Luca’s gaze met his wife’s over the top of Eula’s head. “Hello.”
“H-hello,” she stammered, and her crazy heart started to race like it was their first date.
His gaze strayed to her hair. “Lovely hairstyle.”
She choked back a laugh. “T-thanks.”
“Do I even want to know why you have three shades of hair?”
“It’s…complicated.”
He smirked. “Should I take a guess?” Before she could answer, he continued smoothly, “Rush appointment. New salon a block away from our house. French stylist. Miscommunication.”
Her eyes widened. “How did you know?”
“I know everything, remember?” A pause. “Because I love you.”
Oh. She swallowed, mumbling almost inaudibly, “I l-love you, too.”
“I know.”
Vivian asked uncertainly, “Maria?”
“Gone for good.”
“Oh.”
“You seem disappointed,” he noted mildly.
“Well, I kinda needed her,” she mumbled.
This should be interesting, Luca thought. “And why is that?” When she didn’t answer right away, he murmured, “Cara?”
“Because,” she admitted awkwardly, “I wanted you to know I was willing to fight her f-for…you.”
And this time, it was the billionaire’s turn not to say a word.
Vivian fidgeted in her seat.
The last words he had spoken to her at home drifted in her mind—-
If you are so bent on giving us away then I shall make it easy for you.
Her head lowered as she said fiercely, “I’m never going to give you away, Luca.”
Ah. A sweet, piercing pain struck the billionaire at his wife’s words.
“I was such a fool,” Vivian confessed painfully, “wasting my time trying to win everyone’s approval that I failed to realize how much you and Eula were hurting.” She choked back a sob. “I’m sorry, Luca. I’m so sorry I f-failed you and—-”
Through her tear-blurred gaze, she saw her husband offer her a hand.
She took it, and he hauled her close in the next second.
She half-tumbled out of her seat just as her husband leaned towards him.
Their mouths met, and as she gasped against his lips, so did the other adults, along with a chorus of ews from children, right before their respective parents hastily covered their eyes.
“Luca—-mm!” Her eyes squeezed shut involuntarily as the billionaire kissed her harder.
When he pulled away, he looked into her soft, clouded green eyes and said quietly, “I love you.”
She shook her head mutely.
A smile curved on his beautiful lips, and he asked mockingly, “You don’t want me to love you?”
“Y-you m-misunderstand.” Tears clogged her voice. “I don’t w-want you to forgive me so easily. You’re not supposed to. You’ve been telling Eula stories all this time, so you should know it, s-shouldn’t you? I did something bad. I hurt you. When all you did was love me—-”
And her voice broke as she remembered all the times he had tried to reach out to her, all the times her powerful billionaire husband strove to make it clear to her how much she meant to him—-
“You’re supposed to punish me. To leave me—-”
“You are the one who do not understand, cara. We are past that chapter of the story. We are already living in the ever after, and it means we don’t waste a precious second holding on to the pain.”
He leaned close, murmuring, “Instead, we let it go and just…” He seemed to be waiting for something, and she hesitantly leaned closer, her heart beating hard because she didn’t know what at all to expect.
What should they just do?
The billionaire whispered into her ear, “We just…”
Vivian held her breath.
“Fuck.”
Epilogue
Kay Norton sashayed into the airport like she owned it, and in the past few weeks it had appeared that way. Her faithful posse followed her from behind, all of them trying to look like they were channeling Taylor Swift and her squad with their long, tanned bodies displayed in cropped tops and tight skirts.
Having caught sight of their arrival, reporters in the area flocked towards them and began shouting questions that Kay and her girls were more than happy to answer. Throughout it, they posed obligingly with other passengers wanting to have photos with them.
Being a celebrity is amazing, Kay marveled silently while pouting and throwing kisses in the air. It felt so incredible, having the world’s attention on her, and all she had to do was badmouth Vivian Valencia.
“How’s Donald doing behind bars?”
It hurt her conscience, but being in the limelight meant practically everything to Kay, and so she blinked several times as if trying to keep her tears back, and her voice was just a little hoarse as she answered, “He’s doing his best to cope, and I’m just so proud of him. Even though we both know he’s done nothing wrong, and everything’s been blown out of proportion, he’s just been a rock all this time.”
“And what about Mrs. Vivian Valencia? Have you spoken to her yet?”
Kay shook her head. “Whenever I’m interviewed, I always say that I’m open to hearing her side. Like you guys, I want to know why she set my boyfriend up to be her fall guy. He’s been nothing but nice to her, you know? If not for Donald and me, she wouldn’t have had any friends.” She released a sigh, making sure her surgically enlarged breasts rose prominently. “My friends had her number from the start, you know? They told us to stay away from Vivian. That even though she’s married to a billionaire, she’s still so crass and evil—-” Kay feigned a shudder. “I didn’t listen to them, and now I just really regret it.” She pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. “And now my poor Donald’s behind bars.”