“You certainly seemed quick to believe the lies. Not that I can blame you, what with what’s happened between us.” She tried her best to be tough, angry, but inside she was hurting. Falling apart completely. She’d told this man she loved him a few nights ago and he said he loved her. She hadn’t been lying. She did love him.
And then he walked into the living room and destroyed all that love with a few choice words and unspoken implications.
“I have to be careful,” he said, his voice low, his gaze imploring. “After everything that my family has endured these last few years, any hint of scandal hurts us tremendously, and it hurts the business.”
“I completely understand. I’m more trouble than I’m worth. Perhaps I should go.” She lifted her chin and started to walk past him, but he grabbed her by her upper arm, stopping her.
“I don’t want you to go,” he whispered. “I want you to explain to me what happened between you and that man. I want to know why they’re saying this all over the media and who could’ve spread such lies about you.”
“That you make me explain myself is bad enough. Why can’t you just accept my word as the truth?” She glared at him, felt the tears starting to form in her eyes, and she blinked them away. She refused to cry. Refused. “It didn’t happen. My former boss pushed himself on me and I was struggling to get away when his wife walked in and saw us. Rather than agree with me when I told her he attacked me, he never said a word. Let her accuse me of being a slut and a whore who threw herself at her husband and then she fired me.”
“Shit,” he muttered, loosening his grip on her. His expression softened. “I’m sorry, Paige.”
Paige jerked away from his touch. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. What’s done is done. I thought I’d moved on and put it behind me, but apparently my scandalous past will follow me wherever I go.”
“Perhaps we should do a press release denying the accusations…” he started, but she cut him off.
“No. I refuse to have to explain myself. I’d rather let the story die.” If they kept talking about it, everything would become worse. She knew Carolyn Leonard was behind this. And she didn’t want to give that woman the satisfaction of letting her know it bothered her.
“But what if the story doesn’t die? What if it grows and gets worse?”
His complete lack of faith in her was so disappointing, she didn’t know how to express herself. Words failed her. She needed his support, not his doubt and his worry.
She could understand where he came from too. He had much to protect, an entire company and his family’s image. Anything said detrimentally could destroy it, piece by piece. Lies hurt just as much as truths. And Matteo, along with his family, had endured enough scandal these last few years to last two lifetimes.
Her story only added to the mess. It was best if she distanced herself. Now.
Without another word, she started for her bedroom, ignoring Matteo as he called her name, increasing her steps until she came to her room and darted inside, slamming the door behind her. Reaching behind her neck, she undid the clasp of the necklace she wore, the diamond pendant and delicate gold chain spilling into her palm. She studied it for a moment, entranced with the stone’s brilliance. The necklace, the gesture, it had meant everything to her that night.
Now it meant nothing.
She went to her dresser and set the necklace on top. No way could she keep it. It didn’t belong to her any longer. Just like she didn’t belong to Matteo any longer.
The tears started. An endless waterfall of them coming so fast she could hardly see. This was it. She was done here, at the Renaldi home, in Manhattan, in all of New York City. She should go back home, where it was safe and boring and nothing horrible or wondrous could ever happen to her again.
Frustration filled Matteo to his absolute boiling point. Paige had been locked away in her bedroom for over an hour and refused to acknowledge him when he pounded on the door, bellowed her name, demanded that she come out and talk to him.
He could just barge into her room. He’d done it before. But something told him he needed to respect her boundaries this evening. She was upset, taken to her very limits, and he was afraid she might break completely if pushed too far.
Seeing her so upset broke his heart, broke his soul. He didn’t know how to fix this problem he created. It wasn’t that he hadn’t believed her, he just needed to get to the truth. The article had devastated him and he’d immediately thought of Matty. His sister and his brothers and his mother, all the hardship and heartache they’d all endured since the death of their father and the subsequent scandal that followed when it was discovered that Stasia wasn’t a blood Renaldi after all, but a Worth.
