Page 106 of The Billionaire's Destiny

Abigail, my direct contact, came out of her glass office and walked over to shake hands. “Lovely to finally meet you in person instead of on Zoom.”

“Likewise,” I said.

“Since you’re here…” she and Lily laughed, and I could see it was their joke for adding more work. We went into her office, and she showed me the previous covers for another children’s fantasy book that appeared dated. “What do you think?”

I gazed over them and a few other images. “I think it needs to be changed, but I’d need to know the story.”

“Great answer,” Lily said, beaming at me.

Abigail clasped her hands together. “Fantastic. I’ll send you over the series, and maybe you can read it and give us an idea of where you’d go if you took the project.”

A flutter went through my chest. “I’d love to.”

“We’re having a late lunch now,” Lily said, and after saying goodbye, I followed her into a conference room. The table was round so everyone could see each other.

“So, did anyone see the newTales from the Attic?” Georgina asked, and I realized this meeting was more about getting to know each other than work.

“Adelina, what’s it like to go to Cannes?” Lily asked, even though I knew she’d been there herself.

I made a face, and everyone laughed. “Honestly, it felt a bit intimidating at the time. It was my first time around celebrities, but I loved seeing the movie. Have any of you seenThe Age of Sin?”

Almost everyone had already seen it, and I made a note to tell Rocco.

“It was good. I love Lulu Cummings. I hope she wins an Oscar,” Lily said, and others agreed. As we enjoyed our catered lunch, I checked my phone and saw our flight to Westchester was in just over an hour. I still had plenty of time. When thefood arrived, it was mostly salads, and I picked one with fruit. Then there was a knock at the conference door, and a man with a big smile came in, walked over to me, and spoke quietly. “Mr. Marini’s downstairs in the lobby.”

I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized I was running late for our flight to Westchester. “I have to go now. It’s been lovely meeting you all.” Everyone stood up to shake my hand. Lily was the last. She walked me to the elevator and rode down with me. “I haven’t seen Rocco in a while.”

Rocco had a few people staring at him in the lobby, but they dispersed once they saw Lily Crane. She went over, and Rocco gave her a big hug. “So great to see you. I miss Neverland.”

“You don’t have to miss it. You and Adelina are welcome anytime,” she said. She leaned over and whispered something in Rocco’s ear, and he hugged her again and kissed her cheeks.

“Thank you very much.”

“Adelina, it was lovely to meet you, dear,” she said.

“You too, Lily.”

We walked out, and I immediately turned to Rocco. “What did she say?”

“Jonas Crane has decided to make his own investment in the movie studio,” Rocco said. “I had Paul, but I hadn’t considered Jonas.”

“He was a venture capitalist,” I pointed out.

Rocco sighed. “Yeah, but that was years ago. He’s retired now, but I’m not complaining about how fast things are moving. With clear intentions, actions find their own pace. Leaving Marini Corporate was definitely the right move.”

“I firmly agree.” He kissed me.

The sky was darker, with gray clouds, but a glance down the block revealed the neon signs synonymous with New York City. However, one stood out: The Brass Clarinet. I pointed it out to Rocco, and he smiled with delight. “Can you still swing?”

“Try me,” I said.

He shook his head. “The baby wouldn’t like it.”

I rolled my eyes and groaned. “Stop speaking for the baby.”

He laughed and put his hand on my stomach, and I stopped walking to kiss him.

I remembered Lily’s words about how much life can fit into a single mile. Looking at the city and my new life, I felt surrounded by my story and dream, each change a new adventure. The night we walked into our announcement dinner, I had no idea where our arranged marriage would lead. But the memory of that kiss on the dance floor stayed with me, and I realized I had fallen in love with this wonderful man.