Page 91 of The Rebel Billionaire

Shit!

I stare across the table at Alex, his brows drawn together.

“So why are you doing this?”

Why?

I sit back, taking my glass with me, my gaze dropping to the liquid as I swirl it around the glass, the way I would at a wine tasting.

“Because I need to learn to stand on my own two feet. Being the youngest, everyone has tried to protect me since the day I was born. But you need to make mistakes in life to grow. I’ve learned that the hard way.”

He inclines his head. “And this is your way of growing. Moving away to find yourself?”

“Something like that,” I say, taking another sip, my head feeling decidedly light.

This is the first drink I’ve had in months, too scared to let myself go.

“Dessert? Signore, signorina?” our waiter asks, appearing at our table.

I hold up a hand. “No, grazie,” I say, shooting him a smile and earning myself a nod.

“Coffee?”

“That would be lovely, grazie,” I say, turning to Alex.

He nods, and our waiter disappears.

“Are your siblings married?”

“Not all of them. Three out of the four are in relationships. My sister, she’s complicated.”

I chuckle, thinking about her and Jaxson, stuck together in the Maldives.

Caleb dropped that one in when I last spoke to him.

“How about you?”

“No, none of my siblings are married. Enzo, our middle brother, has a daughter. She’s fifteen now.”

“You were married, though?” I say, before I can stop the words, my hand flying to my mouth. “Sorry, that’s none of my business.”

“It’s fine. The joys of being in the public eye. There are no secrets when you’re in my position. Count yourself lucky,” he says.

I bite my tongue.

He sighs before continuing, “Your dirty laundry is aired for all the world to see.”

He holds up his glass as if in salute.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

If only you knew, I’m currently front and centre.

“Don’t be, it goes with the territory. I look at all these people who fight for their fifteen minutes of fame without realising how intrusive it can be when they get it. You can’t even sneeze without someone reporting on it. Once you’ve let them in, there’s no closing the door.”

Don’t I know it!

Building up my influencer business, I invited everyone in. My family tried to warn me, but I was on self-destruct, anything to lock out the pain. Every party, every event, I was there. The last one to leave, not worrying about what they said. All publicity is good publicity until it isn’t. But by the time I realised, it was too late.