The Billionare's Redemption (Made men #2)

                                                                          Her She ran across the street, barely missed by a small red sports car; the driving honking as he yelled rudely in addition. The high noon sun turned her cheeks to such a bright shade of red, making her already pale smooth skin to alabaster white. Liv was out of breath when she stepped into the cozy, friendly little restaurant she and her friends had lunch every Wednesday. She joined the two brunettes already seated on their usual table.  "We already order your usual drink. Are you all right? You are later." Gia asked in a voice full of concern. Gia wasn't only her friend but her art manager. They met when Liv attended an open tour of The louvre in France Four years ago. Gia was a student of art from New York. It was like been back in New York after eight long years. Their love in art was just the icing on their friendship. It was a joy for Gia and Liv too that Gia was hired by one of the best museums in Rome.  "Don't tell me you had to drive from De Rossi state." That was Quinn for always to the point.  Olivia sat down and took a long sip of the cold iced tea. "No, I stayed in the apartment last night, I brought the paintings for the gallery. I also had some business in the city."  Liv listened and laughter with her friends. Watched the spectacular sight of the busy streets outside of the restaurant. She loved the city's old-world charm. When Olivia glanced at Quinn, she had the strangest look in her eyes. She was staring at her.  "What is something on my face?" Liv swapped her face with paper towels on the table. "I'm just surprised, that dress fitted you when we bought it and now it's two sizes too big for you." Quinn's words dimmed Liv's smile. She didn't want a reminder of why she was losing weight so much in these last few months. She stilled, fighting the overwhelming need to share her burden with them. Liv put on a bright smile for her friends and swallowed down any desire to share her problems. "I have an additional workout schedule, I also changed my diet." That seemed to mollify friends.  "Here, these are two tickets for the party tomorrow night. And no, this time around you have to attend your own party. We are showing a collection of six paintings from each year. Attend." Gia's voice was firm, with no room to wiggle her way out of this.  Liv took the tickets and put them in her purse without arguing with Gia. Maybe she could have a little enjoyment out of life before she was to leave this earth. It wasn't like Arman wasn't having a grand old time, having been splashed on the covers of every gossip magazine known to mankind. "No," she thought fiercely. She would not think of "he who must not be named" as her friends, so eloquently named him.  "So, will you bring someone with you to the party?"  Liv could not help but laugh at her friend's inquiry into her life. Bold, noisy Quinn who was flirtatious and knew well enough that she was not interested in men. It was always the same song and dance with her. She would ask this question Liv would shrug. Then the digging into her love life will begin. But Liv was not in the mood for the Q&A today. It wasn't long after Liv made her apologies with sympathetic looks from the two girls and promising she would attend the party tonight. She climbed into the back of the limo across the street. She felt tired with that small exertion. Her breathing labored. Xander her opposite gave her a bottle of icy water and her pain medicine from the cooler. Liv took them with a grateful murmured thanks.  "I need to find a dress for tonight Xander. Can you have the John take me somewhere small and quiet"  "It's cute that you think there is a fashion house that's small or quiet in Rome. But thankfully I know somewhere even better. Don't you think you should follow the Doctor's advice to rest?"  "It's fine Xander, by tomorrow morning we will go home and have Debra and Vasquez fuses over me for a while. How does that sound?" She asked him with a hint of teasing in her voice. Olivia moved around the exhibition of her art. The open floor of the gallery filled with socialites and their dates, each woman trying to outdo the other. There were whispers and looks through her way but since there wasn't a soul who knew her or the knew her without the acne and the extra weight with a bad hair dye job, she paid no attention to them.  Liv took a flute from a passing waiter and sipped at it to keep herself busy until such a time came she could slip with no one been the wiser. She smiled at the gallery manager Thomas as he charmed a group of women. She felt tingling along her spine as chills broke out all along her back. She turned for only her eyes to clash with her husband.  He was standing five feet behind her with his six feet three inches of gorgeous male beauty. His moss-green eyes fixed on her. The carious interest in his eyes made her shiver. How insulting for your own husband to look right at you and not reorganize you at all. The tall brunette beside him moved in front of him, obscuring most of him. But his green eyes never left her.    Olivia placed the flute she was holding. The champagne has gone lukewarm in her none responsive fingers. She handed her glass to another waiter passing by collecting empty cups. She knew he was still watching her. She felt his eyes wander down her back. She looked back at him and saw the brunette placing a possessive hand on his shoulder. Her stomach dipped in a sickening sensation.  She walked away without another glance back at him. The hush reality of her life smacking her in the face. The cool air of the open terrace gave her much needed clearance. She rubbed her palms on her upper arms as she gazed at the sky, listening to the sounds of the party-goers and the music playing in the background.   "Enjoying the view?" The smooth voice that felt like it was covered in dark chocolate slid down at the nape of her neck.   Olivia whirled, letting out a startled gasp. "What are you doing here?" "I also like to gaze at the night sky." His voice affected her just as it did when she was a teenager.        "You look very familiar, do I know you?" Liv's hands shook. She suddenly felt ridiculous standing there looking and talking to her own husband like a stranger. Eyes swapped up and down her body as though trying to put a name to what he recognized about her. The bluntness of his stare made blood rush to her face. "I'm Arman. What is your name?" The way he asked her the question made all her senses come alive.   "Olivia Atkinson De la cal leal Delgado sand."  With that little bomb of information Liv slipped by him, taking advantage of his momentary shock and walked out.