Page 105 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

I stepped inside, my heels clicking softly against the floor. I had no idea Roman was an artist. These pictures were so… soft. So full of emotion. I felt love in these paintings. I had gotten to know Roman a little better, but I could not get my head around the idea he had created these masterpieces.

But then I noticed the plaques and framed articles scattered around the room. All of them bore the same name: Rowena Kelly.

His mother.

This was not his work. Part of me was relieved it wasn’t Roman’s artwork. I didn’t want to think I didn’t know him well enough to know he possessed this kind of passion and talent.

Rowena’s work was stunning, alive with passion and joy. Each brushstroke seemed to hold a piece of her soul. As I moved through the space, I felt her presence—her warmth, her love, her unshakable spirit. It was as though the room itself was steeped with her essence. I had never met the woman, but I felt like I was getting to know her through her art.

I moved to stand in front of a particularly vibrant piece. It was a meadow bathed in golden light—I felt a lump form in my throat. Rowena had poured so much of herself into these works, only to be gone far too soon. I felt the weight of her absence and I had never met her. There was a hollow ache that wasn’t even mine but Roman’s. My heart hurt for him. How terrible for him that he lost such a beautiful soul at such a young age. I knew he would have been a very different man if his mother would have been able to finish raising him. Ruby was a great lady, but she didn’t have the heart of a mother.

I was so lost in the art, I didn’t hear him walk in behind me.

“What are you doing in here?” His voice was full of accusation and anger.

I froze, my heart leaping into my throat. Slowly, I turned to find Roman standing in the doorway. His suit jacket was off, his tie loosened, and his expression was anything but welcoming. His eyes burned with fury, his jaw tight.

I stammered, fumbling for words. “I was curious. I wanted to see what you were keeping in here.”

“And you thought that gave you the right to invade my space?”

The anger in his voice made me flinch. “Roman, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invade anything. I just… I couldn’t help myself.”

“That much is obvious,” he snapped, stepping into the room. “I told you this was off-limits, Kaira. What part of that wasn’t clear?”

Shame burned through me, hot and stinging. His silence was worse than his anger. He stood there, his chest rising and falling with barely restrained emotion. The room felt heavy, the warmth I’d felt earlier replaced by red-hot fury. I could feel his anger radiating off him in waves.

He ran a hand through his hair. The pain in his eyes was undeniable. It cut me deeper than any harsh word could. That look of betrayal on his face was brutal. I wanted to go to him. To wrap my arms around him and tell him everything was going to be okay. But I stayed put. The look on his face told me that was best.

Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. He stared at me for what felt like an eternity.

My heart ached for him. I took a tentative step closer, reaching out. He stepped back, acting like I had some horrible disease. I realized he was more than just angry. He was hurt.

I did that.

40

ROMAN

The moment I saw the door to the studio ajar, I knew. My pulse quickened, a surge of heat spreading through me. It wasn’t the good kind of heat, not the warmth Kaira usually brought into my life. This was fire, rage, betrayal.

I climbed the stairs, telling myself not to be angry, but it didn’t help. Every step infuriated me. I had told her. I had given her access to my home. To my world. She could do anything she wanted. The gym, the theater, or the pool. I let her take over the kitchen, but that wasn’t enough.

This was my place. It was my one connection to my mother. No one dared to violate this space. Marilyn was the only one allowed inside to keep it from getting covered with dust.

When I stepped into the room and saw her, I couldn’t quite decipher the myriad of emotions pumping through me. She stood in front of one of my mother’s paintings, her hand delicately brushing the frame. She looked so out of place there, in her black dress, her hair perfectly styled, a vision that could’ve taken my breath away if not for the scene surrounding us.

I wanted to grab her and kiss her like I normally did but I also wanted to grab her and toss her out of the house.

“What are you doing in here?” My voice came out cold and sharp, like a blade slicing through the quiet.

She spun around, her eyes wide with guilt, her lips parting as if searching for an excuse. “I… I was curious. I wanted to see what was in here.”

I could feel the fury rising like a tidal wave, and I clenched my fists at my sides to keep it from overtaking me. “Curious? I told you this was off-limits, Kaira. What part of that didn’t you understand?”

She flinched at the venom in my tone, and we stood watching each other in silence for a while the tension reaching a boiling point.

She blinked away tears. “I know I crossed a line, Roman, and I’m sorry. I didn’t realize⁠—”