The Billionaire Ex Wants Me Back

*GIANNA*

Was I being delusional holding onto the belief that he would change even after three years?

Was I being delusional or simply being stupid?

But right now as I stood in front of the mirror staring at my gorgeous gown.

I realized that it might've been worth the wait,the heartbreak and the pain.

We were finally going to get engaged.

Two months ago,my boyfriend Maximus had promised me that he'd stop hurting me.

And so far he had kept to his word.

And now,Maximus and I were about to celebrate our engagement party.

Soon,I'll be Mrs Lewis.

I smiled at myself again.The party planner walked up to me and informed me that it was time to make our appearance at the hall.

I grinned.I didn't want to keep my guests waiting for long.

"Have you told Maxim? Where is he?"I asked the host.

"I've searched everywhere for him, so I assumed he was with you,"the host replied, looking just as puzzled.

I had been so busy that I hadn't confirmed whether Maxim was here, but who wouldn't attend their own engagement party? No one would miss their own engagement party. Unless.no, I refused to believe he would abandon me again.

We need to make our appearance together as a couple.

I picked up my cellphone and gave him a call.

He picked up on the second ring.

"Yes?"

He sounded impatient.

"Where are you?We need to go into the hall together now."

"Oh,I'm sorry,Gianna.I can't make it."

I gulped."Wha.what do you mean you can't make it?Where are you?"

"Something important came up,Anna.Cancel the party."

My blood froze instantly, and it felt as if someone had poured ice water on me.

Cancel a party that had already started?

Cancel a party that had so many guests already seated?!

"Maxim,we can't.I can't.the guests, they're all waiting.Besides,what could be more important than our own engagement party."I begged.

But soon there was a hanging sound on the other side of the phone, and he didn't even wait for me to finish.

I paused realizing he had hung up on me.

I dialed his number again and again but he didn't pick up.

My legs grew weak and I slump on the couch.

How.why.?

I thought he had promised to stop hurting me.

My phone beeped.

I quickly raised it to my face thinking that it was a response from him.

But it was a text from Nadia.

Nadia:I warned you, Anna.I told you that I'll forever be more important to him than anything else.

Tears fell from my eyes.

My heart was squeezed again, tears welled up in my eyes, and my fingers trembled.

Is he really going to see Nadia now?

For three years, he always canceled my dates, each time because of Nadia. He knew Nadia was deliberately interrupting my dates with him, but he always told me he couldn't ignore Nadia. He had an important commitment to her.

For three years,that was a major issue in our relationship.

And I couldn't believe he could cancel our engagement party for her too.

I realized now that I wasn't just delusional,I was equally stupid.

Did I actually think I could change him?

Did I actually think I could make a man care about me when he clearly doesn't give a fuck?

I was too blinded by my love for him.I ended up loving him more than I loved myself.

Pain wracked through my body and it felt as if I was hit by a truck.

But at the same time,it was like the wake up call I need.

How could I love a man who never for once cared about my feelings?

How could I lose myself to loving him?

Why did I do this to myself?

He would always belong to Nadia.

She just had to make one phone call and he'll go running to her.

He never brought up the idea of us breaking up, and now I realize he just likes to hurt me and then watch me grieve for him like a clown.

At the same time, I received another photo on my phone: Maxim gently holding Nadia in his arms.

The anger inside me replaced the pain. I have had enough!

Since he longs for Nadia so much, I will no longer be bound by him.

I am no longer stupid.

I'm not stupid anymore!

I clicked on his name and sent him a message.

"It's over between us!"

*************

I had left the party venue through the back door because I didn't want to be seen by anyone.

I knew this would cause a massive scandal but if I'm seen alone without Maxim,everyone's pitiful eyes will be on me .I know everyone believes I'm not good enough to match Maxim.

I'm just an ordinary small-town girl, and Maxim is the most powerful man in the country, with his good looks and perfect body like a GQ model. My ears are always full of ridicule, but I don't care because my eyes are only on Maxim.

Maxim didn't drive me away, he took me into his house after we had an unintentional one-night stand, which I thought was a good sign. But now I know, he was just going to get revenge on me.

I was sober, and I had to pick up the pride I had lost.

I walked into the villa I lived with him.I packed my bags, left his house, and left the city. Anyway, I refused to hear anything from him.

I quickly booked the next available flight,on the plane,I couldn't bring myself to read the news because I knew that the engagement scandal would be everywhere.

Reading comments from people would only make me feel worse so I avoided going online by all means.

I had the wrong definition of love for so long,I believed that I might be the problem but there was absolutely nothing wrong with me.

I had let a narcissist manipulate me for so long to the point that I believed that I could never live without him.

But now,I was going to show him that he had no right to treat me like trash.

