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Antonio’s friends didn’t hang around after dropping him off. They made up quick excuses and left.
Fuming with anger, Antonio stormed up to the second floor, straight to Grace’s old room, and growled at the butler, “Get rid of everything in here, burn it all! And if Grace shows up again, keep her out!”
The butler, catching on to Antonio’s foul mood, replied cautiously, “Sir, before she left, she’d already cleared out her things. The room’s empty now. She gave me the keys, and her prints have been removed. She won’t be getting back in…”
Each word from the butler seemed to darken Antonio’s mood. The butler’s voice trembled, becoming weaker as his fear grew.
Antonio didn’t wait for the butler to finish and kicked the door
open.
He scanned the room, completely bare, not even a hair out of place as if it were brand new.
The sight of the pristine room only stoked his anger.
“Where’s all her stuff? Did she take it with her?”
“She burned what she could and threw away the rest. Her personal belongings are disposed of. Anything from the old place is stored away.”
Antonio’s face turned livid at this, and he was about to lose it
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when his phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, he remembered he’d left Livia hanging, and his anger surged.
But he kept his cool, at least for her, and after a moment, he answered. “Livia, I’m sorry, something’s come up. I can’t make it today…”
Livia cut him off, “It’s fine, Antonio. I’m calling to say I’m leaving. I’m about to catch a flight.”
Antonio’s heart clenched at this. “Catch a flight? Where are you going?”
There was a hint of anxiety in Livia’s voice. “Back to Blenia. Braxton and I have made up. I’m going back to him. Thanks for everything. Goodbye.”
Her words hit Antonio like a ton of bricks.
He couldn’t hold back his frustration and yelled, “Made up? What’s so great about him? I’ve given you everything, and you’d pick him over me? Why don’t you give me one more chance?”
There was a pause, and then Livia’s voice, heavy with regret, came through. “I’m sorry, Antonio. I can’t get over him. I know you care about me, but I’ve only ever seen you as my best friend. Love is real. It can’t be faked or forced. Just get over me.”
Once again rejected, Antonio felt a lump in his throat, unable to speak.
He heard some commotion in the background, and through the
Chapter 81
noise, Livia said she had to board the plane, and the call ended.
Staring at his phone as the screen went dark, Antonio felt a brand new wave of frustration wash over him.
He tossed the phone over the railing, slammed the door, and locked himself in this empty room.
Once the footsteps died away, silence fell.
Feeling drained, he leaned on the wall, made it to a chair, and fell into it.
Though Grace was gone, the room still held a faint scent.
It was the perfume Grace always wore.
The fragrance soothed his frayed nerves and sleepiness set in.
Leaning back in the chair, Antonio drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 87
Chapter 82
