Page 169 of My Big, Fat, Accidental Billionaire Husband

His voice fills my ears, that deep timbre that used to send shivers down my spine.

“Tatiana, I know you don’t want to hear from me. I wouldn’t want to hear from me either, after what I did...”

I listen, frozen, as he explains about the home invasion when he and Nico were teenagers. The guilt that’s haunted him. How he’s spent years trying to atone for his cowardice.

Then he gets to the part that makes my breath catch.

“After you left that night, something happened. There was a home invasion at the penthouse.”

My heart pounds as he describes men breaking in. Him thinking I was still there. Fighting. Getting shot.

Oh my God, he was shot? Is he okay? Why didn’t anyone tell me?

The thought that he was injured, that something happened to him, sends a wave of concern washing through me that’s alarming in its intensity.

He continues, his voice raw with emotion. “I fought because I thought you were there. That you needed protection. It was only after it was over that I realized you were gone.”

I press a hand to my mouth. The image of Dom, bleeding, calling out for me when I wasn’t there... it’s almost too much.

“I confronted Nico the next day,” he goes on. “It got physical. We cleared the air, somewhat. I refuse to be manipulated by guilt anymore. I told him he’s not getting any money or shares oryou.”

The memo continues. He explains the settlement. The unsigned annulment papers. Then his voice drops lower, vulnerable in a way I’ve rarely heard.

“The contract period is over, but my feelings aren’t. I love you, Tatiana. I think I have for a while now. I was just too much of a coward to admit it, even to myself. Especially to myself.”

The recording ends, leaving me sitting in stunned silence, tears streaming down my face.

He loves me? Dominic Rossi, the man who betrayed me to his brother, who pushed me away at every turn,lovesme?

I replay the message, listening carefully for any hint of manipulation or insincerity. But there’s none of his usual smooth corporate tone. This is raw. Real. A man laying himself bare.

My phone buzzes with a message from Sabrina. It’s a link to a trade publication article with the note:Is this for real??

I click it, wiping away tears as I read.

“ROSSI DEVELOPMENTS UNDERGOING STRUCTURAL REORGANIZATION: Sources within Rossi Developments confirm that CEO Dominic Rossi is implementing sweeping changes in leadership structure. Notably, veteran executive James Garcia has been appointed to lead the $1.5 billion Serenity Shores resort project in Costa Rica with full autonomy, a dramatic shift for the notoriously hands-on Rossi.”

The article continues, detailing other changes... delegation, transparency initiatives, restructured approval processes.

I laugh through my tears. “The control freak delegating? Impossible.”

But the evidence is right there. He’s actually changing things. Doing exactly what he said in his message.I’m trying to be better. Do better.

Don’t be naive, Tatiana. People don’t change overnight. This could just be a PR move. A calculated effort to win you back... for optics.

But the settlement money without conditions... the unvarnished truth in his voice message... the changes at his company... these aren’t the actions of someone playing games.

My desk phone rings, startling me. It’s Christopher.

“Ms. Cole, I’d like to see you in my office.”

Great. Just what I need. My boss catching me with mascara tracks down my face.

I clean up quickly and head to Christopher’s office, hoping my red eyes aren’t too obvious.

“Tatiana,” he greets me, looking up from his desk. “I wanted to check on how the boutique hotel proposal is—” He pauses, taking in my appearance. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” I say automatically. “Just allergies.”

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