Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“Voluntary termination of parental rights. You’re going to sign the papers and then leave.”
“Excuse me?” She flinches like she’s been slapped. “You … you can’t take my son from me.”
“You don’t even want him,” I point out, keeping my anger in check. “He was simply a way to work your way back into my life.”
I slide the text messages I printed across the table, which prove she not only lied about having postpartum depression, but also outline everything she did, including stealing from me.
“You hacked into my phone?” she hisses, quickly losing her cool. “How dare you! That’s an invasion of privacy. I could sue you—”
I bark out a laugh and slide the second set of papers across the table. “You could, but that won’t negate the fact that you stole one-point-two million dollars from me. And since I have proof, I can sue you, and you’ll go to jail for five to ten years for grand theft.” I tsk. “If you were going to risk jail time, you really should’ve transferred more. One-point-two million?” I scoff. “That’s chump change compared to what I’m worth.”
She splutters, shocked at the turn of events, and I wish I had set up a camera to record this to watch in the future. I’m sure Matteo would’ve gotten a kick out of it—he warned me about her from the beginning.
“So, I sign the papers, and I can keep the money?” she asks, adding to the reasons why I despise this woman. There’s no amount of money anyone could offer me that would have me willingly giving up my son.
“Sign the papers and get the fuck out of my home.”
She assumes that means she can keep the money—and that was intentional on my part—so she signs them and is about to head to her room to grab her stuff when I stop her.
“Everything in that room I paid for. You can leave with what you came with … your thieving fucking self.”
She huffs. “Fine. Have a nice life, Lorenzo.”
She stalks out of the condo, and I first call Ronald, the doorman who’s on duty, to make sure he notes that she’s not welcome back up here at any time. And then I text Eddy.
Me: Papers are signed. Make the transfer.
Eddy: Done.
I sit back down at the table and eat my dinner since I’m hungry and it’s delicious, knowing this isn’t over, but satisfied that even though she tried to screw me over, I got the last laugh.
It sucks that my son will grow up without a mom, but it’s better than having one who doesn’t even love him. And I’ll make sure that he’s loved enough for both of us.
I’m just taking my last bite when Ronald calls me.
“Miss Sparks is back. I explained she’s not on the list, but she’s throwing a fit.”
“Put her on, please.”
“Lorenzo!” she shrieks. “How fucking dare you! You said I could keep the money!”
“I didn’t say anything of the sort. Now, leave and be glad I’m not forcing you to rot in prison. Didn’t you once say that orange wasn’t your color?”
I hang up and text Matteo.
Lorenzo
It’s done. Can you please make sure she never comes back?
Matteo
It would be my fucking pleasure.
I take my plate to the sink and then head into the living room, dropping onto the couch and looking around as I wonder what the hell I’m going to do. I went from wanting to find a woman to marry and spend my life with to being a single dad.
When I was growing up, my parents were up front with Dani and me. Their marriage had been arranged by their parents—something that was common in Italy between families who wanted to continue to increase their wealth and power. And while I have no doubt that they cared for one another, the romantic in me always wanted to marry for love. I once saw the way my dad looked at Maria—Joseph’s wife and the woman he was in love with before shit went sideways—and I could tell the difference immediately. The raw emotion in his features. The want and desire. The devastation of knowing they’d never be together.
Add to the fact that I’ve watched everyone in my inner circle fall in love—Peyton and Matteo’s older brother, Dominick; Matteo and Dani; and most recently, Kane and Brielle, Matteo and Dominick’s younger sister——and I told myself that I would have that one day.
My phone dings with an incoming text, shaking me from my thoughts.
It’s a picture of Leo grinning from ear to ear.
Dani
He’s so sweet.
I stare at the picture of my son for several minutes. Matteo always jokes that I wear my heart on my sleeve and let people in too easily.
And he’s not wrong. I not only let Hillary make a fool out of me once, but even after knowing the type of person she was, I let her saunter back into my life, only to make me look stupid again.