The Wrong Fiancée: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Marriage by Contract Book 3)
The Wrong Fiancée: Chapter 21

I was nursing an Aperol spritz at the Lumen Bar at the St. Regis, where I was staying, feeling weary.

I was heading to Hong Kong in a couple of days. My last conversation with Elika still unsettled me, and I had to tamp the desire to call her—because what the fuck would I say to her. I dumped my fiancée and now want to give you a try?

The bitterness of my drink matched the churn inside me. I looked down at the ice cubes swirling in the glass, willing my mind to stop spinning, when Dante walked in.

‘Now, don’t lose your shit,’ he said, both hands raised in surrender as he approached me, his voice calm but his eyes giving something away. He wore a crisp, navy blazer, perfectly tailored, over a white dress shirt with the top button undone, looking like he’d just stepped out of a GQ spread.

I didn’t bother hiding the edge in my voice as I leaned back on the plush barstool. ‘I don’t think I like how this conversation is starting.’

The Lumen Bar was elegant, even by St. Regis standards. The backlit marble bar seemed to glow from within, showcasing a selection of rare whiskies, cognacs, and wine bottles that were worth more than some people made in a year. The scent of leather from the deep, tufted armchairs mingled with the faint aroma of expensive cigars, though no one dared light one inside. It was late, and the bar was quiet, just the soft clink of crystal glasses as the bartender wiped down the counter.

Dante slipped onto the barstool next to me, asking the bartender for a Negroni, his preferred drink whenever we found ourselves in Italy. ‘You’re going to like it less when I’m done,’ he informed me.

‘Okay.’

Dante glanced over at me, his usual easygoing confidence faltering just for a moment. ‘It’s about Elika.’

My stomach tightened, but I kept my expression neutral. ‘What about her?’

Dante’s drink arrived, and he took a slow sip, probably thinking about how best to deliver the blow. ‘She got arrested.’

Everything froze. Arrested? The word ricocheted around my head like a bullet, refusing to make sense.

I straightened in my seat. ‘She what?’

Dante sighed, setting his glass down with a deliberate thud. ‘Jewelry went missing—Felicity’s and Ginny’s, to be specific. It was found in Elika’s cottage at the resort. The police picked her up.’

I felt the blood rush from my face. My jaw clenched, and I could barely get the words out. ‘They think she stole? She’d never do that.’

My mind immediately jumped to her—Elika, handcuffed, sitting in a cold interrogation room, scared and alone.

‘At first, they did think she stole, yeah. But they figured it out pretty quickly that she didn’t.’ Dante kept his voice calm like he was trying to prevent me from losing my shit. ‘The jewelry was planted.’

‘By whom?’ I asked, though I already knew the answer. Felicity!

‘One of the hotel staff.’ Dante leaned forward, his voice low. ‘Turns out Felicity and Ginny paid them off.’

The words burned as they settled into my brain. The woman I had thought I wanted to spend the rest of my life with had done something this awful. She had framed Elika, had put her through hell, and for what? To hurt her? To hurt me? Christ! And I had been engaged to a person like that? What the hell was wrong with me?

I should’ve seen it coming. I should’ve known.

‘I have to go.’ I stood up, the desire to be with Elika overwhelming. ‘Is she out? What⁠—’

Dante put a hand on my shoulder. ‘Relax. Your father handled it.’

That brought me up short. ‘My father?’ I asked, confused.

‘Si,’ Dante grinned. ‘He’s in Kauai, don’t ask me why, when, and how, ’cause I don’t know. He brought in a lawyer and shut the whole thing down. The cops backed off. Elika’s fine.’

‘When did this happen?’

‘A few hours ago. I just found out.’ He took a sip of his drink. ‘Leilani was going crazy, but I was with Nonno, and my phone was turned off.’

‘Elika’s okay?’

‘Yeah.’

I took a deep breath, trying to process the wave of emotions crashing through me: relief that she was okay, anger at Felicity and Ginny, and guilt—so much guilt—that any of this had happened because of me.

‘She was handcuffed,’ I muttered, the thought cutting through everything else. ‘She was in a police station because of me.’

‘Dean, amico, you can’t think like that,’ Dante protested. ‘This isn’t your fault. It’s Felicity’s. She’s the one who set this up, not you.’

‘But she did it because of me,’ I snapped, the guilt twisting my insides. ‘If I hadn’t brought Elika into all of this, none of it would’ve happened.’

‘They were after Elika long before you met her,’ Dean reminded me. ‘In any case, the cops now have a case against Felicity that her father is probably going to clean up for her—but they’ve been asked to leave the resort and not come back. In fact, I doubt anyone in Kauai will welcome them after this hits the gossip airwaves.’

‘Which you’ve made sure will happen?’ I asked sardonically.

He grinned, raising his glass. ‘Si.’

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep the frustration and anger from boiling over. I couldn’t stand the thought of Elika—strong, independent Elika—being humiliated like that, thrown into some jail cell because of a vindictive plan hatched by Felicity and her mother.

‘I need to call Dad and…. Fuck, I need to call Damian. He needs to handle Hong Kong while I get my fucking life in order.’ The words came out before I’d even fully thought them through, but they felt right.

Dante looked at me sideways, a slight smirk on his lips. ‘I had a feeling you’d say that.’