*MAXIMUS*

The next morning, when I walked into my mansion, I was exhausted. Yesterday I received a sudden business cooperation call. I had to cancel my engagement in order to fulfill the order. My father told me that a man must seize his career before a woman can love you.

I have always regarded this sentence from my father as my attitude towards life, and Anna has always accepted it. I am sure that calling off the engagement yesterday is not a big deal, which is why I can accept Anna by my side for five years. She is like a pet dog I have. She needs me, which makes my desire for control extremely satisfying.

When I needed her, she would come running over with a smile. She was so cute.

I tried to move my stiff neck, but the pain kept me from moving. but I had a fast remedy at home.

Anna gives the best neck massages.I especially like how her fingers felt against my skin.

Not that I'm going to ever tell her that though.

"Anna."I called.

"Gianna."I called again as I settled onto the couch.

This was so unlike her.She always comes running up to me to welcome me home,looking all happy.

"Grace."I called out to the housekeeper who walked in almost immediately.

"Where's Anna?Doesn't she know that I'm home?"

"She.she left."

I frowned."Left?"

"Yes,she packed up her things last night and left the house."

I rubbed my temple knowing she must be upset about the canceled engagement party.

What was the big deal?

We could always have an engagement party anytime.

I knew she might have sent me tons of messages so I brought out my cellphone and scroll to her name.

I saw just one line.

"It's over between us"

I frowned in annoyance, how many times has she said it?

Even if the earth is destroyed, Anna will not break up with me. I give her two days and she will come back to my house.

I need to take a shower and get ready for my business trip.

As I went upstairs, I heard Grace's disgruntled voice behind me.

"You went too far last night,sir.It's all over the news.Even a simple apology isn't enough this time,you owe her."

"Grace,don't overstep your boundaries.Anna understands why I had to leave like that last night and she'll be back so mind your business."I warned her that I was going upstairs.

Negotiation time is very urgent, I am sure that a man's favor will make a woman become arrogant and lose her temper without a bottom line. Anna is like most women, which is why I don't like to coax her.

So far, Anna knows this, she can always digest bad emotions quickly.

I'm certain that when I come back, Anna will come back here again.

***********

*GIANNA*

After arriving in Burbank, I went straight to the house where my parents used to live. It wasn't a mansion, just a cozy little apartment, but I spent my entire childhood here. I saw that the flowers in the vase on the front lawn had withered and looked messy. I remembered when my parents were still alive, they always kept the front lawn tidy, and we even won an award for having the neatest garden in the community. Thinking of this, my eyes became moist. My parents loved me very much and raised me well.

It made me question why I had been obsessed with Maxim.

It wasn't as if I had lacked anything growing up.

Was it his charm,his gorgeous look and how good he is in.

But Maxim always believed that I was just a shameless gold-digger, because compared to Nadia, I was just a small-town girl.

Stop!

I had to stop thinking about him.I had left him for Nadia now so he doesn't have to keep canceling on me to be with her.

He can have her now.

I won't be in the way.

I never saw myself as the other woman and I have to work on forgiving myself for begging a man to love me.

Settling down didn't take much time.I felt so much at home and at peace.

Just three days after returning, I ran into my childhood friend Griffin. Griffin lived nearby, and we attended elementary, middle, and high school together, but I went to the capital city of Meloria for college.

He didn't look as skinny as I remembered from childhood. Instead, his muscular physique was evident. He was just wearing a simple striped shirt and jeans, but you could see the results of his workouts, complemented by his tanned hair, deep eyes. God, he really was a perfect hunk.

Griffin was surprised that I had suddenly returned. I smiled and said, "You know, Meloria is always so cold. After living there for five years, I realized I still prefer Burbank."

"Anna...you're always so optimistic and positive. You know I've always liked that about you," Griffin said.

Liked me? Griffin had a crush on me? I didn't know how to respond, especially since I had just ended a long-term relationship. I planned to find an excuse to leave, but Griffin held me back.

"Anna, are you married?"

I frowned, why would he ask that?

I shook my head. Three days ago, I was supposed to get engaged to my boyfriend, but he called it off for another woman. I saw Griffin's eyes light up. Then, his next words made me stare at him in shock.

"Anna, will you marry me?"

*GIANNA*

Marry him? Did I hear it wrong?

"What.what are you saying,Griffin?"

"Please, Anna. I know this is sudden for you, but I'm running out of time. I need to find someone to marry me."

I immediately brought him to my villa. Griffin didn't seem like a casual guy, so I had to know his reasons for this. I got him a cup of coffee, then sat down looking at him. "Listen, Griffin, I want to know why you're doing this."

Griffin took a sip of coffee, then took a deep breath and began telling his story.

