He Loved Me in Secret, Until I Became Someone He Could Never Have Chapter 08

He Loved Me in Secret, Until I Became Someone He Could Never Have Chapter 08

Alessio’s lips went pale.

Valerio leaned in, voice low. “Since there’s no need to continue the partnership talks, should we go?”

I nodded. I turned to leave, and Alessio called after me.

“Vivienne.” His voice was strained. “We haven’t finished this conversation.”

I stopped. “It’s finished. I resigned, you approved. I said we were done, you never replied. I went home and I’m with someone new now. You don’t get a say in this anymore.”

I pulled the door open.

Alessio couldn’t speak.

Because the thing he wanted to say most. You’re my woman.

He’d never once said it in public.

The door closed.

The room went deathly quiet.

Alessio slowly lowered himself into a chair and pulled a dark blue velvet box from his jacket.

He’d bought the ring a month ago.

On our anniversary, he’d planned to propose.

He’d even reserved the restaurant.

Then Camilla called, alone and scared in her new apartment.

He figured I’d wait. So he went to her first.

By the time he got back, I was gone.

Even now, he couldn’t understand.

Why couldn’t I wait one more day?

Why did I leave right before he was finally going to say it?

Dominic stared at the ring for a long moment.

In the end, he said nothing.

The next morning, Alessio went back to the employee apartment building.

He finally got my floor from HR. The fifth.

Narrow stairwell. No elevator. Two dead lights.

He climbed all the way to 503.

He knocked. Nothing.

The neighbor’s door opened. “Mr. Rinaldi? No one’s lived in 503 for days.”

“Vivienne moved out three days ago.”

His hand dropped. “Where did she go?”

“Port Aurelia, I think.”

Port Aurelia.

The city where Bellandi and Moretti influence ran deepest.

For the first time, it truly hit him.

I was gone.

Back at the office, Alessio went straight to Finance.

“Contact Vivienne. Have her come back and redo the exit process. Compensation at the maximum

rate.”

“Also, transfer five hundred thousand dollars from my personal account.”

The finance lead stared blankly. “Mr. Rinaldi, her paperwork is already complete.”

“Who told you to complete it?” Alessio’s voice rose.

The guy flinched. “You did. You told her to go to HR and do a standard handoff.”

Alessio opened his mouth.

Then he remembered.

Yeah. That was him.

Later,

he’d offered her the Port Aurelia project.

He thought that was enough.

He thought she’d understand. But he never once said the words, “Vivienne, stay.”

The transfer never went through.

Her personal account had already been closed.

Alessio stared at the bank notice for a long time.

Then he had Valerio Moretti investigated.

The results came back fast.

Valerio did have a public engagement arrangement with the Bellandi Family.

The name on the other side: Vittoria Bellandi.

The only surviving direct heir of the Bellandi Family.

Alessio shot upright. Not Vivienne. In that instant, he grabbed onto the explanation he wanted most.

Valerio’s real fiancée was Vittoria Bellandi. Vivienne was just using him to get a reaction.

Or worse. She was just some woman Valerio was toying with for the moment.

His confidence came rushing back.

Through Family connections, he got a private number for Vittoria Bellandi.

It rang three times.

Someone picked up.

Alessio kept his voice measured. “Miss Bellandi?”

“This is Alessio Rinaldi.”

“Regarding your fiancé Valerio Moretti and my ex-girlfriend Vivienne Cole. I think there’s

something you should know.”

Silence for two seconds.

Then a voice he knew better than his own. “Alessio.”

His breath stopped.

“Vivi?”

“No.”

I laughed softly through the phone. “Vivienne Cole is the name my adoptive parents gave me.”

“My name is Vittoria Bellandi. And yes: I’m the one Valerio is marrying.”

“So. Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

The phone fell from Alessio’s hand.