Page 38 of The Billionaire's Destiny

“I thought the same, and I’m willing to put in the work. I don’t take shortcuts; you undermined me just by doubting it,” he said, bitterness lacing his words. My guilt deepened. I’d rattled his pride.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand—”

“That’s just it, Adelina.Youdon’tknowme. You married me, but you don’t know me.” He glared down at me and pressed his hand to his chest.

I recoiled, my heart aching so much my hand rubbed against it to soothe it. What did he mean I didn’t know him? We talked for hours, made love all day.We fell in love. Didn’t he still believe that?

I swallowed. “Perhaps, I don’t know everything about you, but our marriage was arranged for a reason, and you agreed to those reasons; having children was always a part of it.”

“Butweget to decide. Not just you,” he hissed.

“I know that, and you’re right to be upset with me. But your mother told me that she knew about Luca’s new will, and if the board takes over, Jacob would be at risk of a quarterly meeting to decide if he’d still have his trust—”

“That’s a damn lie,” Rocco snarled. “Mom knows that can’t be undone. And if she lied about that, she lied about the new will.”

“She was telling the truth. Luca said it on the video I just watched.” My hand shook as I put the USB drive back in and clicked the file on the laptop. Luca’s face appeared, and I paused.

Rocco glared over at it, his jaw clenched. “Did he?”

“Yes. And…uh, Luca also said he was sick, and he’d need the board’s approval. He reinstated the child provision restrictions. He was going to hold an emergency board meeting after the wedding.”

Rocco stared at the screen. “Grandpa knew that wouldn’t work. We have contracts and an approved will. He also knows I’d have fought him tooth and nail, but he lived for the fight; he taught me that makes the man. To fight for what you want, not just take.” His tone was laced with repulsion.

I shot him a glare. “Is that really what you think? That I just take and never work? Damn it, all I’ve ever done is fight. My whole life.”

He placed his hands on his hips, his lips pursed. “Well, that’s part of life. Fightingneverstops. Let me see that legal document Luca left you.” He finally took the papers and scanned them. “He left it up to you?”

“He left it up to your mother. Olivia said she had the votes to give the trust the power.”

“She wouldn’t dare give away our families’ power. I’ll be speaking with her, but this is still on you. If you’d have just told me the truth, I’d have eased your worries—”

“She said she’d find another woman for you that’s willing to have children now, and I don’t want to be replaced—”

“You can’t be replaced,” he spoke over me. He pushed his hands back through his hair. “Fuck. This is insane. A baby right now.”

“Is it? You’re a billionaire. We can afford it,” I said, and chewed on my lip. “We could make it work.”

He smirked. “Children need more than money, Adelina. We’re at the beginning of our arranged marriage, just getting to know each other. You have your illustrations, a possible business that’s just getting off the ground. I have Marini Corporate now to deal with. I have a film production already in progress, other contract obligations, and fundraising for the movie studio. Adding children now would be insane.”

“But if we did, you’d satisfy the will and start your movie studio. It could all work out.”

Rocco pressed his chest. “Not for me. I didn’t want to use our children as pawns. I wanted us to stop that cycle. It was my right, damn it.” He lifted his head toward the sky, tunneling his hands through his hair, and closed his eyes. “Damn it…it was my right.”

Nausea twisted my stomach, and I wiped my clammy palms on my lap. “It was…maybe still is. I’m probably not pregnant. But time doesn’t wait for us to be perfect. My grandmother is the last of her line. Her family tried waiting, and now I’m all that’s left.”

“I know. Luca told me that as well, but I’m sure there were other reasons. That’s not us.”

I pressed my fingers to my throat. “Maybe so. But I promised her children, and I want her to hold her great-grandchild and find peace, just like I wanted Luca to have that chance. Family matters, Rocco. Our family above all else.”

“Even me?” he muttered softly, and my heart broke.

“No one is above you in my heart,” I whispered.

“You say that like you mean it, but you’ve made me feel alone.” He stared into the distance, lost somewhere I couldn’t follow. My mind filled up with rebukes for what I’d done.You should have told him. Why didn’t you?Shame washed over me, and I wanted to disappear.

I coughed, wiping at my eyes. “I’m sorry, Rocco. If-if I am, I’ll have an abortion, and no one will have to know but us. We can try later when we’re both ready.”

“No, you can’t,” he said and sighed. “If you’re pregnant, then you’ll have the baby. We move forward. I just. I didn’t see our lives playing out this way.” What he meant to say was that he didn’t see me as someone who would hurt him.