Chapter 30: Chapter Twenty Nine

Leonardo 

My son believed I had gone on a business trip to avoid giving him my answer, but that wasn’t the case. I hadn’t left the country on the day he thought I did. Instead, I packed my bags and instructed one of the housekeepers to inform Eros of my absence, fully aware of how he would interpret it.

I had made up my mind to visit Vivienne and call off our engagement, but what I discovered instead only served to validate my son's words. I walked in to find my fiancée on the sofa with another man—and not just any man, but her first husband, Edward Marco.

You’d expect my immediate reaction to be confrontation, but I did nothing of the sort. At that moment, I realized Eros had been right all along. I had been lying to myself about loving Vivienne when, in truth, I never did. I only wanted to marry her because I believed she was the kind of woman I deserved after everything I had done to Eros’s mother, Isadora.

That woman had loved me with all her heart and had given her all to make me happy, yet I had sabotaged our marriage by chasing after someone else. If only I had turned back and fought for my marriage, perhaps my relationship with my son wouldn’t be this fragile.

"I can explain, Leo," Vivienne said quickly as soon as Edward left. "It's not what—"

"Are you seriously about to tell me it’s not what I think?" I cut her off, disbelief laced in my voice. "After everything I just saw? I’m not blind, Viv!"

"It's just... After last night, I was so upset. I went to a club, got wasted, and Edward found me. He brought me home, and—"

"And one thing led to another," I finished for her, a derisive snort escaping me. "I get it, Viv. You don’t have to explain."

"Please, don’t be mad." She clasped her hands together, her expression carefully crafted into remorse. "It won’t happen again."

"Of course it won’t," I agreed. "Because we’re done."

"Excuse me?" She stiffened, fists planted on her hips, her eyes blazing with fury—as if I had wronged her, not the other way around. "We are nowhere near done, Leonardo Belmonte. Not even close."

"You can keep the ring," I said evenly. "And this penthouse."

"You promised me marriage, Leonardo!" she snapped, her tone brimming with indignation.

"I did," I acknowledged. "But that promise is void now. Especially after catching you with Edward. You must really think I’m an idiot, don’t you?"

"I never said that! I never even thought that!" she insisted. "Look, what happened with Edward was a mistake. He was just about to leave when you got here."

"Ah, so what you’re really saying is, Yes, Leonardo Belmonte is a fool. He’ll believe anything I say." My voice dripped with contempt. "Don’t bother pleading your case, Viv. My son was right about you."

She let out a hollow laugh, her lips curling into a sneer. "Oh, now I see what this is about," she said. "Your useless son."

"Not just him," I said coolly. "Actually, it’s about the fact that I’d have everything to lose if I married you. I don’t know how my mother found out, but she swore to disown me if I went through with it. And don’t even get me started on my father." I clicked my tongue, shaking my head. "The only daughter-in-law they’ll ever acknowledge is Isadora."

"You’re nothing but a coward, Leonardo," she spat. "Hiding behind your family, letting them dictate your choices. You’re really going to let your parents and son control you?"

I let out a quiet sigh, feigning regret. "But Viv," I said with mock sorrow, "if they disown me… I’d never have a family with you."

Her face went ghostly pale at my words, and I saw her throat bob as she swallowed hard. Did she really think I would agree to marry her without conducting a background check?

"W-What are you talking about?" she stammered.

"You can’t give me children, Viv," I said evenly. "You got pregnant in high school, had a miscarriage, and later underwent a hysterectomy. If I marry you, I will never be a father."

"That’s not true! We can always adopt," she cried desperately.

"And you think that would be the same?" I asked, arching a brow, my voice edged with disbelief. "That having a child who isn’t my flesh and blood take over my company after I’m gone would be enough? Don’t be ridiculous, Viv."

"So what do you want me to do?!" she shouted, her frustration boiling over. "You’re just looking for an excuse to get out of this engagement! Don’t you realize my career will be ruined because of this?"

I sighed softly, spreading my hands in mock peace. "I mean, what more do you want? This penthouse is worth a hundred million euros, and the ring I gave you is a quarter of that. Other women would be thrilled to walk away with something from a broken engagement."

"Why settle for that when I could have something even better by marrying you?" she snapped. Her voice rose with indignation. "I proposed to you, Leonardo! If anyone should be doing the dumping, it’s me!"

I offered her a slow, knowing smile. "I just beat you to it." I gave a half shrug, unconcerned. I already knew she would spin the story to make it seem like she had dumped me—and I was perfectly fine with that.

She let out a sharp breath, her nostrils flaring.

"You’ll find someone richer than me," I continued smoothly. "You’re a beautiful woman, a great actress. Someone will definitely snatch you up sooner or later."

"Leonardo..." She stepped toward me, reaching out, her voice trembling. "Please, don’t do this to me."

I met her gaze, unyielding. "I’m sorry, honey," I said, my tone almost gentle. "But I’d rather lose you than my son."

The unshed tears in her eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a fiery, seething rage. Her face flushed crimson as she spat, "And you really think he’s not going to leave you anyway?"

"Maybe he will," I said, walking backward toward the elevator. "But it won’t be because of you."

I pressed the button to call the elevator, then threw her a mock salute. "It was nice knowing you, Vivienne."

"You’ll regret this, Leonardo. I promise you," she growled.

I smirked. "Don’t make promises you can’t keep, darling."

As the elevator doors slid open, I stepped inside and pressed the button for the underground parking lot. "Goodbye, Vivienne."

The doors shut, sealing her out of my life.

I had ended my engagement the very next day after Eros gave me his ultimatum, but it had taken me a full week to call him and tell him my choice. Vivienne had been right about one thing—Eros would leave me one day. He would go off to college, build a life of his own.

But that day wasn’t today.

I still had a year and a half with him.