Chapter 40

Chapter 40

-MILLIE-

“You sure I can’t convince you to stay?” As I walked Gian to the door. I toyed with the ring on my forefinger. Andrea and Candice decided to stay the night, both already snoring in the guest room where I left them. “We have plenty of room in the house, you know,

“As much as I miss your cooking. I have to finish a few paperwork before enjoying my vacation here in Roslin City,” Gian explained, facing me when we reached the entry. “We only dropped my luggage in the hotel,” he chuckled. “Then those t kidnapped me to go grocery shopping for this surprise party”

I giggled. “They knew you have the tendency to go off the grid. I landed a playful punch on his shoulder.

“Aw,” Gian pouted. “I was working.”

“Working on what?” 1 folded my arms in my middle. Before he went home to Italy two years ago, Gian Molina was an open book to me at least. Then I started to feel this wall slowly springing up between our friendship. I noticed his out-of-town trips became frequent. He never called or even told me when he’d come back. That was unusual for him since he told me everything. I waited for him to open up to me, but that didn’t happen. The next thing I knew, he resigned from work and focused on their family business,

From what I know, his family owns an import and export business in Italy.

“You don’t tell me things anymore,” I said with furrowed brows.

Gian stared down at me, all humor leaving his eyes as they darkened. “I don’t tell you things because I can handle my own shi t, Millicent

I paused, surprised by this quick shift in his mood.

“You, on the other hand, obviously can’t.”

“Hey-

He shook his head, cutting off my protest. “Tell me what happened.”

I feared he’d ask me that, but I cannot lie to Gian, just like with Candice. Our friendship goes deeper than that. And I knew, at some point, he’d tell me what’s going on with him when he’s ready. He went back to the US for me, and that was a big thing. The least I could do was tell him the truth. “About the assault?”

He nodded. I took a deep breath and told him what had happened from the hotel to my parent’s place as precisely as 1 could. Talking to Hunter was easier than telling Gian the truth, because I knew he’d be furious.

Eyes blazing with anger, he spit out a string of curses in Italian. He stepped out the door and paced back and forth on the threshold, hands balling on his side. “Why the f uck didn’t you call me?”

Even off the grid, Gian always replied to my emails and text messages, and he specifically told me to call him if I ever needed anything.

“I didn’t want to bother you.” I dropped my gaze at my red toenails. I couldn’t look him in the eyes because he would see through my lies. Calling him didn’t cross my mind because Damian was there for both assaults on me. Damian made me feel safe. He was everything I needed and more

“Bother me?” he huffed. “You were never a bother to me, Millicent. I’d take the first flight to the US if you called me the first time this happened. I had to learn from Candice that you were attacked, for f uck’s sake!”

“Gian, I’m fine. Damian was there-”

“That’s another thing. You were so f ucking in love with Hunter. I don’t believe this s hit you’re telling me about you and Damian. You were about to marry that stronzo!”

Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 40

S hit. I knew he didn’t buy my story. But I cannot tell him about our agreement. He’d go crazy mad if I did.

“It just happened. Gian.”

“Don’t give me that cr ap. Is he threatening you as well? Do you want me to deal with him?”

I shook my head vigorously. “No! Damian is the good guy here.”

“How is he the good guy?” he pressed. “As far as I know, Damian couldn’t even keep a relationship, even if his life depended on it. That’s how Candice described him in highschool”

My heart was drumming in my cars, anger bubbling in my chest. His attack on Damian makes me want to throw a punch in his face. “People change, and you don’t get to judge him when you don’t even know him, Gian. That’s out of line.”

He blew a harsh breath, raking a hand through his messy, dark hair. “And now she’s defending him. You can’t blame me for doubting this perfect relationship you’re blabbering about, Millicent. You were head over heels in love with Hunter.”

“That’s enough. Gian. I think it’s best if you should leave.”

“Really? You’re throwing me out?”

–

“Nah, Millicent. What is it. huh? Is he a rebound? This is

isn’t you. You don’t need a man to make you forget that b astard ex of

yours-

Damian is helping me, okay?” This conversation was quickly getting out of hand.

“Helping you? With what?”

“He’s helping me save my name, Gian!” I said, chest heaving like I ran a marathon. “That’s all I have left after what they’d done to me, okay? I lost my fiance to a friend living under my roof. They made a fool out of me. Then Natalie named me a fraud.

Gian stood frozen before me, his dark eyes regarding me like the old Gian I met in college, without judgment. He’s ready to listen.

I wiped the tears that rolled down my cheeks harshly and pinned Gian with a determined gaze.

up at the

“That night, I drank myself to oblivion so I could forget what Hunter and Natalie did to me. I still had to show f ucking reunion like everything was fine. Seeing Natalie there wasn’t the worst part, Gian. It’s the fact that she’s wearing my engagement ring hours after I found them f ucking!”

“That f ucking b astard…”

“Then I saw Damian there. Everything started because of me, Gian. Damian didn’t need to pretend to be in love with me, but he did. He didn’t need to help me that night at the Black Hotel, but he did. And this.” I stretched my arms wide and gestured towards Damian’s beach house. “He didn’t need to keep me here like a princess, but he did.”

Gian chuckled. I frowned. Then, his laughter echoed through the beach house’s garden.

“What’s funny?”

“No,” he shook his head, trying to contain his laugh. “You’re not funny at all, but this situation was f u cked up from the very beginning. I left because I thought you were happy with Hunter. I left because I thought he was your f ucking end game. Turns out, my absence would lead you to the arms of another man.”

“What?” I stared at him, confused.

“You’ve fallen in love with your fake boyfriend, haven’t you?”

r

09:28 Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 40

27%-

I swallowed, glancing away as I moistened my parched l*ps. I’m still working around that realization, but I never knew it would be this easy for Gian to read me.

He turned around, raked his hair, and then faced me with that familiar, gentle gaze I missed so much. “That wasn’t so hard, yeah?”

Just a few seconds ago, Gian looked like he was ready to kill a lion, and now he looks like a giant teddy bear who wouldn’t even swat a fly. I need to familiarize myself with his sudden mood swings. Is this the effect of his stay overseas?

“You could’ve asked me nicely.” I grunted, wiping my wet checks with the back of my hand.

“And hear the sugar-coated version of this story?” His smile was sickeningly sweet. I hate it and miss it at the same time. “No. Amore. I prefer the raw story with every gory detail.”

I squared my shoulder and leveled him with a stare. “I hate you

“No, you don’t, amore. You love me. Even when you don’t want to admit that to yourself.”

My mouth hung open. Never in my wildest dreams have I ever thought of hearing Gian Molina speak to me this way. He was respectful, unlike those college jo cks at uni. He never flirted with me; that’s why we became friends instantly. “You’re my best friend….” I said. “Of course I love you.”

Then a low growl behind Gian sounded, almost replicating the sound of a threatened lion. Stunned as I was, Gian stepped to the side, revealing a furious Damian making his way up the threshold.

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