Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Eula was still happily talking her ear off, and Vivian struggled to listen to the little girl.
“And then Nonna threw a party...”
Did one of those photographs also showed that she was with Kay and Donald, who were his least favorite persons in the world? Did he care? Did he—-
“We’re on our way to Mummy now...”
Vivian jerked. “W-what was that again, Eula?” Had she heard the little girl correctly?
“You heard her right.” Luca’s dulcet tone slid in without missing a beat, and Vivian realized Eula had been talking to her on loudspeaker the whole while.
Fuuuuuuuuuuudge.
Vivian backtracked on her conversation with Eula in her mind, frantically trying to recall if she had said anything embarrassing.
“Are you still there, cara?”
Vivian glared at the phone, but she managed to say cheerfully, “Still here.” It was important Eula didn’t think she was upset about the little girl spending time with her birth mother.
The sound of Luca’s chuckle traveled down the line, caressing her ear, and she couldn’t help shivering. It was just no use, Vivian thought helplessly. Even when she was upset with him, she still found every little thing he said or did too sexy by half.
“Did you miss me?”
“Of course!”
“And will that answer change if I tell you Eula’s no longer listening to our conversation?”
Fudge!
“She’s on her headset now.” The billionaire’s smirk was more than evident in his tone, and Vivian’s teeth gnashed. Fudge, fudge, fudge.
“About Maria...”
Hearing Luca utter his ex-wife’s name made her chest tighten, and Vivian cut him off rashly, “I don’t need to hear it.” She was startled and devastated by how much it hurt just thinking about her husband spending time with Maria, hated how it made her feel so weak and insecure.
“Vivi—-”
Afraid that he would insist on talking about how much fun he was having with his original family, she changed the subject, saying the first thing that came to her mind. “You s-shouldn’t put me on loudspeaker without telling me.”
There was a pause, and then Luca asked mockingly, “Why are you mad about it? It’s not as if you have something to hide – do you?”
She found herself glaring at her phone again, snapping, “Maybe you’re the one with something to hide.”
“About what?”
“About that woman, who else?”
“Ah.” Her husband’s tone became silky. “Jealous?”
Yes! But since she couldn’t say that, she simply kicked an empty beer can out of the way out of sheer frustration. Unfortunately, the can struck the wall with a loud clanging sound—-
Fudge!
“Are you by chance throwing a tantrum, cara?”
The amusement in Luca’s tone made her feel childish and pathetic, and she snarled, “Not at all. I’m having lots of fun, actually.” And unable to help herself, she said with exaggerated cheer, “So you have fun there, too. Let’s all have fun. You’ve got Maria there, and I’ve got...I’ve got other boys—-”
“The hell you do—-”
“So go have fun,” she yelled, “because I’m going to have fun, too!” Furiously ending the call, she stalked out of the bathroom, breathing hard. Vivian didn’t actually mean a word she had said, but Luca didn’t have to know that. Right now, she just wanted him to hurt the way she was hurting.
Her phone started ringing soon after, but she stubbornly ignored it while looking for Donald. The way she was feeling, she was liable to do something stupid if she didn’t leave.
Her phone vibrated again, but this time it was a text message, and Vivian couldn’t stop herself from reading it.
Luca: Answer your phone.
Vivian furiously finger-punched her screen in response.
Vivian: Don’t mind me. Just have fun with your ex.
Luca: I’m only with them because I don’t trust Eula with her.
Vivian: Oh sure. I think it’s the other way around. You don’t trust ME. You didn’t even tell me about Maria attending Eula’s school play.
Luca: She was already there when I arrived, and I didn’t tell you right away because you were too upset that night.
Vivian: So it’s my fault you lied to me? CLASSIC. And what about Maria being in Tuscany the same guys you are? Why didn’t you tell me right away about it? Because I’ll be upset again?
Luca: This is also her hometown. Have you forgotten?
Vivian: EXCUSES.
She was about to type another text message when arms went around her from behind, and a familiar voice slurred in her ear, “Found ya, babe.”
Fudge.
Slipping her phone back in her dress’ pocket, she tried getting out of Donald’s hold without making too much of a fuss. “Let go, please.” She managed to twist around to look at him and grimaced. If he had been just a little drunk earlier, he was completely wasted now. His shirt was undone halfway, and several fresh lipstick smudges marked the side of his neck.
This time, she didn’t even bother to ask him to let go, simply shoving him away and then pretending to stumble when his arms slackened in release. “Sorry,” she yelled. “Someone pushed me from behind!” And in an effort to distract him, she asked, “Where’s Kay?”