The Wrong Fiancée: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Marriage by Contract Book 3)
The Wrong Fiancée: Chapter 19

‘You look happy.’ I found her sitting on a bench outside the art gallery, where some of the guests were enjoying their drinks and food as the reception was closing down.

‘It’s been a great day.’ She glowed with excitement. Dante told me she’d sold two paintings to Jeff Wexler—a hard nut to crack—but she’d charmed him. No surprise there. Jeff was smarter than me; he’d seen her value immediately. It had taken me four years and a twist of fate—a chance the universe threw my way—by bringing us together in Kauai.

Her eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, everything, the gallery, the collectors, the buzz of conversation—everything disappeared. All I could see was Elika with bright eyes full of life and hope—like the woman who I’d let slip through my fingers. I missed this woman so very much, I thought on a pang.

I wanted her to be happy like this all the time. I realized that this was why I could not leave her alone, why I couldn’t turn my back on her. I longed to see the excited and hopeful Elika again, because deep down, I feared I’d taken that from her through my stupidity and carelessness. The truth, then and now, hadn’t changed—but I had. I had more courage, more wisdom. I wanted to be with her. I’d been a fool to think otherwise before.

‘I’m so glad to see you enjoy this.’ I sat next to her on the bench.

She looked around as if making sure no one could see us.

‘I’m going away for a while,’ I told her.

‘Okay.’

‘I broke off my engagement with Felicity today.’

She went still. ‘Oh. So…you’re leaving the islands.’

She wasn’t looking at me, but I could feel what she was thinking—what if we never saw each other again? I couldn’t stand that idea, and it pleased me to know that she couldn’t either.

‘I’ll be back in two weeks.’

She turned to see me. ‘Why?’

I smiled. ‘Because of you.’

Her reaction wasn’t what I expected. She blinked, and for a second, I thought I saw relief in her eyes. But then her face changed. Shock. She just stared at me like the words hadn’t landed yet.

‘I know this might be a lot to take in,’ I added, my hand instinctively reaching out to touch her arm to reassure her. But she flinched, pulling back before I could. The warmth of the moment vanished. ‘But I needed to tell you. I needed you to know that…that I want a chance—with you.’

Her response wasn’t what I’d prepared for. ‘You have some nerve.’ Her voice was shaky. ‘You just ended your engagement, and now you’re—what? Jumping into something else? With me?’

I didn’t like the disbelief in her tone. I hadn’t jumped into anything. This wasn’t a whim. It had been brewing inside me for weeks, months, maybe even years.

‘No, it’s not like that. You and I…there’s something between us…,” I hesitated, feeling the gravity of the moment, ‘and I’m hoping we can explore what it could be.’

She let out a laugh, but it wasn’t the kind I’d been hoping for. It was bitter, sharp, and it stung. ‘Oh, Dean, you’re so transparent. Why now, after all this time? You didn’t think I was good enough for you before—you made that pretty clear.’

The accusation hit on target. I flinched, scrambling to find the right words, my mind rushing to explain things the way I saw them. ‘I was an idiot,’ I started, my voice softening, ‘It’s not about your education or your job, I—’ The words caught in my throat. I knew I wasn’t saying it right. I wasn’t giving her the explanation she needed.

But it was true, wasn’t it? I had been a fool. I wasn’t one anymore. I had grown up. But I could see she wasn’t buying it. She was staring at me like she didn’t know who I was anymore. And maybe, in a way, she was right.

She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes cold. ‘So let me get this straight.’ I could feel her hurt just below the surface. ‘When I was cleaning rooms when I was just the hotel maid, I wasn’t good enough for you. But now that Dante’s given me a shot here, suddenly I’m someone you can take seriously? Now you’re interested?’

