Page 115 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

“Now. Yesterday.”

He chuckled softly. “I understand. I’ll text you in a few.”

Tears welled up in my eyes again, but this time they were tears of relief. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Of course. We’ll be here when you’re ready,” he said softly. “Hang in there, kiddo. This is for the best. You’ll see.”

After we hung up, I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I held up my hand. The ring had become a part of me. And now it was gone—just like Roman. The expression on his face when I walked downstairs this morning was brutal. He was so cold. He was just like the man I had met a month ago at that stupid auction.

My father was right. This was for the best. If he was that quick to dismiss me, it was never going to work. I couldn’t be with someone that I had to worry was going to dump me if I opened the wrong door. It was better this ended now, before I was in even deeper.

At least that was what I was going to keep telling myself.

Desperate for a distraction, I started scrolling through my phone. That was when I saw it. A clip of Roman from earlier that morning, storming past reporters outside his office.

“Roman Kelly Roars at Reporters.”

I hesitated, then clicked play. The video was only a few seconds long, but it was enough to make my heart ache. He looked furious, his jaw tight and his eyes cold as he barked at the reporters.

“Get out of my way,” he snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut through steel.

But beneath the anger, I could see it. Pain.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to end. Not for us. Not like this.

I dropped my phone onto the bed and covered my face with my hands. Why had I gone into that room? Why couldn’t I have left it alone?

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I curled up on the bed, the weight of my mistakes pressing down on me. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly, utterly alone.

44

ROMAN

It had been three weeks. Three long weeks since I ended the contract with Kaira. Three weeks since I had truly slept. The house was not the same without her. Everything seemed to echo in the empty spaces she used to occupy. Everywhere I looked, I could picture her there. I actually fell asleep in her room one night, which was ridiculous because she had not slept in there for long before she ended up in my room.

Visiting the library was a form of self-torture. Sometimes, I would open the door and expect to see her sitting in the chair with her hair a mess and her laptop in her lap. I could almost smell her. I found a book on a table in the corner. It was one she had been reading. I picked it up and flipped through the pages. It was a sappy romance that actually made me smile because I knew that was her thing. She had told me about the book she was writing. Another implausible romance story.

But it was during the quiet nights that I found myself at the worst, replaying our last conversation over and over in my mind. The decision to end things was purely business at first. It was just another contract concluded in the long string of deals that made up my life. But every single day, the reality of her absence sunk in deeper. I had gone back to business as usual. It was the same life I had been living for years without any drama. Except, that old life wasn’t sufficient anymore. The house felt off. Without her laughter echoing through the halls or her thoughtful looks when we talked about everything under the moon, it wasn’t the house I had lived in all my life. I missed finding her cooking in the kitchen. I missed having coffee in the morning with her.

And today, it was going to be official. I had to give a statement to the nosy public about my love life. Technically, it was never supposed to be my actual love life. But somewhere, what started as a basic contract to save my ass turned into something real—then it had shattered me.

I reached for the blue tie. Blue was supposed to make me look honest or some shit. I buttoned my suit jacket, checked myself in the mirror, and sighed. It was time to face the world without her by my side. The press had been speculating wildly since she left, and today I would put an end to all the rumors. I would keep it professional, concise. The relationship was over. That was all they needed to know.

As I walked downstairs, I heard my staff in the foyer. They had all been giving me a wide berth the last couple of weeks. I knew more than one of them was pissed at me. They liked Kaira and most of them had taken her side.

I didn’t blame them.

Anthony was waiting for me with the car. I was not in the mood to drive. I didn’t trust my temper. I had saved my reputation with my fake engagement to Kaira. Adding a road rage incident to the mix would negate all of it, making it for nothing.

I slid into the backseat of the car. Anthony gave me a nod through the rearview mirror. “Ready, sir?” he asked, his voice neutral but I could detect a hint of concern.

“Yes, let’s get this over with,” I replied curtly. My thoughts raced as we drove toward the office where I would be holding the press conference. My mind was stuck in a loop, replaying every moment I had spent with Kaira, every laugh we shared, and every argument that pushed us apart.

By the time we arrived, the place was swarming with reporters. Cameras flashed as I stepped out of the car. I ignored the shouted questions and pushed my way inside. Several board members were waiting for me in the lobby. I was whisked away to the conference room where I was holding the press conference.

The PR team was waiting for me in a side room. Someone was fixing my hair while PR gave me notecards with my statement. They warned me about the questions that would come once I announced the end of my engagement.

I nodded, barely listening. I already knew what I was going to say, and no notecard was going to help me with the truth that was clawing its way up my throat. I had no intention of giving them any information about my life with Kaira. It was a mistake to drag her into this mess to begin with.