Page 37 of The Billionaire's Destiny

I quickly closed the laptop’s lid. “Uh, Luca left a video message for me. He gave me papers that I think you should take a look at.” I removed the USB and put it in the pocket of my jeans.

“Oh, I will, but I’d like to talk to you about something else first.” His tone was abrupt. Something was wrong.

I was still on the seat, though my pulse raced, and I could feel sweat break across my body. “Are you upset about something?”

Rocco reached inside his pocket, pulled out my birth control pill packet, and placed it down on the desk in front of me.

“Tell me why.”

Iplaced my hands under my chin, my legs jittering with nerves underneath the desk. Rocco never asked if I’d stopped the pills. He’d already checked the birth control box and seen the missed days. All I had left was a shaky explanation, though I didn’t fully understand how I lost track. “I was picked up on the street without my stuff and was taken straight to the airport—”

“Let me stop you right there,” Rocco interrupted. “You flew here to Florence and knew you needed your birth control. Anyone on the plane, the staff at the house, or even your doctor here could’ve helped you. Just like Isla helped you in New York. Therefore, everything you have to say now is not a circumstance but a decision you made.”

I jammed my hands into my armpits, desperate to still their trembling. “I…I took one and was going to see the doctor—”

“But you didn’t tell me about it and we had sex,” he cut in.

“Yeah…yeah. Uh—”

“When we had sex, you definitely knew you were unprotected, and instead of warning me, you didn’t. Why didn’t you tell me?” he said, his voice rising.

I tucked my chin to my chest, cheeks burning. “I didn’t know if I was completely unprotected. I didn’t know how to tell you—”

“Bullshit. That’s complete and utter bullshit,” he said, shaking his head. “We talk all the time. When have I ever made you afraid to talk to me?”

I blinked fast, my stomach a tangled knot. Even I could hear how flimsy my excuse sounded. Rocco had always listened, always cared. “Yes, I know I can talk to you, but…uhm, it wasn’t just…I knew you’d be upset, and I thought I could see a doctor and then talk to you. Maybe get back on the pill or end—”

“No. You can’t have an abortion. I have a say; so does Marini Trust, and so does our marriage contract. Youknowthat!” he bellowed and slammed a hand on the desk.

I flinched. “I-I made a mistake.”

“A mistake? You did more than make a mistake, Adelina,” he shouted. “You lied to me.”

I swiped at my eyes and hunched over, memories of Mama, my grandparents’ warnings, and Luca’s shadow pressing in. In my heart I believed we needed this child now, not later. However, it hadn’t been my intention to deceive him or even miss taking the pills.Right?“I hadn’t meant to lie. I-I was going to tell you…”

Rocco scoffed, his anger radiating between us. “But you did, and I should have seen the signs. You held my hand to your stomach in the shower…” His gaze turned distant as he concentrated on everything he might have missed.

I let my head fall and wrapped my arms tightly around myself.

“I saw the smile on your face when you left a ‘hint’ at a baby to that reporter at Hotel Caro. Even then, you tried to deceive me, but I doubted it because I couldn’t believe you’d be so cruel.”

He didn’t need to say more; the rest echoed in my mind.Until now.His words stung, sharp and deep, making me shrink back. I rubbed my goosebumps. “I never meant to hurt you. I…If I’m pregnant, which I’m probably not, it wouldn’t be the worst that happened to us right now. You said you didn’t want a child born without love. You have my love, and because I love you, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help us now. Even if I… we hadn’t planned it, and I was irresponsible. Us having a baby is still our love.”

He snorted and shook his head. “This isn’t love. What you did isn’t love.”

My brows knitted together. “I messed up, but if I have a baby, it’s out of love for you. Nothing is as simple as it looks. You don’t know the pressure I’ve been under.”

“Pressure?” Rocco mocked. “What pressure made you think forcing us to have a baby before we were ready was the right thing to do?”

I squirmed in my seat. “Force? I-I didn’t go out of my way to force you. Your mother threatened me on the flight. She said you wouldn’t get the money for your studio—”

“My mom’s good with numbers, but she doesn’t raise money. She has no idea—”

“Paul said it could take two or more years to raise the funds to start the studio—”

“You talked to Paul about me?” he asked, his eyes widening.

“I asked him, and he said a couple of years.”