He’d quite honestly freaked the hell out. And handled Paige all wrong. Clearly she’d been the victim of a near sexual assault. Like an asshole, he’d implied she’d actually been involved with the monster that had been her former boss.
Damn it. He was no better than that man who attacked her.
Sick to his stomach, he heard his cell ring yet again and he pulled the phone out of his pocket, glaring when he realized it was his brother Rafe. “What?” he snarled as an answer.
“I saw the article about Paige,” he started, but Matteo cut him off.
“I don’t need to hear any ‘I told you so’s’ all right?”
“I wasn’t going to say that, because none of it is true,” Rafe said calmly.
“What do you mean, none of it is true?” He strode into Matty’s bedroom and shut the door, his son looking at him oddly before he resumed playing with his building blocks.
Rafe heaved an irritated sigh. “You’re not going to like this, but it’s actually worked out in our favor. Vince and I hired a private investigator to look into Paige’s background.”
“Damn it, Rafe, I told you two to leave her alone.” Matteo went to the window and looked outside, noted the gloomy skies heavy with rain. Dark and dreary, much like his mood.
“Listen, our snooping was a good thing. The investigator found a former maid who used to work for the Leonards. She was fired for supposedly having an affair with Paul Leonard too, but she told the investigator that he threw himself at her and she could hardly fight him off. The man has a reputation. Supposedly even the wife knows he’s a pervert who’s constantly chasing tail,” Rafe explained.
“What?” Matteo breathed, his head spinning.
“Paige is innocent of the accusations. I did a little digging myself, asked for a couple of favors amongst my media contacts. Word on the street Carolyn Leonard herself is the one who sold the story.”
The bitch. It made perfect sense. “I need to talk to Paige.”
“Tell her we’ll do some damage control. I already have a call into publicity.” Rafe chuckled though he didn’t sound amused, more frustrated. “Thank God I haven’t left yet. I’ve been working on this all afternoon since I saw the first story.”
“Thank you, Rafe. I appreciate your thoroughness more than you can ever know.”
“Anything for you, Matteo.” Rafe paused. “We just want you to be happy.”
“I know. I want the same for you. For everyone in our family.” Matteo slapped his hand against the cold window, furious at the way he’d handled Paige, the entire situation.
“You’ve suffered much these last few years and carried the burden. You deserve happiness and we now know Paige can bring that to you,” Rafe said quietly. “We’re sorry for our doubt. I know Vince feels the same.”
“Thank you,” Matteo said. “For everything. Tell Vince thank you as well.”
He ended the call, saw that Matty was watching him curiously. “Is everything okay, Daddy?”
Matteo smiled, though it felt more like a grimace. God, he hoped everything was okay. “Everything’s fine. Can you go knock on Paige’s door, Matty? And tell her that you need her?”
“Yeah.” He sprang to his feet, dusted his hands on his jeans. “I’m hungry. Maybe she’ll make me dinner.”
Matteo would’ve chastised his son’s horrendous manners if he wasn’t so damn anxious. His little boy was acting like a little dictator.
Wonder where he got that sort of behavior from?
“Paige!” Matty yelled again, knocking on the door so hard it swung open. He stepped over the threshold and walked inside. “Paige?” His little voice had gone soft. He sounded almost frightened.
Matteo rushed toward the open door, his heart pounding, his head spinning. Just as he came into the room, Matty whirled on him, confusion written all over his young face.
“Daddy, she took all her stuff. Paige is gone.”
Chapter Fourteen
Paige had packed her bag and sneaked out of Matteo’s apartment like a thief, without him even noticing. Not that he missed her. No, more like he was probably relieved that she left without saying goodbye. She’d caused him nothing but trouble since the moment she arrived. Matty would miss her, of that she didn’t have a doubt, but it was better in the long run that she left.
It hurt, though, that he hadn’t believed her side of the story. More than she could ever admit, even to herself.
