Four Week Fiance 2(36)
“You have 51% shares in the company. You can make all the decisions.”
“But that’s just in name.” I shook my head, still confused. “I haven’t done anything.”
“When we got engaged, you gave me power of attorney. I’m able to control the company.” He gazed into my eyes. “Today I’m going to sign a contract that allows my father to purchase your family company for ten million dollars. This is what Nonno wanted. This is what he wanted me to do. And he didn’t want anyone to know. He knows your parents wouldn’t do it. He knows that my dad might tear apart the company, but he doesn’t care. He wants to make sure you’re taken care of, Mila. He loves you with all his heart and well, he can’t live knowing that you might be left with nothing.”
“What? What are you talking about? You’re signing my family company away to your dad?” My jaw dropped. “You used me?”
“I didn’t want to do it. I haven’t even done it yet. It’s been killing me, Mila. I’ve been going back and forth on what to do. I feel like I’m betraying you every time I even think about the contract. I hate myself. I’m only doing it because I made a promise to Nonno. He begged me to help him with this. He said if I cared about you at all, I would do it because it was for your best interests.” He sighed. “I agreed before I fully understand what it would be like to have to deceive you.”
“Why the fake engagement?” I said, my heart pounding and my chest hurting as I tried to comprehend what he was telling me.
“Because it was the only way to get the power of attorney through a contract.” He sighed. “It was all Nonno’s idea.”
“He knew I loved you.” I sighed. “How could he do this to me? Didn’t he know it would just hurt me even more?”
“I think he could see that I loved you as well.” TJ gave me a half-smile. “Maybe he was trying to give me a push. See what we could have.”
“Yeah, I suppose.” I looked away from him, deeply hurt.
“And it worked, Mila. I did come to my senses. I love you more than life itself and I might not have realized that if not for this craziness.”
“I suppose.” I rubbed my forehead, not sure how I was feeling. “It’s a lot to take in, TJ.”
“I know.” He nodded. “There’s something else.”
“Oh, God.” I groaned. “What now?”
“So Barbie?” He sighed. “She kinda knows the plan, and she’s kinda dating my dad.”
“WHAT?” I screamed out loud. “Are you joking me? Fucking Barbie knows?”
“Well she doesn’t know everything.” He half-smiled. “She thinks I’m doing this for my dad because I want a seat on the board. She thinks I’m doing it begrudgingly. She doesn’t know that Nonno is in on it and she doesn’t know that we’re way overpaying for the company.” He smiled at me. “So while she’s gloating, I’m smiling inside.”
“Smiling inside?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Smiling for the great deal.” He sighed. “Not the deception.”
“Oh TJ.” I rubbed my forehead. “This is so much to understand and take on. I just don’t know how to feel.”
“Can you forgive me?” He asked, his eyes worried. “Do you still love me?”
“I can forgive you, TJ. Promise me, there are no more secrets.” I looked deeply into his eyes. “Moving forward we have to be honest with each other.”
“There are no more secrets.” He said, his eyes earnest. “I, I love you more than life itself. You know that. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing I wouldn’t do to be with you. Everything I do is to protect you. Please always know and remember that.”
“I love you, TJ. As long as we are honest with each other, nothing can break us apart.”
“So we’ll sign the paperwork?” He asked me stiffly and I nodded.
“If that’s what Nonno wanted, then we’ll do it.” I sighed. “My parents will kill me, but I trust Nonno with everything. I’m going to kill him when I see him next thought. I can’t believe he would keep this a secret from me.”
“I think part of it was him hoping we’d get together.” TJ said softly. “I think he wants me to take over his role. He wants me to love and protect and guide you. He must have seen how much I loved you from the start.”
“I don’t need anyone to guide me.” I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed.
“Shall we go back to the office?”
“Only if you promise me I can bitch slap that ho, Barbie.”
“You have my blessings.” He laughed and we just grinned at each other happily. I felt as if my heart were going to burst with happiness and excitement, but for some reason I still felt a sense of unease and worry. Was everything going too perfectly? Had it all turned around too easily?
Chapter Fourteen
I went home when TJ went to sign the paperwork in the office. We’d both decided that it would be smarter to let Barbie and his dad still think I was in the dark. If they thought I knew they might get concerned at the price they were paying and neither of us wanted them to investigate that before the deal went through. I was just about to head to the bathroom when the phone started ringing and my heart started pounding and my head went cold. My clammy hands gripped the phone as I went to answer it and I dropped it before quickly picking it up and answering.
I knew before I knew it. I’m not sure how. I don’t think I’m psychic or anything. But when I got the call, I just knew. I didn’t say anything. I just got in my car and drove over to Nonno’s. He was pissed of course, he’d told me to wait for him to come and pick me up. I wasn’t going to wait for that. I couldn’t sit around in the house, just waiting. I didn’t even cry on the drive over. I’m proud of myself for that. I had to be strong now. It was just me. Or maybe I’d just cried too much over, TJ. Maybe that had depleted my tears.
“Mila,” Cody opened the door, his eyes loving, red and he opened his arms as he stepped forward.
“What’s going on?” I said, feeling like I was playing a part. “Where’s Nonno?”
“Mila.” He said and I watched as he chewed on his lower lip. His face looked distressed and I as I stared at him, it suddenly hit me as to why Sally thought he was cute. He was handsome. And I could say that in a completely unbiased way. I didn’t even know why I was thinking about that now. Not after the call.
“Where’s Nonno, I need to speak to him.”
“He’s at the hospital. With mom and dad.” He said slowly looking at me carefully.
“Then let’s go. He most probably wants to see me.”
“He’s gone, Mila. I told you.” His voice trailed off. “Mom and dad thought it would be better for you to come here. To be with the photos and his spirit and stuff.”
“This isn’t funny.” I pushed past Cody. “Nonno, where are you? Nonno.” I ran through the house. “This isn’t a funny joke. Nonno.” I screamed as I ran into the kitchen. “Nonno, come out now.” I opened the fridge and the oven and all the cupboards and slammed them. “Nonno, come out now. This isn’t funny.” I screamed again and ran into his bedroom. I ran over to the closests and opened them. “Nonno, come out.” I shouted. “This isn’t funny.” Tears started to stream down my face. “Nonno, it’s me. It’s Mila. Please stop it.” I ran into the bathroom and saw the bath in the bathtub, where he must have fallen and I started screaming and screaming. “Nonno, you can’t leave me. Oh Nonno, you can’t leave me. Nonno.” I collapsed onto the floor of the bathroom and Cody rushed in next to me and sat next to me.
“Come, Mila. Let’s go in the living room.”
“His blood’s still on the bathtub.” I just stared at him wailing. “I didn’t even know he was sick.”
“He didn’t tell any of us, Mila.” Cody held me close. “We didn’t know. He had cancer. He’s had it for a while.”
“He’d tell me.” I screamed. “He’d tell me because he loves me. I mean the world to him. He would never keep a secret from me. “He loved me.” I whispered, my body shaking as Cody held me. “How could he die and not tell me?” I muttered into his chest as I sobbed. We sat there for what seemed like hours and then I stood up and walked into the living room. I tried to smile. I tried to feel happy for the life that he’d had, but I couldn’t. I sat down on the couch and waited for Cody to walk into the living room behind me.
“I want to see Nonno.” I said quietly. “I want to see him.”
“Not today.” He shook his head. “He split his head open when he fell. Mom and dad want him taken care of properly before you see him.”
“I want to see him.” I said louder. “I need to see him, Cody.”
“I know you want to see him.” He walked over to me. “But you don’t want to see him like this, Mila. You want to see him as the man that you know and remember. He wants you to see him as the man he was.”