I drained the rest of my drink; the bitterness of the Aperol was nothing compared to the unpleasantness I felt inside. I pushed the glass away and stood up, already feeling the urgency pulling me.

‘I should’ve never left her there to deal with this,’ I grumbled, more to myself than to Dante. Not that I could’ve done anything else. I had a life, I had work, I couldn’t be in Kauai all the freaking time. Damn it!

‘You can’t undo the past, amico. But you can fix the present.’

‘Any clue as to how I can do that?’

‘I wish I could help you. But I got nothing.’

I threw the last of my clothes into the suitcase on the bed, barely paying attention to what or how I was packing.

My suite at the St. Regis was a masterpiece of European luxury—marble floors, high ceilings with ornate molding, and thick drapes that looked like they belonged in a Roman palace. The plush king-sized bed was still perfectly made, untouched since I’d barely slept.

The elegant details—the gilded mirrors, the antique furniture, even the view of Piazza della Repubblica glowing outside—felt suffocating and far, far away from where I needed to be. Every second in this room felt like wasted time.

My phone rang, vibrating on the dark wooden nightstand beside a half-empty tumbler of whiskey. I grabbed it, seeing Dad’s name flash on the screen. I’d tried to reach him but couldn’t, and I had left numerous voice and text messages asking him to get the F back to me.

‘Dad, how is she?’

I didn’t need to explain who she was.

‘She’s fine, son,’ Dad’s calm voice said. I could hear the soothing confidence he always carried, but it wasn’t enough to put me at ease. ‘She’s here with me, resting. After what she’s been through, she deserves some peace.’

‘With you? Where?’

‘I rented a small place on the beach close to the resort.’ I heard the sound of ice cubes against glass. ‘But I think it’s big enough for the family when they get here.’

I exhaled, the tension still coiled in my chest but loosening just a bit. ‘What the hell are you doing in Kauai, Dad?’

‘Knew you were leaving, and I wanted to…well, I wanted to snoop in your business and meet Elika when you were not here.’

‘What?’ I was grateful he’d been there, but this interference was not fucking okay. But it also didn’t matter what I thought or felt; Dad would do exactly what he wanted.

‘You should thank me,’ he continued arrogantly. ‘If I hadn’t intervened when I did, she might have spent the night in jail. And that would’ve been unacceptable.’

That thought sent a fresh wave of guilt crashing through me. I closed the zipper of my suitcase with more force than necessary. ‘I can’t believe Felicity did this. I should’ve seen it coming. She and Ginny⁠—’

‘We’re going to deal with that,’ Dad cut in, his voice dropping into something harder. ‘I’ve already spoken to the lawyers. If Elika wants to go after Felicity and Ginny for what they did, I’m ready to make that happen.‘

‘But she doesn’t want to.’ I already knew that. Elika would not hurt anyone. It just wasn’t who she was.

‘Yep. Says she’s not interested in a legal fight.’ Dad’s tone was softer now, almost understanding. ‘I had dinner with her, talked some. She’s unique. I like her.’

I ran a hand through my hair, pacing the length of the suite. The curtains shifted slightly as I passed, revealing a glimpse of the Roman streets below, quiet now with the early hour.

‘She is pretty fucking special,’ I agreed.

‘She hates your guts, though.’ My father was amused.

‘No, she doesn’t.’

‘Yep. I told her you’re in love with her and she told me that I didn’t know you. I told her that I never thought you’d actually marry Felicity, and she told me that you both looked very happy. She thinks you’re a pseudo-intellectual snob and that I agreed with her on.’

‘With parents like you, who the fuck needs enemies,’ I quipped.

‘She’s pretty traumatized. I have a feeling life has been a series of the shit hitting the fan for her, and lately, things got better with her job, and then she got arrested. By the way, she knows island art like no one’s business. I’m impressed.’

Dad saying that meant that she’d all but floored him with her art knowledge.

‘May I talk to her?’ I wanted…no, needed to hear her voice.

‘She’s sleeping,’ Dad stated. ‘Let her rest. It’s been a long, eventful day for her, and the last thing she needs is more stress right now. I’m assuming you’re on your way back?’

‘Yeah. I told Damian he needed to find a way to handle Hong Kong. I’m taking a sabbatical.’

‘Good on you.’

‘Damian wants to punch me in the gonads.’

‘Damian was always the violent one,’ Dad joked. ‘But we have people in Asia who can handle things, Dean. You’ve built a good team there. Don’t worry about it. If nothing else, Mom and I can stay in Hong Kong for a few months.‘

Damian may have been irritated, but he and my parents were understanding. I had so much support and help that it was nauseating—especially compared to Elika, who didn’t have any.

‘Dad, thanks for taking care of her for me.’

‘She’s family, kiddo.’ I heard a rustle on the other side, and then he continued, ‘When you get back, you’ve got to give her time. You’ve fucked up time and again with her. She reminds me of Emilia…or maybe Elsa…or both, actually. She’s not going to be swayed easily. You’re going to have to be vulnerable, open, kind, considerate…all the things I know you can be.’

‘I’ll be there in fifteen or so hours. We’re going to have to stop and refuel somewhere.’

‘See you soon, kiddo. I’ll text you the address of the house.’

I was about to hang up but stopped. ‘Dad, do you think she and I have a chance?’

‘Yeah! But what you do with that chance? That’s on you—I can’t predict it.’

I could. If she gave me a chance, I’d never fuck it up.