Abby’s POV
“Lia, what is it?” I asked, pulling my hand away.
Her face was white; she really looked like she’d seen a ghost.
She grabbed my arm again, dragging me a step away from Matteo and glaring fiercely at him.
“You better not be telling me you’re dating this man,” she hissed, lowering her voice.
“He’s too old for you, Ab! He can be your Dad!”
Ugh, Daddy?
I just laughed, unable to help myself.
“Or maybe my big, older brother?”
Lia’s face hardened.
“I’m serious, Abby.”
Matteo let out a slow, dramatic sigh and shot Lia a smug look.
“For the record, I can hear you perfectly.”
Lia ignored me and fixed Matteo with a furious glare.
“There are a lot of women in this world, Mr. Romano. Why did you choose my best friend?”
Matteo shrugged, completely unbothered.
“Why can’t I choose her? She’s single, isn’t she?”
Lia snapped her head toward me, her eyes dead serious, all traces of her previous excitement gone.
“You have to stay away from him.”
“Huh?” I asked, my confusion genuine.
Her simple command completely erased my amusement.
It wasn’t just about the age gap or his reputation now.
This wasn’t just a concern; this was a warning.
Did she know something about Matteo I didn’t?
“Lia, what in the world is going on with you?” I demanded, the amusement draining away.
Lia’s eyes were blazing.
She didn’t look at me; she gave Matteo a long, furious glare that was packed with decades of enmity I couldn’t comprehend.
She started to lean in to whisper, but before she could speak, her phone began to vibrate insistently.
She yanked it out, looked at the screen, and cursed under her breath.
“Damn it!
How can I have a break from this fucking job?!”
“Watch your words,” Matteo warned coolly from behind me, his voice low and dangerous.
The tension between them was so thick it was suffocating.
They definitely have history, I thought.
And I am completely out of the loop.
Lia sighed, stuffing the phone back into her pocket.
She pulled me into a tight, frantic hug.
“I gotta go, Abby. But I mean it.” She pulled back, her eyes urgent.
“The next time we meet, don’t bring him.”
I shrugged my shoulder, still watching the exchange between my best friend and my husband.
“Right, I’ll see you later.”
I watched her drive away, still speechless.
My new husband and my best friend were now declared enemies, and I didn’t even know the reason why.
“Well,” I said, finally turning to Matteo, crossing my arms.
“That was… dramatic.”
He was already walking toward the Maybach, completely unfazed.
“Your friend is highly excitable.
She’s irrelevant.”
“She’s my best friend, and she just warned me to stay away from you,” I challenged, following him.
“That makes her relevant. What is your issue with her, Matteo? Why does she hate you so much?”
He stopped by the driver’s door and sighed heavily, looking annoyed for the first time.
“Nothing,” He opened the door for me.
“It has nothing to do with you.”
I slid into the car, refusing to let it go.
“Everything you do has something to do with me now, husband. She hates Nicholas, and now she hates you. I want to know why.”
He gave me a direct look, his expression softening slightly.
“I can’t tell you now. I’m sorry.”
He closed my door firmly and walked around to the driver’s side, ending the discussion.
I turned to him, the excitement fading into apprehension.
“I haven’t even told her you’re my husband yet. Everything just happened so fast. Do you think it will be a good idea to tell her the truth next time we talk?”
He gave a slight, dismissive nod.
“The truth…
Sooner or later, she’ll have to accept us, whether she likes it or not.”
“But first,” I insisted, “if there’s anything you want to tell me right now about you and Lia…
just please, no secrets.”
He turned to face me completely, his expression serious.
“If you’re thinking Lia and I were romantically involved, stop. There was nothing, ever. She is… sort of a past relationship, but never romantic.” He gave a dry, dismissive laugh.
“God, she’s just a spoiled brat.” He spoke as if describing a troublesome younger cousin.
“I think the better idea is for you to ask her what her problem with me is, Abby. If I tell you right now, she’ll only hate me more. Maybe she’ll curse me to hell.”
I glanced out the window as he drove.
I sighed.
Maybe there really was something serious I needed to know about Matteo and Lia.
I’d never seen her look so disturbed.
That level of disgust on her face was harsh, especially when looking at Matteo.
But how could she be disgusted?
He was devastatingly handsome.
I couldn’t stop thinking about him kissing me—Wait!
What was I thinking right now?
He was my business partner!
Matteo brought the Maybach to a smooth stop right in front of the massive Sinclair-Hayes Group tower.
He cut the engine, turned to me, and that infuriating, knowing half-smirk spread across his face.
“Before you step out of the car,” he murmured, his voice low and challenging.
“Do you want to give me a kiss?”
My lips parted, and the air suddenly stuck in my throat.
Did he just…
ask me for a kiss?
Or did he just happen to read my mind?