AllFreeNovel
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He grins. “That’s fucking adorable. Little rebel with a heart.”
I adjust my dress and pull the blanket out, setting it on the back of the couch. “The second the needle hit, I regretted my decision, but it was too late.”
He chuckles, then looks at his hands in his lap and runs his teeth over his bottom lip. “Everything ok?” I ask.
We share a few beats of intense eye contact where my pulse skyrockets.
He clears his throat and sits up straighter. “Liv, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Worry worms its way into my cheerful mood when his face turns serious. He reaches over and takes my hand. Here we go. “I swear to God if you tell me you’re married or something I’ll shank you.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “No, it’s nothing like that. What I’m about to tell you is going to change things. But I want you to know that it doesn’t have to. I’m still just the guy who came to your aid in an alleyway.”
My brows furrow as he waits for a response. “Ok..."
He lets out another breath and runs his thumb over my knuckles. “You know my dad died, but I haven’t told you who he was.”
I nod again, softening my worried frown.
“He was James Reilly, the founder and owner of Reilly Tech. He built it from the ground up. I inherited the company when he died.”
I narrow my eyes and blink as I try to process his words. “You own Reilly Tech?”
He nods, watching me intently.
“So you’re trying to tell me you’re a millionaire?” Holy shit. Reilly Tech is huge. Almost everyone’s cellphones and laptops carry the Reilly Tech logo.
He winces, closing one eye. “Billionaire.”
I gape at him and stare for a moment while he waits for me to process.
“You own the gym with Brando. But you could own like 12 gyms.”
He nods. “It’s Brando’s dream. I just helped him make it a reality.”
“What else do you own?”
“I own part of the bar with Jackson and Austin.”
He keeps watching me as I stare at our joined hands. “You told them to not tell me.” I frown at the realization.
He nods again. “It... changes things. I wasn’t ready for you to find out.”
“Why now?”
“I admit I was being cautious. It hasn’t gone well in the past when people discover my net worth. I didn’t want you to see me any differently.”
I nod, trying to imagine what he’s been through. My eyes widen as I realize something else.
“Partum Novus Via. That’s the Reilly Tech motto.”
He nods again.
“This is insane Luke. This doesn’t happen in real life,” I say with an incredulous laugh.
“I’ve never been comfortable with wealth. I joined the Marines when I figured out I didn’t want to take over for my dad. My cousin Emilia is the CEO instead of me.”
My nervous smile slips into a frown as I connect more dots. I remember when his dad died; it was all over the news. I’ve seen Luke’s face on tabloids and in articles throughout the years. How did I not put that together? I guess because I didn’t expect a billionaire to be a personal trainer that goes around rescuing people. Unless he’s freaking Batman or something.
