Page 17 of The Billionaire's Destiny

I squeezed my eyes shut, and my hand pressed to my racing heart. I’d waited years to hear her admit the truth about them. It was the wall between us, and now she was finally tearing it down. Still, I had to ask, “Are you scared? Because you can come here—”

“I’m fine, Lina. Honestly. I have my lawyers and security guys, and I even have a publicist who’s putting out good stories about me. I get to live where I always wanted to live, and I was even offered a getaway in Malibu, California. I could get a tan.”

I felt a sense of relief that instead of focusing on the bad, she was already searching for silver linings. Maybe now she’d finally get the life she’d always dreamed of and believe shedeservedit.“You could.”

“But I’m not leaving New York. Jacob’s here. I want…to be his friend. Do you think he’ll be a friend to me? I know I wasn’t a good mother, but I still have hope. But after what I did…” She let out a sob.

“Mama, Jacob forgives you. Okay? He loves us all.”

“I love him. Always did. I just feel guilty. I mean, how do I start over?”

“Just go see him and try not to cry. Jacob wants to live in the present. He doesn’t want to live in the past.” It was what Jacob always told me every time I visited him.

“Yeah, well. I’ll try.”

“That’s all he ever wanted, Mama.”

“Yeah. Anyway, we’ll survive. You will, too. You keep yourself safe and listen to Rocco.”

I grinned despite it all. “You sure changed your tune on him.”

“That man loves you. He’s really stepped up in ways I never believed would happen. So, yeah, he’s actually a good guy.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I touched my smile. “He never rests.”

“He will when you have a baby. Why aren’t you pregnant?”

I groaned. “Gotta go.”

“I knew that would get you off the phone.” She laughed down the line, and my heart expanded. “I have to go, too. Think I can go shopping? Or see a show? God, I haven’t been to Broadway in years. I’ll ask my driver and security, maybe. But honestly, Lina, are you okay? I feel like I should be there for you.”

My throat went tight, and my words stuck. It was the most selfless thing she’d said in years, and it mended something inside me. Still, I knew she needed this time for herself. “Yes, I am. You go ahead. Enjoy yourself.”

“Do you think Gavin will still see me? Or maybe I shouldn’t hold myself true to one man? Play the dating field now that I’m going to be a divorcée?”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Mom. I’ll call you later. Okay?”

“Yeah. Talk to you later. Take care. I love you, Lina.” This time, she lingered on the line, waiting. We didn’t hang up in a rush like before. Mama had let me down so often, but now she was finally standing tall.

“I love you, too,” I told her.

And I meant it. If there was one thing I’d learned over the last few years, my mother was not someone I could depend on. She was flighty, unpredictable, and self-absorbed, but I just couldn’t find it in me to cut her off. She had suffered at the hands of several men over the years, and I could understand now how much that had damaged her emotionally. She could also recognize her failings, which I was thankful for, and she did love me and Jacob.

That wassomething.

Rocco had been buried in work at Marini Corporate and determined to keep his Versace shoot in Milan on track. He was recovering from his injuries, and had a physical therapist meet him during his lunch hours. Life wasn’t flawless, but we had returned to Italy, the place where our story had begun. Florence, though a brief chapter, had etched itself into my heart, making it effortless to slip back into old rhythms.

After a few quiet days at the estate, I dove back into illustratingBrenna Strongborne and the Shadow Princeseries, hoping my extra artwork would tip the scales for the Perchance to Dream Publishing job. Friday morning, I was greeted with a voicemail from Lily Crane.

“Hello, Lina. I know you’re in Italy and will get this message when you wake up, but I’m also traveling and wanted to let you know that I’ll be returning to New York for our team’sfinal meeting. If you have anything you’d like to share, even if it’s just photos, please send them over. We’ll have an answer for you this weekend. Thank you for all the time and effort you invested in the story. Talk soon.”

Nerves tumbled in my stomach as I hurried to my greenhouse studio, eager to pore over my sketches. I had captured Brenna as a young woman and the timeless Shadow Prince, beckoning her into Arcadia’s wild, magical beauty. Sketching wasn’t enough; I found myself painting, too, chasing a palette as vivid as the story itself. The characters had grown so alive in my mind that my hand moved almost on its own. If Rocco hadn’t sent a copy of my cover for theBumble Bee Ballbook that I freelance illustrated in college to Lily Crane, this incredible opportunity would never have happened.

A sharp buzz from my timer jolted me, forcing me to set my brushes aside. My laptop was already open, FaceTime waiting for Cass to join the call. I smoothed my hair and wiped my clammy hands on my lap, reminding myself it was just Cass, my best friend. Ours was the one relationship in my life that felt steady, and I wanted to keep it that way.

Cass had swapped her FaceTime avatar for a snapshot of us on the New York Film Festival’s red carpet: me in black, her in white, and both of us beaming. That night was filled with so much joy. My guard was down, and I felt so open to relish our friendship.And so in love.

My fingers brushed my own smile as the call connected. I straightened in my seat, my heart skipping when her face appeared on the screen. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, mirroring mine perfectly.