But his disbelief, his anger proved to her that what they had would’ve never worked. Not if he didn’t trust her. She partially blamed his past marriage for making him throw those walls up. His wife must’ve done a real number on him. She didn’t know all the facts, but she’d heard enough from Claudia, Stasia and even Matteo himself that Lucia Renaldi was not the nicest person in the world.
She’d damaged Matteo. Worse? He allowed her to keep damaging him rather than push forward and forget his past.
His anger and her fear helped her realize it was time to move on. She needed to forget about trying to create something with Matteo and go home. Maybe she was running away. Maybe she was making the wrong step toward her future, but at this very moment, it felt right.
There was nothing left for her here. Her career as a nanny was over. Her so-called relationship with Matteo was over too. It was best that she leave.
Her phone rang as she made her escape on the bus, and she pulled it out of her sweater pocket, her heart lodging in her throat when she saw it was Claudia calling her. She shouldn’t answer.
But she couldn’t resist.
“Paige! What is going on?” Claudia asked the moment Paige said hello. “I see pictures of you and Matteo on some trashy gossip site and they’re saying such horrible things about you. Things I know can’t be true.”
Paige bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Claudia’s conviction in her was reassuring. She could always count on her—too bad she couldn’t count on Claudia’s son. “I know. I’ve seen them all and it’s awful. They’re trying to destroy me.”
“Where are you? Where is Matteo? He won’t answer his phone. Let me talk to him.”
“I’m not with him,” she admitted, her voice small.
“Then where are you?” Claudia paused, and a siren blared annoyingly as a police car raced past. “What is all that racket?”
“I’m leaving, Claudia. I’m going back home.” Paige sniffed, the tears flowing freely now. Again. She swiped at them angrily with her fingers.
“What? You can’t leave. Matteo needs you and so does Matty.” Claudia sounded incredulous.
“He doesn’t believe me. He r-really thinks I had an affair with my f-former employer,” she stuttered, afraid she might sob into the phone.
“Well, did you?” Paige had to give it to Claudia. She had no problem getting directly to the heart of the matter.
“Of course not,” Paige practically wailed, not worried if anyone heard her. Not that anyone on the bus was paying attention to her. “The man attacked me. His wife caught us right in the middle of it and he acted like he was the innocent one.”
“Paige.” Claudia’s voice was the sternest she’d ever heard it. “I’m very disappointed in my son—and in you too. I saw you with Matteo and know that you have his respect and his love. Why are you running away when you should be confronting him? I know my son—he’s stubborn, but he loves you. I know he does. You can’t let it end like this.”
“I have to go. He doesn’t believe me, Claudia. If he doubts me already this early in our relationship, then what sort of trust do we really have?” A quivering breath escaped her and she briefly closed her eyes, praying for strength. She could get through this. She would.
“Tell me where you are, at the very least. Please, cara. So I know that you’re safe,” Claudia said.
Claudia’s concern touched Paige deeply. At least someone thought she mattered. “I’m going to take a bus home. Today, tonight, whenever I can get out of here. I can’t afford a plane ticket.” Well, she could, but she didn’t want to waste her money on one. She much preferred the thought of riding a stinky bus for a few days, processing her thoughts before she arrived home. It would give her time to prepare for the endless questions and speeches that were sure to come.
How she hated being such a disappointment to her parents. To everyone. She’d always been a good girl, doing everything anyone asked of her. Wanting their approval, getting good grades, having nice friends, working decent jobs. Yet for the last year, ever since she arrived in the city, she constantly found herself immersed in trouble.
She didn’t understand it.
“Call me when you get on that bus. Call me when you arrive home. I mean it. I’ll worry about you the entire time.” Claudia did sound terribly distressed, which Paige appreciated more than she cared to admit.
“I will. I promise. Goodbye, Claudia,” she said softly.
“Goodbye, my darling. I—I hate to see you go like this.” She paused. “Are you sure you won’t try and speak to Matteo one more time?”
