Page 70 of Secret Baby for my Off-Limits Fiancé

I knew I had it bad. But tomorrow, I have a surprise for him.

Something that he won’t even see coming.

16

VALENTINO

"Yoohoo,EarthtoValentino?"Micah’s voice drags me back to the present, snapping me out of the very vivid images running through my mind.

We’re in my office, sitting in the conference room, and I’m supposed to be preparing for this pointless meeting with Eva.

I shift in my seat, adjusting my tie to cover up just how distracted I am.

Layla.

Last night, her voice, those sounds she made, the way she came undone for me through the screen.

I had barely gotten a damn hour of sleep, spent half the night replaying the call in my head. And when that wasn’t enough? I had to take a shower just to regain some form of self-control. But since that didn’t do it, I ended up jerking off in the shower.

And now I’m here, stuck in a room full of suits, preparing to go head-to-head with a woman who thrives on pissing me off.

Micah raises a brow. "Where the hell is your head at?"

I clear my throat, straightening my back.

Focus, Valentino. Get your shit together.

"Rough night," I mutter, grabbing the file in front of me.

Micah scoffs. "Yeah, well, better snap out of it. Eva’s going to be here any minute."

And right on cue, heels clack against the marble floor, sharp and demanding, louder as she gets closer.

Eva Costa.

Her entrance is designed for theatrics, walking in like she owns the place, her designer handbag swinging carelessly as she tosses her sunglasses onto the table. Behind her, a small army of lawyers trails in, looking like they’d rather be anywhere else but here.

"Sorry I'm late." There’s that familiar smug tilt to her lips, as if she already thinks she’s won.

I don’t even look up from my papers. "It’s okay, Eva. We stopped holding you to actual standards of conduct a long time ago."

Her smirk tightens.

Good. Let her be pissed.

“You always did like hearing yourself talk." She slides into a chair opposite me. "Let’s get to the point. I assume you’ve realized by now that I’m not going anywhere. So whatever deal you’re hoping to offer, save your breath."

I exhale slowly, keeping my voice measured. “I have no intention of bargaining with you.”

She raises a brow. "No? That’s funny, because your little army of lawyers suggests otherwise."

I lace my fingers together, tilting my head. "You're mistaken. They're not here to negotiate. They're here to make sure you leave with the understanding that you're wasting your damn time."

Eva's jaw ticks.

I’ve struck a nerve.

But of course, she doesn't let me have the last word. "The Marchettis have had their way for too long. You think you can take everything and leave nothing for the rest of us? You treated Emilio, my father, like dirt, like we didn’t matter. And Valentina…” She spits my mother’s name out like venom. “She was no saint, despite what you all like to believe.”

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