Her words struck me raw. That wasn’t what I meant. At all. ‘That’s not it, Elika. It’s not about⁠—’

‘Of course, it’s about that,’ she snapped, her voice tight with anger now. ‘I’m the same person I was when I was cleaning those rooms. The only thing that’s changed is my job title. But now you’re ending your engagement, acting like I’m someone worth being with because I’m not holding a mop?’

I felt the frustration building in me. She wasn’t listening. She wasn’t seeing what I was trying to say. ‘Elika, that’s not what I meant,’ I repeated. ‘I’ve always admired you; I just didn’t know myself very well. I do now and⁠—’

‘You were engaged to Felicity,’ she shot back, her voice rising, eyes flashing with something I hadn’t seen in her before. ‘You didn’t want me when I was in that maid’s uniform. Now you do because you think I’ve changed. But the only thing that’s changed is your perception of me.’

I opened my mouth to respond, to say something that would make this right, but the words wouldn’t come. I felt like I was drowning, grasping for something to hold on to, but all I could see was her anger, her disappointment. And I hated it.

Silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. She was waiting for me to say something, but I didn’t know how to fix this.

Finally, I forced a smile, that same confident half-smile I always gave when things felt out of control. ‘I have changed. I’m not that man anymore. I want to be the man who deserves you,’ I said softly, knowing I sounded more certain than I felt. ‘I know you don’t believe me, but I’m going to do everything I can to convince you.’

‘Dean,’ Dante called out.

‘I have to go. Please don’t give up on us.’

‘There is no us.’ She turned away in disgust.

Fuck! This wasn’t going the way I had hoped.

I leaned down and kissed her hair. ‘See you soon, baby.’

I turned and walked away, my heart pounding in my chest, breaking.

As I made my way to Dante, her words echoed in my mind, nagging at me, but I pushed them aside. Elika would come around. She had to.

She just didn’t see it yet.

Dante didn’t agree. ‘I think she sees just fine that you’re a shallow son of a bitch.’

‘Was a shallow son of a bitch,’ I corrected him blandly.

The hum of the private jet’s engines droned steadily in the background, blending with the sound of ice clinking against the glass as I took a sip of my whiskey. The cabin was dim, the soft glow from the reading lights reflecting off the sleek leather seats and polished wood finishes. Outside, there was nothing but the inky blackness of the night sky and the occasional twinkle of stars as we flew somewhere over the Atlantic. Rome was hours away, and the conversation with Dante had drifted to business, as it usually did—until now.

I leaned back in my seat, glancing at him. ‘The gallery opening went well.’

Dante nodded, his eyes half-closed as he swirled the bourbon in his glass, deep in thought. ‘Yeah, it was a good start. The right people showed up, and the buzz was there. We’ll make something big out of it; I can feel it.’ He paused, then added, ‘You were right about your girl. Elika was a hit with the collectors.’

‘Yeah, I saw that. Jeff Wexler was eating out of the palm of her hand, and Shira invited her to a private viewing.’

Dante almost choked on his bourbon. ‘She did what?’

‘Yeah. Have you ever been invited?’

‘No. And I’ve fucking begged,’ Dante admitted.

‘Me too. She likes Duncan for some reason.’

‘That’s fucked up,’ Dante shook his head. ‘Duncan is an emotionless turd.’

‘Was,’ I grinned. ‘You’ve seen him with Elsa. She’s made a human out of my brother.’

‘Dean, even four years ago, I could see you liked Elika. Was it as simple as her being a maid that put you off her?’ Dante asked somberly.

I closed my eyes. ‘I…my brothers weren’t married then. I saw Mom and Dad, and I guess I wanted what they had. They fight and argue, but they’re solid. I wanted that. I thought that required a marriage between equals. But in the past two years, I’ve seen Damian and then Duncan marry women who are, on paper, polar opposites of my mother—but they have strength of character. They are loving and caring. Felicity showed me a side of her that didn’t exist, and the mask slipped when we were with her family. I should’ve waited to ask her to marry me, but I think a part of me wanted what my brothers had, and I thought I could have that with Fee.’

