Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90590 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90590 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
I walked over to my bedside and turned the frame over. Staring at this photo wouldn’t help me clear my head.
I felt a little lost as I stood in my room. Every moment that I hadn’t spent with my family, working out, or on college had been dedicated to Giovanni. Now that was over. It wasn’t easy finding someone to trust, to love, to be with, if you were me. I’d known Giovanni for a long time and he’d been part of my life since childhood. As the son of one of Dad’s captains, we always attended the same social events.
I didn’t want to think about it. Grabbing my iPad, I cozied up in the nook in my wide window and clicked on my favorite shopping sites. But even that didn’t do the trick, so I grabbed my purse and headed down to the bodyguard offices in the adjacent building to tell them I wanted to go shopping.
Two hours later, I returned home with a dozen bags. I dropped them unceremoniously on the floor. Now that the shopping rush was over, a familiar emptiness spread in my chest. Shoving the sensation down, I grabbed the bags closest to me and opened them. I put on the Max Mara dress then pulled the shoebox out of the other bag.
Steps rang out and Amo appeared. He didn’t say anything for several moments as he stood with his arms crossed in the doorway, muscles bulging.
I raised my eyebrows.
“When other girls get dumped, they cry their eyes out. You spend a fortune on clothes.”
My chest tightened. I had almost cried but I’d jab myself in the eye with my stilettos before I’d let that happen. “I didn’t get dumped,” I said, slipping my new black leather Louboutins on. “Girls like me don’t get dumped.”
Giovanni would have never dumped me. The problem was I wasn’t entirely sure if the reason for that was his fear of my father or his adoration of me. I tried to recall our good moments but looking back, none of them held the emotional depth I’d longed for.
“I can still kill him, you know. It wouldn’t be any trouble.”
Amo was trying to be like Dad, but he wasn’t pulling it off. Not yet.
I straightened, then turned around to show off my new dress to Amo. “What do you think?”
He gave a shrug but his eyes remained worried. “Looks good.”
“Good?” I asked. “I want to look hot.”
Amo cocked an eyebrow. “You know fucking well how you look, and I won’t call my sister hot.”
“I want to go out dancing.”
Amo shook his head. “Mom’s going to kill me if I fuck up another math test.” Amo had failed math last year, and only Dad’s reputation had saved him. Now Mom forced him to do math tests even in the summer.
Rolling my eyes, I walked up to him and tilted my head back. “Really? You choose math over partying?”
Amo sighed. “Are any of your friends going to be there?”
“Half of them hate you because you dumped them. And the other half has the hots for you, so I’m keeping you the hell away from them.” Not to mention that none of them knew of my breakup yet and for now, I had no intention of changing that.
“Then I’m out.”
I made a pleading face. “Please, Amo. You know I’m only allowed to party when you are with me. I need a distraction.”
Amo closed his eyes, growling. “Fuck. I really don’t know how Giovanni could say no to you when you made that face.”
I flashed him a smile, knowing I had won. He, like Dad, had trouble saying no to me. “He was too busy worrying about all the ways Dad was going to kill him.”
Amo chuckled as he took out his phone, probably to ask the bodyguards for approval. “Yeah.” The smile dropped. “You sure you’re okay?”
I shoved his chest. He didn’t budge. “I’m fine.” I tossed my hair back. “Now let’s show New York’s male population what they’re never going to get.”
“You’re so fucking vain.”
“Says Mr. Vanity.”
“When are you going to tell Mom and Dad?”
I paused. That was a conversation I wasn’t looking forward to. Not because I worried they’d force me to reconsider my decision. But I didn’t want to explain my reasons to them, and they’d certainly ask for an explanation. Our circles would also certainly ask questions and if I didn’t give satisfactory answers, they’d start spreading rumors—they’d probably do it anyway. People were looking for a scandal, especially where I was concerned. I had more enemies than supporters.
“Tomorrow morning when they’re back.”
Mom and Dad had their weekly date night, which they spent in a hotel. Valerio was with Aunt Gianna and Uncle Matteo in the meantime, probably getting up to no good with our cousin Isabella, and Amo and I had the house to ourselves—and the bodyguards.