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"Olivia, go online ASAP! You’ll never guess who’s trending!”

I winced at Alice’s excited, high-pitched, ear-destroying screech coming from my phone. A natural occurrence I should have already gotten used to since she had been my friend for twelve years, but I hadn’t.

“I don’t have time for celeb gossip right now, Alice.” I huffed, removing the plates from the dishwasher. “I could barely do much unpacking during the day because of the boys. I-“

“You would if you found out it was about you and a certain billionaire who are trending.” She giggled like Harley Quinn, and I could almost see the psychotic grin on her face.

“Why would I and a certain billionaire...”

Wait?! A billionaire… Does she mean…

My chest tightened at the thought of him. “Please tell me it’s not that billionaire,” I whispered.

“Who else?! You guys are all over the news!” Alice squealed.

My legs trembled under the weight of my body, and I leaned against the counter. I shivered like someone had doused me with ice water.

“W-Why?!”

“Just search Dante Romero, and you’ll see what I’m talking about! I can’t beli-“

“I’ll call you back.”

“Wait-“

I ended the call and made my way to G****e. My finger trembled as I typed the name of the one man I promised not to get involved with again.

“No!” I gasped. Bile rose in my throat. My hazel eyes widened at the headlines littering the internet.

Olivia Miller, the young lady from Dante Romero’s sex scandal five years ago, was recently spotted with identical triplets. Could they be his?

“No, no, no!”

I scrolled through my phone, taking in the multiple headlines relating to me, my kids, and Dante Romero.

‘How?’

‘Why?’

I stared at the picture of me and my sons entering a taxi, obviously taken without my permission. From the look of it, it was snapped a few minutes after we left the airport.

“Sheep,” I dropped my phone on the counter and yanked my chestnut hair.

‘This can’t be happening. This cannot be fricken happening! I planned to have a fresh start in LA, but the damned past just had to come back to haunt me.’ I paced around the kitchen, trying to block the bitter memories of five years ago that plagued my mind.

‘What am I going to do? The boys are too young for this drama. Should I-‘

Ding Dong.

The doorbell caught my attention from my train of thought, and I froze in my spot. The bitter feeling that he was at my door gnawed at my throat.

Ding Dong.

The doorbell rang again, and I drew in a shaky breath.

‘You’re being paranoid, Olly. There’s no way he would have found me by now.’ I plodded to the living room. My front door looked bigger and more menacing as I drew closer.

Ding Dong.

My fingers trembled as they touched the doorknob.

“You’re worrying for nothing,” I whispered, opening the door.

In a blur, a large, dark figure brushed past me and slammed the door shut.

“What th-“

“It took you long enough, Miss Miller.”

The blood in my veins froze at the icy, stoic voice of the man before me.

My gaze ran up his suit-clad upper body to his chiseled jawline and stopped at his piercing blue eyes.

“Oh, sheep,” I breathed.

Standing before me was LA’s most desirable bachelor, the Ice Cold King, Dante Romero, in his full, dark glory.

“My children, where are they?”

Double sheep.

My heart pounded in my chest. How could he have found us when we had just moved back to LA today?

“W-What children?” I cringed at my stutter.

Maybe, just maybe, my question would have been more convincing if I hadn’t squeaked like a mouse.

“Don’t play dumb with me.”

Dante’s eyes narrowed to a thin slit, and he took a step closer to me. His larger, muscular form and imposing presence choked the air out of my lungs. I took one step back.

“I found out you got pregnant after our little incident five years ago.”

Mayday! Mayday! Don’t leave me hanging, brain! Think of an excuse!

“You don’t really believe the rumours on the Internet. They are probably lie—”

“Are you insinuating that I’m dumb enough to base my claims on gossip?”

He took another set of slow, calculated steps towards me.

“No, sir, that’s not what I’m saying. I just mean… I’m saying no one should believe the internet… Not that you believe it… I mean…” I shook my head, gesticulating with my hands and taking a step back for every step he took. My back hit the wall, and my panic shot through the roof.

“I must admit, when I saw the headlines, I thought they were just trolls, but it got me curious. After a little digging, I found out you indeed bore my kids.”

Dante breached my personal space, and I stilled at his intimidating aura.

“I’m here to take my kids.”

“Eh?!” I gaped at him. Did he just demand my kids, or did I mishear his words?

