Page 21 of The Billionaire's Vow

My pulse picked up, and I touched my throat. “You have?”

He sighed and steepled his hands on top of the desk. “Yes. As we suspected, they’d like to postpone the wedding for months.They feel it would allow Rocco to transition and take over from his grandfather.”

My stomach dropped. Rocco said a month or so. The suggestion didn’t sound unreasonable, but to my grandparents, I knew it wouldn’t be acceptable. Still, I tried. “Oh, so they have a new date in mind for our wedding in Italy?”

He gave me a skeptical look and sat back in his chair. “Come now, Adelina. You don’t believe that and know we don’t either. Rocco’s looking for an exit. That’s the only reason he’s giving himself more time. He assumes power, and his family will depend on him to lead. He will delay the marriage until we move on. In that way, he’s not going against his agreement with Luca to marry you. He’d be free to marry someone else.”

I jerked a shaky hand through my hair absently, then stuffed them in my armpits, and lowered my head. It hadn’t ever been difficult to hide in front of my grandparents, until now. Until Rocco Marini. Inside I tumbled down a well without anything to hold onto because I knew there was no good reason for Rocco to marry me if he had a choice. That was what was clear on the outside. But with Rocco, it all felt different. He made me believe anything was possible, and I wasn’t ready for the cold hard truth of reality. What my grandfather said made sense. But what I said to him was the opposite. “This can’t be true.”

He scoffed. “Oh it is, Adelina. You should know by now that people lie to get what they want. Rocco charmed you, but he wasn’t serious about marrying you. That’s a classic move from the Marinis. That charlatan Luca did the same with Constance.”

I grimaced. “What do you mean? Luca said…he said he loved her.”

Mr. Belfiore snorted. “Loved her? If he loved Constance, he’d have married her. But we all knew he just wanted her property. Anyway, we warned Rocco that we’re not allowing him to manipulate us like Luca did to your grandmother. Rocco willhave to pay for not living up to his bargain, and Constance will get her property back and then some. I even arranged for you to have five million in your trust.” The smile on his face was indeed to congratulate himself on a job well-done. However, I couldn’t believe that Rocco would change everything over delays. He’d have at least negotiated or tried to talk to me.

I shook my head. “Rocco wouldn’t agree to that. He would have called—”

“Rocco’s accepted it,” he said, blinking twice. “Uh, sorry. I tried to spare you, but you insist and I had no choice. Our lawyers presented Rocco with the new terms of our arranged marriage agreement. It was well within our rights to request an increase in money, stocks, and shares since he was the one who canceled the wedding. Rocco refused at first, but when I was willing to take less money if he removed the year hold on Constance’s Longfellow property, he shut down our negotiations. It was a pittance for man worth billions, but it’s clear he has other plans. I was to hold that news until after the funeral, but it’s best you know now.”

My head throbbed, and my eyes burned.But…? What did I expect?Rocco had a chance at a new life, and giving away millions of dollars and property is only a fraction of what he stood to gain. I took a few quick breaths as I pushed down my feelings to lock them away for later; they wouldn’t be welcomed here. The only thing that mattered was what would come next. “So, what-what happens now?”

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips.“Your practicality is one to be admired, Adelina. Percy Sterling and I are golfing together at the country club today. We will return for lunch here, and I’d like you to spend some time with him.”

I lowered my brows, and my body stiffened. “Already?”

He jutted his chin. “Why wait?”

I frowned. “What kind of time?”

“The kind that includes sitting with him on the patio or taking a walk, whichever he chooses. It’ll give you both a chance to get to know each other.” He stood and went to a closet and removed a hat and gloves, like he hadn’t just upended my life again.

“So that’s it?” I said and crossed my arms. “You’ve already agreed to marry me off to him?”

He sighed and tilted his head. “Listen. I know you’re upset to lose a movie star like Rocco Marini. You’re beautiful, but that only goes so far with a man like that. He was always well out of your league.”

I snorted. “That’s harsh, even for you.”

He lifted his chin. “I speak frankly with you because I know you can handle it. And I’m sure it’s not something you haven’t thought yourself. You’ll see how much better this is for you. Percy’s a responsible man with good core values, and he’s also willing to look past your transgressions as well as help your brother, which is a lot more than Rocco ever offered. All you’ll have to do is have his children, and then you can do as your mother does, lead charities, host dinner parties, shop, and travel with him. That’s darn good.”

Mr. Belfiore was trying to sell me the benefits of a loveless marriage as good. But hadn’t that been what I had wanted in the first place? Love only led to problems. Falling for Rocco made me believe he felt something for me. He had been kind, but he never wanted me.

“Marriages are bigger than oneself. They offer stability and security and by marrying Percy, your children stand to inherit generational wealth and never have to want for anything. Neither will you. Isn’t that better than starving and scraping by?”

Knock-Knock.The door sounded.

He looked at his watch and called out. “I’ll be right there. We will be back for lunch around 2:30 p.m. and I expect you down here with Constance when we return.”

I swallowed hard.

He blew out his breath. “Listen, I know you’re uh…upset, but this time you’ll get married and not toyed with. Hollis Sterling is one of my oldest friends. His son Percy’s a true gentleman. Now, he expects polite obedience. Put on something pretty and just let him lead you. He likes to feel like the big man in the room.”

I wanted to protest, but that would’ve been a waste of both of our times. My arranged marriage was bigger than me. Rocco knew how important my marriage was to my family. But he hadn’t taken it serious.So it’s better that he ended things between us now than lead me on.

Once I left, I headed to the stairs, but shredded pieces of my heart dropped in every step. How could he throw me away so carelessly? Hadn’t I meant anything to him?I have a plane coming to take you and the family to the funeral on Friday in NYC. I hope you feel better. Please try to rest.Why expect me to go to the funeral when he had no other use for me in his future? Cassidy had been so wrong about Rocco.I was just his plaything until he could move on.He was just another liar in my life that was full of them. But how my heart ached.

At the top, I fell down on my knees, my hands shaking, scrambling for the phone. At times like these, when I couldn’t bear another day, I’d text Luca Marini. I’d never tell him why, just asked how he was doing. He’d somehow know I needed someone to show me kindness. So he’d make jokes and I’d laugh, and I’d find a way to go on. But that would never happen again. He was gone.

I returned to the bed and cried. It was the only time I’d have for it, because later, it was a new day without tears.

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