Page 112 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

She nodded. “Anything else?”

“No.”

I stood by the window, watching as the car pulled away, shrinking into the distance. I thought I’d feel relief, maybe even satisfaction at reclaiming my house, my space, my life. Instead, I felt hollow.

“Is Kaira leaving?”

I turned to see Aunt Ruby at the top of the stairs, her silk robe flowing around her as she descended. She stopped midway, clutching the banister with a frown. “My maid just told me Kaira was leaving. That can’t be true, is it?”

“Yes,” I said flatly.

Ruby tilted her head, her brow furrowing. “Why?”

“Because.”

“Roman, what is going on?”

“Nothing. It’s over. That’s that.”

I heard her mutter something under her breath but I ignored it.

“I assume you won’t be answering any follow-up questions?” she asked with her irritation evident.

“You assume correctly.”

She frowned deeper, stepping closer. “But she and I were supposed to be discussing wedding planning today. I didn’t get a chance to spend any real time with her. We had plans, Roman.”

“Not my problem.”

“We were going to create a Pinterest board for funsies and accidentally publicly share it so people believed⁠—”

“Enough!” My voice thundered through the hall, silencing her mid-sentence.

Ruby’s mouth snapped shut, her eyes wide with surprise. I rarely raised my voice at her, but I couldn’t stomach another second of it.

“This is all bullshit,” I said, my tone razor-sharp. “It always has been. I’m done indulging it. And so are you. Kaira is gone. Period. There is no fake engagement. It’s over.”

She opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it, instead retreating to the kitchen without another word. Her silence communicated her disappointment loud and clear, though.

I grabbed my coat and keys and slammed the front door behind me as I stepped into the cold morning air. It was colder than usual. Or maybe it just felt that way. A strong breeze brushed across my skin. The shitty weather felt appropriate—like a reminder of who I was before Kaira came along and thawed parts of me I’d thought were frozen for good.

The drive to the office was mercifully quiet. I ignored the Valentine’s Day banners strung along the streets, the couples holding hands as they strolled, and the florists bustling with customers. Street vendors were on every corner trying to hawk their roses and other cheap items for those that were scrambling for last-minute gifts for their sweethearts.

When I arrived at the building, the media swarmed me as usual, their questions flying like arrows. But today, I was in no mood to play nice. They had gotten used to me smiling and dropping tidbits of information about me and Kaira.

“Mr. Kelly, what are your plans for Valentine’s Day?”

“Is it true you gave your fiancée a giant heart-shaped ruby?”

“Have you chosen a wedding date?”

I stopped short, glaring at the reporters as they crowded around me. “Get out of my way,” I snapped, my voice rough enough to make them hesitate.

They shuffled back slightly, murmuring among themselves as I pushed through the revolving doors. For once, they didn’t follow me. Maybe it was the look on my face, or maybe they’d finally learned when to back off. Either way, I didn’t care. Let them mutter. Let them speculate. It was all noise.

Once inside, I practically stomped toward the elevator. There were a few people waiting at the elevators but it was not a surprise that, when I stepped in, they were all suddenly not interested in riding in the same small box with me.

Once the doors slid shut, I leaned back and closed my eyes. I couldn’t shake the image of Kaira’s tear-streaked face as she handed me the ring back.