Griffin told me that he had just returned to our small town as well. He had married the daughter of a wealthy family overseas. Unfortunately, Griffin's wife passed away about a year ago. After that, his in-laws had been fighting him for custody of the child. His in-laws insisted that their daughter's death was related to Griffin, but the truth was, his wife was willing to marry him because she wanted to escape her overly controlling parents. She had no freedom and felt like a corpse.

In their first year of marriage, his wife told him she had never been happier, but soon illness struck her.

He loved his wife dearly, and before she passed, she made him promise to be involved in the child's life. She didn't want their child to become another version of herself.

But his in-laws refused to believe Griffin's account. They even filed a restraining order against him in court, and Griffin was expelled.

The court told Griffin that he had to prove he was married, otherwise they would never allow him to take the child, because his in-laws never supported his marriage to their daughter.

I frowned. Married? I had only ever thought of marrying Maxim.

"Anna! Please. This is my only hope. I feel like if it's you, the court will believe we're actually married. We've known each other since we were little, so they probably won't have any doubts about the legitimacy of our marriage."

"Griffin, marriage is..."

Griffin cut me off. "It's just a marriage of convenience, Anna. I just need to get Emmett back, and once everything is resolved, we'll get divorced."

I ran my hand through my hair as I sat on the couch.

"Still,I.I don't think this is right."

Griffin bent in front of the couch and held my hand.

"Please,Anna.I'm desperate.My in-laws are filing for full custody.If they succeed,Emmett might think I abandoned him.He's barely coming around to never seeing his mother again.I can't leave him with the thought of never seeing me again too.I don't even know if they would take good care of him.And that is why I need to take care of him myself.Please,Anna.Lily always talked about how toxic her family was,I'm sure she would want Emmett to be with me."Oh God.

Recalling how sweet Lily was made me tear up.

But this isn't going to hurt,right?

I just needed to pretend to be married to him for a short while.

He gets his son back and everything will be fine.

"Okay,then.Let's get married."

And that was how Griffin and I got a marriage certificate the following day.

We didn't do much.We only went to court and took some pictures to show as our wedding pictures and he was sure that would help with his case.

*****************

*MAXIMUS*

Three days passed.I stared at the jewelry boxes beside me on the back seat as we headed for my mansion.

I had just landed from my business trip and I was sure that Anna was waiting for me at home.

She must be over that canceled engagement party now.

I instructed Jacob,my secretary.

"Give Grace a call and ask her if Anna has gotten glammed up.The stylist must be done by now so I can take her to the seafood restaurant she loves a lot."

"Yes sir."

After a few minutes,he said to me."Grace isn't answering."

I rolled my eyes.

I had no idea why Grace was so mad about this canceled engagement.

She literally isn't Anna.Just my old housekeeper.

It practically can be done anytime.

Women just love throwing tantrums.

Fine.I fucked up with the engagement party and I was making an effort to apologize tonight so this should be over with already.

**********

Jacob opened the door for me when we got to my Manor.I got down from the car and walked into the house.

There was an odd vibe around the house like the last time I was home.

There was still no Anna running up to the door to hug me.

I tugged off my jacket and called.

"Grace!"

Grace hurried in.

"Welcome home,sir."

"Where's Anna?"

"Miss Weston hasn't been home since that night,sir.I've called her so many times but she didn't pick up."

I frowned.

"I'm so worried about her.She looked so hurt that night and I'm scared something bad might have happened to her."

My teeth clenched.

Anna was always so bright and sunny,I'm sure nothing would have happened to her.

I can't believe she's still mad about the engagement cancellation.

I had thought she might've come back home by now.

Why was she suddenly being so difficult?

I brought out my cellphone and shot her a text.

"I'm sorry.Come back home and I'll throw as many engagement parties as you want."

She should be glad that I'm apologizing to her.

I rarely apologize to anyone!

I was stunned to see that my message didn't deliver.

Did she.

She blocked me?!

What has come over her?

She has always been docile and rarely gets angry with me, but this time she rejected my text messages?

My brows furrowed again, and I felt angry inwardly.

What was she playing at?

I found this very funny for a woman who literally worshiped the ground I walked on.

I need to know what's going on in that head of hers.

"Jacob,find her now!"I ordered.

*******

Almost thirty minutes later,Jacob Brought back news of Anna.

"Miss Weston traveled back to her hometown,sir.She's at her family house now."

My teeth clenched.

This woman could barely stay days without me and now she travelled back to her hometown cutting off communication with me?!

What a joke!

I grabbed the iPad from him,wanting to confirm how she looked.

To my surprise,she seemed to be taking a walk and she looked so relaxed.

Relaxed without me?!

How could she?!

"Jacob, go bring her home!"I ordered.