The Billionaire's Bet

Chapter 57: I Still Love You

Loving her felt better than anything, better than everything. She was my anchor, my chaos, my calm. And now, she was a distant memory—yet still, she was my love.

Devon

"Devon?!" Danzel’s voice boomed through the phone, sharp and commanding.

“The one and only,” I chuckled, though my voice was hoarse. It felt strange to laugh, almost foreign. Peace wasn’t something I’d allowed myself to feel in weeks—hell, maybe months.

“Dove sei? Stai bene? Sei al sicuro?” His words came fast, frantic, and thick with frustration. It was rare to hear him like this. Danzel was the steady one, the rock. Hearing him unravel made me shift uncomfortably in my seat.

“Sto bene,” I replied, keeping my tone as even as possible. “I’m on my way home now. It’s been a hell of a couple of weeks, but at least I’m not dead, right?” I tried to joke, hoping to lighten the tension.

“Don’t you dare joke about that!” he snapped. “Do you have any idea what you put us through? We thought you were gone, Devon! Mom’s been a wreck. And... Evanly—" His voice cracked slightly, and my grip on the steering wheel tightened. “She’s been out of her mind with worry. She—she was crying, Devon. Almost inconsolable. You broke her heart again, man.”

My heart slammed against my ribcage at the mention of her name. Evanly. I could almost picture her, her green eyes glistening with tears, her lips trembling with worry. She still cared about me? After all I’d done, she still cared? The thought tore through me like a double-edged blade. God, how I missed her. How I needed her.

“Come home now,” Danzel continued. His voice was softer, more measured. “I’m on my way there too. Be safe, alright? I love you, Devon.”

The words struck a nerve. My chest tightened with guilt. How could he still love me after what I’d put them through? After the lies, the fake death, the reckless choices?

“I...” The words stuck in my throat. I swallowed hard. “I love you too, Danzel. More than you know.” My voice cracked as tears welled in my eyes. I hung up reluctantly, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.

I drove like a man possessed, running every red light, the hum of the engine roaring in my ears. But no matter how fast I drove, the memories of her—of Evanly—kept pace with me. Her laugh, her touch, her voice. It all came crashing back.

Before I reached the estate, something pulled at me. An urge I couldn’t ignore. I needed to hear her voice. Even if it ripped me apart, even if she hung up the moment she realized it was me, I had to call her.

I took a shaky breath and dialed her number.

The ringing felt endless, each second stretching like an eternity. Then, a soft, familiar voice pierced through the silence.

“Hello?”

My heart stuttered, my breath hitched. “Hey, Amorina,” I whispered, my voice betraying the storm raging inside me.

“Devon?” There was hesitation in her tone, but also something else—relief, maybe. “Is that you?”

“It’s me,” I said, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry for calling out of the blue. I just... I just needed to hear your voice.”