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“Please ask Mr. Cassinetti to come to my office.”
I see her stand up and glance my way in surprise before she gets him. Gio enters, a dark grin on his face. I want to kiss that mouth so badly.
“Please sit down.” I gesture to the opposite side of the table from where I stand.
His eyes tighten around the edges, and he studies me for a moment. I bite my lip. Jesus. I’m no match for him in the boardroom. He opens his suit jacket and sits down.
Heart hammering, I push the folder across the table.
He stares at it, the typical, indifferent expression of professionalism I haven’t seen in a month settling on his features. I sink into the chair, keeping my hands under the table.
He opens the folder and reviews its contents. “You want to buy this firm from me?”
I swallow hard. “With our previous agreement, the firm is yours. So, yes, I want to buy it. With Hilda as a minority partner.”
“Why?” His gaze stirs hesitation inside me.
“I love the company. And I need to be financially independent.” From you. I don’t say that, because under his scrutiny I’m not sure I can pull it off. But I raise my chin and meet his challenge.
He frowns. “This is not financial independence. This is you getting deep into debt with a bank.” Of course, he assumes I’m taking out a loan. He’s not wrong.
I look out through the glass wall at the firm that Hilda built, and I feel a sense of ownership and pride. I took her baby and made it better, stronger, more profitable. I’m not a failure.
I look back at the handsome man in front of me. Tilting my head, I lick my lips and enjoy its effects on him. His eyes darken and he runs his tongue over his upper teeth.
“Perhaps,” I breathe. “But I’m not in love with the bank. I don’t want to fuck the bank. I don’t want the bank to do things to me—”
“Give me the pen,” he growls, and signs the deal.
Epilogue
Gio
“Are there any problems, Portia?” I tap on my glass desk, ready to log off the call. It’s Saturday, for fuck’s sake.
Portia blinks a few times and clears her throat. “No, no problems. I-I thought I’d walk you through the negotiation strategy—”
“I completely trust you, Portia. When is your meeting?”
“On Monday morning.” She fidgets, clearly unsure what to make out of this situation. We just started this meeting, after all.
“Good, then enjoy Singapore and we’ll talk after your meeting. I got to go.”
It turns out trusting people pays off. It gives me more time for other things. Especially today.
I have been dating my former fiancée for three months now. Best fucking months of my life. We’re taking things slowly, but my patience is running out. I want her here with me. I need her here with me. I want the world to know she’s mine.
I grab the basket and my carry-on and throw everything into my Lambo. A sense of déjà vu overwhelms me, but I mentally flip it off. Because this time around, I won’t fuck it up.
I tap the steering wheel to the music blaring through the speakers. I’m ridiculously happy. What a novel emotion.
It evaporates when I arrive at Mila’s, or rather her sister’s place. They’re still living in my house, but they’re moving out soon. Ron got a new job somewhere rural, and the family is moving with him. Annie is planning to homeschool the kids while she finishes her degree online.
Mila is equally happy and sad about it. After she bought the company from me, she’s been really busy, but she still finds time for her family. And for me, thank God.
She’s been apartment hunting for a month now, and while I’ve been supportive of her almost one hundred percent, I’ve been faking my support in this matter. If things go as planned this weekend, she won’t need an apartment.
When she comes down, I’m hit with the most beautiful sight, and a wave of ownership, pride and adoration. Every time I see her, it’s a mixture of familiar and completely new, undiscovered.
