His Dirty Bargain (Dirty Billionaires 3)

“You don’t?”

“He has his moments.”

“I have no doubt. Then again, so do you, my dear.”

“Thanks, Nonna, I love you too.”

“If you do, then why have you waited so long to tell me your good news?”

If she can be honest, so should I. “I was worried you would think it was a bad idea and try to talk me out of it.”

“I would never. Chloe.” A heavy sigh. “I am sorry you thought such a thing. Your young man also said he was worried I wouldn’t want you to marry him, or anyone. It made me think. I see where you might think that, but it isn’t true. I sought for you to learn to be careful with men and your heart. I am happy you found someone who loves and cares about you, who you feel you can trust and love as well. I cannot wait to meet him.”

All the tension eases inside me. “Thank you, Nonna.”

“Oh, my pleasure, my love. I will let you go. I’m supposed to meet a friend for dinner. We’ll talk soon.”

“Okay, love you.”

“Love you.”

Ending the call, I sag in relief.

“You hadn’t told your grandmother yet?” Bethany gasps.

I wince. “Thanks for helping me feel worse.”

Rolling her eyes, “Whatever. Why not?”

“I was worried she’d try and talk me out of it.”

“Huh, your grandmother really hates men that much?”

Shrugging. “I guess it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I mean she has her reasons. My grandfather forcing her to endure miscarriage after miscarriage to get the boy he wanted, and taking all her money she inherited from her father. He was her guardian when her father died from the time she was only sixteen. While her father did want them to marry, she doesn’t think he knew what kind of man my grandfather was. They were married when she was only seventeen. She lived through five years of hell. Once she knew my aunt wasn’t a boy, she started planning her getaway. She managed to squirrel away all her jewelry before she had the baby.

“She planned to go to Milan where her nanny had moved to and was waiting to help her. But my grandfather must have figured out something was up, because as soon as the baby was born he took the baby home. She tried to get my aunt and mother back, but he told her she could either have her freedom, or she could come back home and have her children and by the way the doctor hadn’t tied her tubes the way she wanted him to, my grandfather would get his son. Nonna felt like she didn’t have a choice, so she left.”

“How awful. To have to make a choice like that, I can’t imagine it.”

“She said she regretted it every day for over a year because she might as well have been dead. Her nanny pushed her to get up every day and keep going. Almost two years into living in Milan, she thought she fell in love for the first time. Three months in, she woke up and he was gone along with all of her money.”

“No way.” Bethany sighs.

“Oh yeah, she worked three jobs, saving every penny until she had enough to purchase her first apartment. It was a three-bedroom, and she rented out the two rooms while she kept working her three jobs. Then she kept saving and buying properties. Some she fixed and flipped, some she rented out the same way her own father started out doing. After a few years she tried dating again, but men were only interested in her money so she stopped trying.”

“That’s sad.”

“Not really. Just because Nonna doesn’t have boyfriends doesn’t mean she stopped having lovers. She encouraged me not to get attached and just enjoy men, but I never could the way she did.”

“Dang, go Nonna.”

“I was worried she’d tell me not to marry Enzo, just keep him as a lover. I didn’t want to go into all of it with her.”

“Well, now you know. This is a good thing.”

“True, I can’t believe Enzo hasn’t said anything about it yet.”

Bethany shrugs. “Doesn’t really surprise me, Enzo and his plotting.”