THE BILLIONAIRE'S REBOUND

Chapter Four

He was in his home office, perched on an executive leather office chair, behind an antique mahogany desk. A small pile of paperwork laid on the desk in front of him but he was distracted, deep in thought. 

He wasn't entirely sure how to break it to her but he knew he had to, as a preventive measure and so that at least the woman would know what she was getting into. 

She deserves that much, he thought.

Although he hated to admit it, he'd not been as prepared as he'd thought to have another woman in his life, especially one that had a striking…

His train of thought was intercepted by a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." He beckoned. 

Alessandra strolled in, dressed in a dark blue power suit. Her long platinum-blond hair put away in a neat chignon with a few tendrils framing her attractive face.

Though he could tell from her expression, he couldn't help but feel disappointment when she said it.

"Nothing." Annoyance laced her low-pitched voice. 

Another investigation into his father's identity with their most promising lead had turned up fruitless. 

"There's no problem." His tone was one of dismissal and Alessa gave him a concerned look. She knew he'd had high hopes for this lead, thinking the questions that had plagued him for the majority of his childhood would finally be answered but now that seemed unlikely.

Although he didn't understand why the puzzle of his paternal identity should keep him awake at night, he was still curious. All he'd heard from his mother was that her and his father had dated for a while before getting into college and not long after, she'd been pregnant with Matteo. 

After revealing the news of her pregnancy to him, she revealed that he hadn't taken it well and had pleaded with Gianna to abort the child, when she refused, he'd left her, telling her that he never wanted to hear from her again and that he wasn't interested in being a father at such an early stage in his life, especially when he was barely a year into college.

Gianna had left him and had managed to contact her parents, telling them the news and asking for their support but even they had told her off. Matteo couldn't imagine how much she must have been hurt and afraid, all alone and at the young age of eighteen. Yet, she'd waxed strong, taking a year off from college to take care of herself and after his birth, she'd reapplied to college, working several part-time jobs to make enough money to take care of herself and Matteo. She was the strongest person he knew and he'd been more than happy when after establishing his business and making a name for himself, she'd told him that he'd made it all more than worth it. 

At the age of thirty, he'd realized his every ambition a thousand times over. He had nothing to apologize for, especially not for being born. Investigating his paternal ancestry was probably a waste of valuable time and energy but he wanted to know. if for any reason, then just to douse his curiosity or even to gloat at the older man, show off his achievements and feats.

Alessandra was a private detective and one who was damn near excellent at her job, and he'd had her investigating the identity of his father for almost four years, albeit only with a name, he believed if the man was still alive somewhere in the country, she ought to have found him. 

Maybe the man was dead.

Even as the thought occurred to him, Matteo hoped in his heart that it wasn't true, he needed to find out who he was, at all costs. He wasn't giving up anytime soon.

"What about Rumi?" He asked her, with a hint of a catch in his voice.

"Her condition is still almost the same. I'm sorry, Matt. I don't think she's getting better anytime soon." Alessa said deplorably.