“Um… sorry… but I don’t seem to understand your statement.”

“Are you daft? I’m here to take my kids home, Miss Miller. Where are they?”

It was my turn to give him my own deadly glare. The man really had the nerve to insult me while making a ridiculous request.

“Sorry, but no, Mr. Romero.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

Dante’s already-present frown deepened.

“It wasn’t a request or a suggestion; it was an order.” He gave me a nasty look, which I returned.

“And the last time I checked, I don’t work for you. They are my sons, and I’m not giving them to you.”

“They are my children, too—”

“Yeah, children you didn’t know existed until hours ago.”

“Because you hid them from me,” he growled, slamming his fist against the door. And I refused to flinch.

If he thought I was going to be intimidated into submission, he’s got another thing coming.

“You accused me and borderline threatened my life. How the heck did you want me to tell you I was pregnant when you could barely stand the sight of me?”

“That still gives you no right to hide the existence of my sons; I’m their father.”

“That you’re their father doesn’t also give you the right to waltz into my home and make demands for the children I gave birth to and raised for years. You know nothing about them. Heck, you don’t even know their names.”

“Liam, Michael, and Nathan.”

The names of my sons rolled off his tongue, and I blinked.

How the heck did he know? Oh, right, he said he dug into my past. The thought of how much he knew about me irked me.

“And that makes you what? The perfect father?” I scoffed, and a dark look crossed his face.

“And you think you’re better?” Dante shot back. “I don’t think a woman who agrees to take advantage of a man’s drugged state and have sex with him for money should even be allowed to be a mother.”

The words struck harder than lightning. Tears gathered in my eyes, and I blinked them back. Five years later, he still believed I was a slut. I wondered how many people believed that too.

“T-that’s not what happened!” I sniffled, unable to stop my voice from trembling.

“Oh, it isn’t?” He sneered, looking down at me like a piece of crap.

I don’t know! I wanted to scream. One minute, I was munching on a box of chocolate I had received from a secret admirer after my part-time evening shift at the hotel. The next morning, I woke up naked and sore beside a strange man, without my virginity.

I swear, I don’t know how it happened.

“If that’s all, you may please le—”

Dante grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him before I could touch the doorknob.

A tint of rouge coloured my cheeks at the close proximity. Our chests were just a few centimetres apart, and I feared he would hear the frantic beating of my heart. I felt small under his towering height and cold, intense stare.

My gaze traced every detail of his handsome face, and my blush intensified. Chiselled jawline, smooth tanned skin, jet-black hair, and mesmerising blue eyes. No wonder women fawned over him. He was devilishly gorgeous.

“How much do you want? Name your price.” Dante leered, pulling out a chequebook from his suit pocket.

My lips curled up into a nasty scowl.

“My children are not for sale. And nothing you say or do will make me give them to you.” I gritted my teeth and yanked my hand away from his grip.

“How about a lawsuit, then?” He drawled, his lips quirking into a devious smirk. “With my power and your sorry financial state, I could make sure you never see your kids again.”

Never see my sons again?! His words sank into my flesh like the venomous fangs of a viper.

“Y-you wouldn’t dare.” My voice quivered.

Would he? There was no way he would be that heartless.

A deep, dark chuckle echoed through the living room.

Dante snaked his arm around my waist and pressed my body against his. I stiffened in his hold, frozen with fear, anger, and a strange desire pulsing through my veins.

“I’m Dante Romero, sweetheart.” His voice was low with a dangerously seductive edge, and I flushed with heat. “There are a lot of things I would dare that are beyond your imagination.”

Dante tilted his head, placing his sinfully enticing lips above my ear. “I’m giving you a choice, Olivia: move in with me or get ready to never see your boys again.”

Whatever attraction I felt for him burned to the ground.

'Note to self, Olivia;'

'Dante Romero might be a masterpiece crafted by God, but he has the heart of the devil. Always remember that.'

“Fine.” The word tasted like poison as it left my lips.

A stupid, satisfied smirk rested on Dante’s face, and I growled, wanting to slap it off.

“Perfect.” He slipped his hand off my waist, letting his fingers trace the hem of my T-shirt. I slapped his arm away and gave him a disgusted look.

“You have five minutes. Don’t bother bringing anything along. Everything will be provided at the mansion.”

Without a reply, I stormed out of the living room, biting back the urge to punch him in the nuts.