“I can’t. He’s broken my heart too many times already. I refuse to give him the opportunity to do it yet again. Goodbye.” She ended the call and grasped her phone tight in her hand, staring out the window. Clutching the handle of her duffle bag close with her other hand, she scanned the people who sat nearby, thankful that no one looked her way. She always got a little scared riding the city bus, which was ridiculous. She was such a wimp.
But she couldn’t help it. Crowds made her nervous. Odd people rode the bus sometimes and at this very moment, she felt extremely alone and vulnerable.
She should’ve taken a taxi.
As if you can afford one.
Scanning through her phone, she looked up Greyhound ticket prices and times, realizing that she’d have a long wait at the terminal according to the few listings she saw that would work for her. It would have to do. She didn’t have a choice. There was no way she could go back to Matteo’s apartment and beg him to see her. Beg him to listen to what she had to say.
She shouldn’t have to explain herself. He should’ve accepted her word, no questions asked. It hurt, to see the doubt in his gaze, hear the anger in his voice when he’d asked if what the article said was true.
How dare he doubt her? That was what hurt the most. What felt like a betrayal. That he believed a stupid article filled with lies over the woman he supposedly loved. What sort of relationship could they ever have if he couldn’t take her word? If he couldn’t trust her?
A terrible relationship, that was what they’d have. And no way would she subject herself to that—and him—any longer.
No matter how much she loved him. No matter how much she would miss him and Matty. The entire family, even the grumpy brothers who were wary of her intentions. But she couldn’t do this to herself any longer. Their love would be built on a weak foundation and the first flaw she displayed, he’d reject her, making the entire thing collapse.
She couldn’t risk it. Couldn’t risk having herself beat up any longer, even though her heart was long ago stomped into a bloody pulp, since eventually she would have to leave Matteo. She’d wanted so despe
rately to believe that they could last. But her secret fears had been realized.
Paige would just have to learn how to deal.
Matteo knew most people who knew him would say he was a cold-hearted son of a bitch. And he wouldn’t deny it. He was a businessman first and foremost. He’d learned long ago to keep his emotions in check, strategize properly and not let his heart dictate what he needed to do next. Leading with his brain, analyzing every situation—that was safe. Thinking with his emotions only led to trouble.
He’d thrown that to the wind when he met Lucia. She’d seized his body more than his heart and he’d let his dick lead him straight to her time and again. She’d been like an addiction he couldn’t kick. And once he realized he was in too deep to walk away, he stuck by her. He tried to create a family with her and it fell apart. She fell apart.
And then she died.
He hadn’t cried at the funeral. He hadn’t cried when he first learned of her death. The terrible thing was, he hadn’t been surprised. She’d been unwell right up to her death. The supposed love he felt for her early on in their relationship had slowly died. He cared for her. She was the mother of his child—but a horrible mother, as reluctant as he was to say that, let alone think it.
Once Lucia was gone, he’d felt almost…relieved.
A terrible, horrible feeling, the guilt haunted him over the immediate months after her death. But as time went on, the guilt eased. He had Matty, his family, his business. He was satisfied. He didn’t need anyone else.
And then he met Paige.
She’d won him over despite how much he tried to fight her. His attraction grew. And grew and grew and grew until she was all he could see, want, need. At first, his reaction to her scared him. Reminded him of the all-consuming passion he’d felt for Lucia. But their relationship had been based purely on the physical.
With Paige, his heart swelled when he saw how she was with his son. Tender. Loving. Generous. Her relationship with his mother, his sister…they adored Paige. She was kind and thoughtful. Shy and hesitant one moment, bold and passionate the next, mysterious and open and sweet and wicked, she’d slowly entered his heart until he couldn’t think, couldn’t function, couldn’t breathe unless he knew where Paige was if she wasn’t with him.
Tempted by Her Boss: The Renaldis, Book 1 Page 14
