”He glares at me at the correction and continues what he was saying.“I endured painful wax on Saturday, an
The tinted windows give the car a cold feel, which does nothing for the atmosphere.“You look just like Henry.”Cindy says with a faint blush on her cheeks. Did her crush change?“That’s because he has one of those faces.”I add with a smile as I rub her hair.“Here.”I hand Cindy my phone after setting it to ‘kids mode’ to get her attention off Christopher, and she readily puts on a game. I don’t know the name of the game, but it has to do with raising cute pigs.“But…if he looks like me, then do I have one of those faces?”Henry asks with his brows furrowed.“Of course not. His is just…generic, you know. Doesn’t he look like Phil or Gary?”I mention the name of our gardener and mailman to instigate him, but Henry only looks more confused.“I think your mother doesn't know the difference between genetic and generic.”Christopher says as he passes me some documents in a folder.“What is this?”“Flowers.”He answers.A sneer curls up my lip at his response.My fingers open the folder h
I feel the need to mention that, no Etienne and Anthony were harmed during the time skip in the last chapter; they were just posted away from the main family to Italy. Jokes on Christopher, they liked it because they were paid to laze around without the tension of him grumbling all over the place.I'd also like to ask your vote on a setting, would you love to read a transmigration, body switch or rebirth story?Rebirth would be when the female lead dies and goes back in time for whatever reason and purpose.A body switch would be the female lead going into another person's body. Maybe they were rich and ungrateful, and now they have entered the body of another woman who works under an obsessive billionaire, and there are consequences when they refuse to work and instead resign.Finally, transmigration would be if the female lead enters a novel they have read, whether they loved it or not. You know I love villains, so of course it’s the villain’s body that they enter. So, an example wou
Hi guys!We are finally at the end of the story!! Thank you so so much for reading, thank you for voting and thank you for loving the work and leaving a review; if you haven’t, please do.This last chapter is especially dedicated to anyone dealing with anxiety or depressive symptoms; it is a season, and it will pass. If your best is opening a window, open it. If your best is just basic self-care, taking a shower, moisturising, and putting the pyjamas right back on, do that. One step at a time. You are more loved and valued than you believe, and medication doesn't make you 'weak' or a 'failure'. Don’t be afraid to reach out, but more than that, don’t be afraid when people reach out, say 'yes' to that trip to the beach or bowling gig, or hell, to a walk just around the corner. We are all one.For my next work, it will still be a billionaire romance, and the male lead will still be a walking red flag. Aren’t they just the best? Plusss..how could I forget to mention smut will be present? I
"But-""It's fine; I'll be back soon.”I say reassuringly to Henry.I wave off his innocent concern despite half my face being covered by his hand.If he were to slap me the same way I slapped him, I'd probably end up in the ICU. Despite knowing that, I leave Henry with Etienne in the living room and follow him like a prisoner escorted to their sentencing.**"You went to the hospital. What for?"This is not the beginning of the conversation I expect, nevertheless, Christopher’s gaze as he closes the door behind me doesn’t leave my face."The headaches, but I have the medicine, so it's fine; more than that, I haven't seen Anthony in days. Did you change my guard?""Anthony?"Christopher asks with a frown, his mouth twisting as if he has eaten something rotten."Who are you calling 'Anthony'?""My- my bodyguard, with brown hair, you assigned him to me."I explain as if he doesn’t already have that information.What is this? What is he playing at?"Did I? And he told you his name? He an
Christopher D’Amico "Spare me."It took three hours to track Alessio and four hours to corner him like this.Yet this was the nonsense he was spewing?"No."Christopher answered.The gun in his hand had no more bullets, so he hit the back of Alessio's head, causing him to fall to the ground. Of course, Alessio didn't come easily, so the blood he tasted from his lips was his.Hopefully, it wouldn’t leave a mark, but even if it did, the wound was inside his mouth, so Elizabeth would not see it.Still, it didn't matter.Everything would end today, and he could head back to Italy to find another man to take his position.Positions in the mafia could only be replaced through death; there was no such thing as a fair trial, only retirement, that was hard-earned.Alessio held his head at the point of impact as if he thought his skull had shattered. There was blood coming from his head, but Christopher heard nothing crack, at least not yet.Still, there was little he could do to guarantee the
