Page 44 of The Billionaire's Destiny

My hand tightened on the phone, and I looked at Rocco and gave him the thumbs up. “Oh, my God. Really?”

“Yes, and let me tell you, there were award-winning finalists for this series. But those paintings you sent photos of…they were so stunning and far above anything we’d ever encountered. You made us believe the story was real.”

I touched my stomach. “Wow. Thank you; I’m honored.”

“We’ll be putting together an offer.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You won’t be thanking me once you see the schedule and the amount of work,” Lily said jokingly. “But congratulations, Adelina. You deserve it. We’ll talk soon.”

“Thank you for the opportunity.”

“Goodbye,” she said, and I repeated it, and we hung up.

I let out a scream and raised my hands in the air.

Rocco grabbed me around the waist and spun me in a circle. “I knew it. I’m so proud of you.” I held on to him, inhaling his spicy ginger scent. “How does it feel?” he said when he let me go.

Rocco knew how much this meant, my lifelong dream finally taking flight. Suddenly, I was a teen, back in that thrift store parking lot, a sketchpad from the dollar store in my lap and a battered copy of William Sleator’sInto the Dreambeside me. That book taught me to imagine worlds beyond what I could see, to draw not just what was in front of me but what lived in my mind. I’d pictured myself with wings, soaring through endless sky, promising myself that one day I’d fly away. Now, I was being paid to create dreams. It was more than I’d ever dared hope for. “It feels amazing.”

“I’m proud of you, Adelina,” he said as he lightly wrapped his arms around me again, and I clung to him, squeezing his waist.

“I love you, Superman,” I whispered, and for a few moments, there wasn’t anything other than us, two people entwined by duty and fate. But what grew from that was love. My love for him was undeniable.Only love could hurt this much.

Rocco let me go, and I stepped back and hid my eyes. I couldn’t bear to see anything but love back.

“Hey, Rocco,” Xander said, stepping forward to stand next to me. “How about we celebrate?”

I shook my head at Xander. “It’s not a good time—”

“No,” Rocco said, interrupting me.

Xander’s gaze shifted between the two of us, and his brows lifted. “Maybe you two would prefer to stay in?”

“No,” Rocco said to him. “We’ll celebrate.”

I looked at Rocco, then raised my brows and said what we both knew. There was no room for a spur-of-the-moment change to his schedule.

“Don’t worry. We’ll make it work,” he said. “We celebrate our wins.”

I wanted to rush over and jump all over him with kisses and hugs, but I wasn’t sure how he’d react.

“Rocco, Xander, we have to leave now,” Isla said and cleared her throat.

Zane’s hand reached for my arm. “Let’s go.”

“But aren’t we going together?”

“We are, but in separate cars. I’d like to talk to Gunnar.”

I swallowed, nodded, and left without a word. Once inside the car, I stole a glance at him out the window. Rocco hung back and waited until Zane climbed inside, and even that small gesture gave me a rope to hold onto. All I could do was try to win back his trust, but I had no idea how.

During the drive, I fired off a group email to Cass, Jacob, Mama, and my grandparents, attaching the congratulations letter and promising more details soon. When we pulled up to the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, the hotel manager and a valet greeted us, the latter whisking the car away from Zane. We barely crossed the lobby before Rocco appeared, and the energy in the room shifted. He was more than my husband; he was Rocco Marini, the celebrity heir everyone in Italy recognized. Confidence clung to him like his bespoke suit, and his presence seemed to draw every gaze in the room. He moved with the easy authority of an emperor, his head high and chest proud. That was the Rocco the world admired, but I also remembered the gentle giant who held me with such care. As he joined me, my pulse raced, and I felt fragile beside him. Would I always feel this way?

I ached to feel him press me into his side and kiss my lips with a commanding thirst.But he merely stood next to me. Falling in love with him had changed me. There were no walls to keep my heart protected, and the distance he placed between us felt as if I were under a heavy weight.

The hotel manager greeted me and when we reached Rocco shook his hand. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Marini. If you’d follow me, I’ll escort you to the elevator.”