His Donna Was Never Legally His Chapter 17

His Donna Was Never Legally His Chapter 17

Matteo was strikingly handsome and stood tall and straight.

Even in Melbourne, he drew frequent glances from the people around him.

Ava frowned.

Before she could refuse, Rafael spoke beside her.

“Sorry, these paintings aren’t for sale.”

His expression was cold, and his tone left no room for argument.

Matteo turned toward him.

His fingers curled into fists, and his face darkened completely.

“Who the hell are you?”

Rafael sneered.

“The artist who painted them.”

He had become famous at a young age and came from a wealthy family.

Money had never mattered to him.

The 2 men stared at each other in silence.

Neither backed down, and neither tried to hide his hostility.

Matteo hadn’t met anyone willing to stand against him in a long time.

He suppressed the urge to strike Rafael and walked toward Ava, softening his voice.

“Ava, I know you love art. These paintings…”

“She doesn’t need them. I can paint for her.”

Rafael cut him off.

His usually gentle voice carried a forceful edge.

“Didn’t you know? I’m her favorite artist.”

The words sounded a little childish.

Ava couldn’t help laughing.

Rafael always managed to pull her out of a bad mood.

When Rafael saw her smile, he also realized how childish he had sounded.

He pressed his lips together, his ears turning red.

“At least, I think I am.”

The correction sounded noticeably less confident.

Smiling, Ava took his hand.

“You are.”

Matteo lowered his gaze to their joined hands.

His nails dug into his palms.

“Ava, I…”

Ava didn’t look at him.

She simply took Rafael’s hand and walked away.

Matteo stood frozen in place as his chest tightened sharply.

[She hadn’t looked back…]

He wanted to follow them, but in the end, he couldn’t make himself move.

Matteo slowly clenched his fists.

He bought a house near Ava’s home and handled as much of Moretti Holdings’ business remotely as

possible.

He left everything else to his assistant.

As soon as he finished an international conference call, Matteo drove to Ava’s building.

He didn’t dare approach her.

He only wanted to see her from a distance.

But the blond man appeared again, leaning close to her without hesitation.

The sight of his smile made Matteo furious.

Matteo gripped the steering wheel, the tendons standing out across the backs of his hands.

Moonlight spilled over Ava’s face, illuminating a relaxed smile he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Matteo suddenly froze

He kept watching her, trying to remember the last time she had smiled at him that way.

Not a sneer.

Not a mocking smile.

A genuine smile filled with happiness.

He hadn’t seen one in years.

Tears suddenly slipped down his face.

Matteo lowered his head and covered his mouth, refusing to let himself make a sound.