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“No.”

“Why not?”

He inhales sharply. “We cannot be in a relationship in a traditional sense, Olivia.”

My brows rise.

“I have…” He pauses, searching for the right words. “More than ever, I need to hold on to my Italian heritage.”

My skin begins to crawl.

“I am not just a man who lives in Italy, Olivia. I am an Italian man in all senses. I need to carry on my traditional bloodline. It is very, very important to me—non-negotiable.”

What?

We stare at each other. “This is why you didn’t come for me in Australia?”

He clenches his jaw. “Yes.”

I can literally hear my heart as it breaks.

“What you’re saying is that you can fuck an Australian… but you can’t marry one?” I whisper as tears form.

His cold eyes hold mine. “I’m sorry.”

“So, you’ll have your Italian wife and keep your bloodline with her, and I will be your girlfriend on the side?”

He drops his head, ashamed of what he has asked of me.

My throat hurts as I try to hold it together. If he hit me with an axe it would be less painful. I grab the table to steady myself.

“Olivia,” he whispers. “Think about it. You will have me in every sense other than marriage. I will be yours.” He cups my face in his hand. “I don’t want to lose you.” His eyes are panicked. “I can’t lose you.”

“You just did,” I push out through gritted teeth.

“No, bella.” He grabs for me, and he holds me tight in his arms as I struggle to break free.

“Get out.”

He holds me. “No, no, no. Per favore, no. Non posso perderti,” he whispers as he clings to me, desperate to hold me in place so that he can talk me into this. “Non posso vivere senza di te.”

I know he’s losing control because he’s talking Italian. He only does that when he can’t think.

I break free from his grip and push him hard on the chest. He stumbles back. “Get out,” I sneer.

“I’m not leaving you. I can’t. Don’t ask that of me.”

I pick up a glass from the table and hurl it at him. “Get the fuck out!” I scream.

His eyes hold mine for an extended moment, and then, as if conceding defeat, he drops his head.

I turn my back on him as my tears begin to pour free.

I’ve never felt so fucking cheap in all of my life. Here I was thinking we were falling in love, and he was just lining me up to fuck me behind his future wife’s back.

The only sound is my heartbeat as adrenaline courses through my veins, trying desperately to calm me down.

Thump, thump, thump.