‘And now you think you can have that with Elika?’

I chuckled. ‘She accused me of jumping from one relationship to another. I’m not doing that. I respect her too much.’

Dante set his glass down on the small table between us. ‘This has nothing to do with respect, amico. What you feel for her is deeper, no? You’re not fooling anyone, capisci?’

I laughed, but it was hollow. He wasn’t wrong, though. Not at all. I stared out the window, watching the clouds shift beneath us. ‘Yeah. I do think that she and I can have…something real. It’s not just sex. Though that was fucking mind-blowing. It’s her.‘

Dante didn’t say anything, waiting for me to continue. The guy had a way of getting people to talk without saying much at all.

‘You know, I went from her not being my equal to realizing that I don’t deserve her. The tables, amico, have turned.’

Dante raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his seat. ‘So, what’s the plan now, huh? You’re gonna go back and sweep her off her feet?’

I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. ‘If only it were that simple. She doesn’t trust me—hell, I don’t blame her. I didn’t exactly treat her well before. And now, after everything…I don’t even know if she wants anything to do with me.’

‘Women like Elika don’t come around often,’ Dante said, his tone more serious now. ‘But make sure that you want her for the right reasons. You already fucked up with one wrong fiancée.’

‘Tell me about it.’ I traced the rim of my glass. ‘Elika’s always meant more to me than I wanted to admit. Back then, I was too busy trying to fit into some version of myself I thought I needed to be. But now? Now I just want a chance to be with her. No boxes. No expectations. Just her.’

Dante studied me for a moment, his expression thoughtful. ‘Sounds like you’re ready to step out of that curated life you’ve built for yourself, si?’

‘Yeah.’ I met his gaze. ‘It’s time, don’t you think?’

He nodded slowly, his eyes distant. ‘Yeah, well, not everyone gets to choose who they end up with.’ He took another sip of his bourbon, the bitterness in his tone catching me off guard.

I frowned. ‘Your grandfather is still pushing for that archaic arranged marriage shit?’

He let out a humorless laugh, running a hand over his face. ‘My Nonno is relentless, you know that.’

‘I know he’s old-school Italian, but this is straight out of another century.’

‘Yeah, man,’ Dante said, shaking his head. ‘The old ways, you know? My grandfather is determined to keep the bloodline strong. He’s got all these ideas about what’s right for me, but he doesn’t care about what I actually want.’

‘And what do you want?’ I asked, curious. I’d never seen Dante rattled like this before.

‘Freedom,’ he replied without hesitation. ‘To live my life on my terms, not according to some ancient family tradition. But you know how it is. When you’re the heir to an empire like mine, it’s never just about you.’

‘Have you met this girl?’ I asked.

Dante stared into his glass for a moment, then looked up at me. ‘I don’t even want to. I mean, he’s probably given her all kind of hope that she’ll marry me. Accidenti, this is such a mess.’

‘For two men who thought they were fucking kings, we’re both in some deep trouble here.’

‘I’m trying to stay away from trouble,’ Dante protested. ‘You, on the other hand, dodged a bullet with Felicity and are in love with a woman who hates you like bad wine at a good dinner.’

‘She doesn’t hate me. She just doesn’t trust me or like me.’

‘Yeah, that sounds much better,’ Dante mocked. ‘Also, I just said that you were in love with her, and I didn’t hear you say you’re not.’

‘I think I’ve been in love with her since that first time I saw her across a bar in Honolulu,’ I confessed. ‘But being in love and being together are two different things. When I get back, I’ll do everything I can to convince her to give us a chance to explore what we can be.’

Dante didn’t say anything at first, just nodded, a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. ‘Good luck, amico. Because something tells me that woman isn’t going to make it easy for you.’

‘I don’t expect her to.’

Elika was fucking special. And that’s what made her worth the hard work I knew I’d have to put in to win her heart.