Blood. He smells like blood. No, not just smells; he has blood on his clothes.Closing my eyes and opening them, I focus on the bouncing bunny on the screen while Henry bobs his head to the tune.Before long, his little head sways left and right before falling to my stomach as he was resting between my legs, and a soft snore follows.Aww... how precious.His little hands curl against the fabric of my clothes.I should take him to bed; I think Christopher has eaten by now or should be eating, so there should be an interruption.My hands move to scoop him up, but a voice stops me."Is there a reason you are both on the floor when there are perfectly suitable seats next to you?""Henry and I used to sit like this in the old house.”I explain without turning back to him."Are you thinking of the good old times?”His words seem pointed, so I lift Henry in my arms and turn to him with a frown."What is that supposed to mean?”I ask, noticing the curls in his poorly dried hair.Wait, wasn’t
My gaze lingers on the orange glow of the streetlights while my mind centres on the sounds of the cars whooshing past us.My sex is fine now. Other than mild tickling sensations that will go away after three or four rinses in the shower. I am fine.Well, I guess the dull ache choking my throat is something else entirely."You've been quiet for a while now."Christopher comments as he makes a turn to the estate.Of course, I have been quiet. Yesterday, I went to bed and woke up believing that he liked me, that I could have him wrapped around my finger if I tried, and that gave me the confidence to say no to him at the club, and now, I realise that I had gotten ahead of myself.I almost ruined the marriage.There is no divorce, but if perchance he changes his mind, I'll have nothing. I'll lose the one thing I came into the marriage with—Henry.He doesn't like or love me; he is curious about me. Is that even the best way to describe it?Maybe it's more he thinks he likes me.Fuck... if I
"No. Never. Not when I am with you. No-"“Not anymore, right? That’s what you want to say next, isn’t it?”I ask as the grip I had on Alessio’s leash lessens.Christopher’s lips seal as if he had no answer to my question.“I…I really can’t believe you even know what love is- ah, that’s why you said you don’t have feelings… ah, I got ahead of myself.”My voice grows smaller as I mumble the new findings."Elizabeth, please...please."“Please, what? That's so vague, considering you need me to call you the way another woman does to get you to orgasm.”I ask as I turn to face him.I think I should leave now; this…this is enough to break any ‘soft’ girl’s heart."Please... believe me. Not with you. I never think of anyone but you."He repeats as if sensing my mood."I'm half out of my mind because of the lube they applied on me, and you can't cum until I call you the nickname the 'love of your life’ called you.""You are the love of my life."Does... he even know what that means?“Then why d
"God damn it, Elizabeth!"Christopher yells as he rattles the cuffs binding him.“I said, let's talk about this later. I didn’t say ‘no’.”"You shut me down twice. I don't trust you not to lock me up somewhere and shut me down a thirty time when there are no consequences.""I won't-""Yeah...see now, I don't trust easily. That's kind of the problem with us... what did you call me? 'broken? Soft?”"Elizabeth.""Let's move on to the third round."I yell, and as if on cue, the announcer produces a tune to signal the entrance to the third round."He can choose. He can choose what he wants! He can choose, but he needs to have the full picture."Christopher finally gives in."I want it in writing.""Done. I'll get it to you by Monday morning. I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I'm sorry that I shut you down and made you feel that this was the only way to communicate. Please...please stop this.""Why? Aren't you having fun? You even left me at the store to get dragged here.""That bastard Taz-""Yes, th
"Bu-but I've lost."Participant One defended as if he took Christopher’s words seriously."You touched what is mine."The answer came back coldly.The blindfold covering my eyes feels like a burden. I want to see the expression on Christopher’s face. No, I want to see the expression on everyone’s face.I can still feel the echoes of Participant One’s fingers on my nipples. This is going to be harder than I thought."Hey, this thing has consent written all over it; she consented. So why are you threatening me?"The man asks, his desperate voice bordering on whiney."I didn't consent to you touching my wife.""Yes, you did, Taz-""Ah yes, mentioning another dead man."Christopher says in a light tone; one could almost think he is joking. Almost."Bu-""Next Participant."The announcer announced, perhaps bored with the back and forth."I'm out.""Wait, but..."The familiar voice of Participant One hesitates, perhaps hating that a participant backed down instead of doubling down like him.