Chapter 2 That Man Is Not Right for You

He spoke nonchalantly about their past fling, which made Livia feel even more foolish about these past three years.

The one who falls deeper in love is always the one left in a mess at the end.

"Are you going to hijack the wedding?" Livia retorted.

Sure enough, Angelo laughed.

He grabbed the door handle. "Sweet dreams."

He shut the door behind him. Livia leaned against it, allowing a self-deprecating chuckle to escape her lips before tears streamed down her face without warning.

Over the weekend, Matilde called Livia, inviting her over for a family dinner.

As she arrived, she could hear voices.

Jonny was enjoying coffee with her dad, chatting away merrily, the atmosphere warm and congenial.

She thought about her three years with Angelo, recalling that he never once mentioned meeting her parents. It was clear he never truly considered the possibility of a life together with her.

As she washed her hands to assist her mother in the kitchen, she couldn't help but notice the abundance of food.

"Your dad got promoted to head of security," Matilde said cheerfully.

Livia asked, "Weren't they going to lay him off?" She had even been asking colleagues if they knew of any less stressful job opportunities.

Matilde was all smiles. "The new boss at your dad's company not only kept him on but promoted him. That's what I call luck."

"Make a few more dishes," Matias said, bustling in. "The boss called me and asked for a recommendation on where to eat. I invited him over for dinner, and he accepted."

Matilde was speechless.

Matias was all smiles as he eagerly welcomed their guest.

Livia had never imagined that the new company director at her father's workplace would be Angelo.

Their gazes met. Angelo's eyebrows lifted slightly as he glanced at Jonny, who was helping out in the kitchen. His gaze lingered on a visibly unsettled Livia, a hint of teasing in his eyes.

Livia's heart pounded with anxiety, and she quickly slipped into the kitchen.

'This is too much of a coincidence. Why on earth would he show up so abruptly now?'

She had invited him during the holidays before to join them for the festivities, but he had been indifferent about it. "I don't want to meet your parents."

"Stop dawdling, get the fruit out there," Matilde urged her in a hushed tone, adding with mild exasperation, "What kind of boss just pops over at his staff’s on a whim?."

Livia, with feigned composure, carried the watermelon slices to the living room, where Matias's stiffness and Angelo's ease were stark in their contrast.

As the meal was served, watching her parents tend to Angelo with such polite and cautious attention made Livia increasingly uncomfortable.

Angelo suddenly turned his attention to Jonny. "What do you do for a living?"

Jonny felt he'd seen this man somewhere before but couldn't quite place him. Confronted with the commanding presence of the man, he felt a certain pressure.

Jonny quickly chimed in, "I’m a realtor. Just text me any addresses of places you’re looking to sell, and I'll go check out the properties. I'll get the listings up on the web for you."

"Sure thing."

As everyone finished their meals, Livia was growing increasingly eager for Angelo to make his exit. The way her parents were tiptoeing around him, showering him with flattery all through dinner, was making her queasy.

But it wasn't Angelo who left first. It was Jonny who had to take off after receiving a phone call.

"Sorry folks, there’s a client who wants to see a house. I have to go,” he said apologetically, offering hasty farewells before making a beeline for the door.

With Johnny gone, the already awkward atmosphere around Angelo intensified. It was as though he was completely unaware that he had overstayed his welcome.

He didn't budge, leaving everyone else too uneasy to make a move.

"Mom, Dad, I have a seminar this afternoon, so I'll have to leave early. You both should get some rest," Livia said, no longer wanting her parents to endure Angelo's forced smiles.

"Well, I won't overstay my welcome any longer," Angelo stood up, buttoning up his suit jacket. "Miss Ashcroft, allow me to drive you home."

Livia declined. "That won't be necessary."

"It’s no trouble at all." Angelo turned to Matias directly. "Thanks for having me over."

Matias quickly stood up. "Not at all."

"If you have any concerns about work, don’t hesitate to come straight to me," Angelo added.

Matias, a bit startled, quickly responded, "Will do."

"Let's go," Angelo said, glancing at Livia.

Livia caught his drift. He was using her father's work as leverage against her. With reluctance, she followed him out.

Inside the elevator, they stood hardly a yard apart, yet it felt like an unbridgeable gap. Once so intimate, now sharing the same space was agonizing.

In the car, Angelo smoked a cigarette, steering with one hand in a casual yet arrogantly poised manner.

"That guy is not right for you," Angelo said, his voice low and pleasant to hear.

Livia looked out the car window, staying silent.

Angelo gave her a sidelong glance. "Are you that desperate to get married?"

Livia was restless but still didn't respond.

Angelo laughed coldly. "Have you fallen for someone else that quickly?"

That lit the fuse of Livia's anger.

She glared at him, "What’s it to you? What does my marriage have to do with you? At least I'm a better person than you are."

'How audacious of her to say something like that.'

Angelo slammed on the brakes and pulled over, looking at her. "Are you saying I'm mooching off you?"

Livia immediately regretted her words.

She shouldn't have lost her cool and engaged with him.

"What haven't I given you? What's so good about marriage? Being tied down for life, that's supposed to be a good thing?" Angelo's tone was heavy with disdain. "Do you think that guy can really give you the marriage you're after?"

"It's none of your business either way. Since it's over, stop bugging me."

"You're really stubborn." Angelo gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Get out!"

Without hesitation, Livia unbuckled her seatbelt, got out of the car, and slammed the door.

As soon as she closed the door, the car roared off, startling her with a shudder.

"Keep her sweet until you're bored, then just dump her," Kendrick poured Angelo a drink, trying to console him.

"That's bad advice. Women want all sorts of things, but marriage? That's a trap. Once it's done, it's done," Bishop added.

"You mean like him? Sulking and drinking for a whole week?"

"Come on, Angelo, you're obviously upset," another friend chided.

"He's got it bad."

Angelo shot them an icy glare. Kendrick immediately sensed the tension and stood up.,

"I forgot to call my girl back. I'll just step out and make a call."

Before long, Kendrick returned. "Angelo, I saw Livia. She's out drinking with a bunch of people."

The cigarette at the corner of Angelo's mouth tilted upwards as a dark look crossed his eyes.

Jonny sold Angelo's house and made a handsome commission. Overjoyed, he invited a colleague out for dinner to celebrate and brought Livia along with him.

Livia didn't want to dampen his spirits, especially since he went out of his way to introduce her to his friends and colleagues, which made her feel appreciated. With Angelo, she'd always felt like a mistress who couldn't step into the light.

Listening to the group's easy chatter, Livia still felt out of place. She excused herself to the bathroom and, once out, couldn't bring herself to return to the private dining room.

Leaning against the corridor wall, engrossed in her phone, she paid no mind to the person approaching. It wasn't until he'd been standing next to her for quite some time that she looked up. To her surprise, it was Angelo!

How long had the man been there? He was leaning against the wall, his expression dark and brooding.