27. Shocking Love Triangle

Chapter 27

Shocking Love Triangle

Leo

I hated Mondays, especially Mondays after the most perfect weekend with my boyfriend and girlfriend. Smiling, because I really liked the fucking sound of that, I opened my laptop and turned it on.

It was the first weekend in what felt like forever where I’d done absolutely no work and completely turned off anything that would take me away from Libby and Ethan.

There had been nothing urgent that had happened over the weekend and nothing that the employees I hired to run things couldn’t handle. Still, it was hard to disconnect when, for the past year, I’d been laser-focused on proving to my father that I had what it takes to run the hotels when he eventually retired.

But was that even what I wanted?

He didn’t trust me, which was made clear when he told me he was done babysitting a grown man. After what happened with the blackmail, he wasn’t going to let me touch anything to do with the hotels until I proved to him that I could live a life where I wouldn’t end up losing everything or end up the hot gossip.

I ran my hand down my face as I waited for my emails to load. My gut was telling me that I didn’t want to be the same as my father—his life was ruled by the business and the number of zeros in his bank account.

As it was, I had plenty of money to retire and still live like I had been.

And then there was my mom. She was probably more concerned about our family image and business interests than my dad was, but at least she was still a little in touch with her heart.

I was about to start digging into my emails when a sharp knock at my office door jolted me out of my thoughts. Before I could respond, the door swung open, and Ryker walked in, his face a mask of indifference.

My stomach dropped. This couldn’t be good. Had Libby gone and talked to him that morning?

“Good morning, sunshine. What brings you by? I didn’t think we had a meeting scheduled.”

He said nothing as he strode across the room, and without a word, placed a piece of paper on my desk. He took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Confused and more than a little unnerved by his silence, I picked up the paper. As soon as I saw what it was, the blood drained from my face.

It was a printout from some trashy online tabloid that I was no stranger to. They were obsessed with the rich and elite in New York City, and in turn, made their readership crave any juicy gossip.

The headline screamed, “PLAYBOY BILLIONAIRE’S SHOCKING LOVE TRIANGLE!” Below it were two photos of me kissing Ethan and Libby. Both were taken during our weekend in the Hamptons.

My mind raced, trying to figure out how anyone could have gotten those pictures without me seeing. They were grainy, indicating they were taken from a distance.

I looked up at Ryker, desperately trying to read his expression. But his face remained impassive, giving nothing away.

“Ryker-” I started, but he held up a hand, silencing me.

“Did you read the article?”

My eyes returned to the short article under the pictures.

Well, folks, buckle up! The glittering streets of Manhattan are buzzing with news of Leonardo Caponetti entangled in a messy love triangle. That’s right, it’s debauchery at its finest!

Sources spotted the dashing Caponetti canoodling not with one, but two gorgeous companions during a wild weekend in the Hamptons. Reports are flying in about who the man and woman are, and we are here for the tea!

Friends are shaking their heads, wondering how he’ll explain this latest escapade to mommy and daddy dearest. Rumor has it that dear Leo’s claim to the Bella Grand Hotel empire has been in jeopardy for a while now.

With scandalous photos already spreading like wildfire on social media, the big question is—can our charming billionaire come back from this, or is he about to watch his empire crumble in the wake of his roguish romance? Seems like the city can’t get enough of this drama! Stay tuned for more on this developing story.

I rolled my eyes because it was the same ridiculousness they always tended to write. “I’ll have my PR team take care of this.”

“My sister’s face is plastered all over the fucking internet!” Ryker’s demeanor finally cracked, and he pointed an accusatory finger at me. “I trusted you and you’ve been fucking her!”

I cringed. “It’s not like that at all. We-”

“We?”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. This was not how I wanted Ryker to find out about us. Hell, this wasn’t how I wanted anyone to find out about us.

“It’s complicated.” I knew how weak it sounded even as the words left my mouth.

Ryker’s jaw clenched. “Complicated? That’s my sister, Leo. And her best friend. What the hell are you playing at?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “We’re not playing at anything. We’re in a relationship. All three of us.”

Ryker’s eyes widened slightly. “A relationship. All three of you.” His tone was flat, and that scared me more than him yelling or punching me in the face.

I nodded, bracing myself for whatever came next. “Yes. We’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you, but-”

“But you thought it would be better for me to find out from some sleazy gossip story?” Ryker’s voice was sharp now, anger breaking through again.

“Of course not,” I said quickly. “We had no idea anyone was watching us and taking photos.”

This was a disaster, and not just for us. It could affect the foundation and the community center. People were barely accepting as it was.

“What are you going to do?” I hated how uncertain my voice sounded.

Ryker’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something that might have been sympathy, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “I don’t know, but you better figure out how you’re going to fix this. And fast.”

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving me alone with the damning article and a sinking feeling that the perfect weekend had become the beginning of a nightmare.

Was I going to have to step down from my position because of this? If things had spread too far already, there would be no choice.

I turned back to my laptop, my heart beating so hard I thought it might escape. Damage control was what I needed to focus on. I had to get ahead of this before it spiraled even further out of control.

A meeting invitation notification popped up in the corner of my screen from my father, marked as urgent. For a moment, I hesitated, my cursor hovering over the invite.

Was this about the article, or something else entirely? Either way, I knew I couldn’t ignore it. With a resigned sigh, I accepted the meeting invite.

Thirty minutes. That was all the time I had to try and get a handle on this mess.

Grabbing my phone, I dialed my PR team, my fingers drumming impatiently on the desk as I waited for someone to pick up. When they finally did, I didn’t bother with pleasantries.

“Why the hell is there an article about my personal life plastered all over the internet?” I snapped, not bothering to hide my anger. “I want it and any other photos gone. Now. And I want to know why it was up long enough for someone to print it out and bring it to my office. I expect a full report on my desk within the hour.”

I hung up without waiting for a response, knowing they’d get the message. Running a hand through my hair, I tried to calm my racing thoughts. This was bad. Really bad.

Glancing at my watch, I realized I needed to head out if I was going to make it to my father’s office on time. It was in the same business park of buildings, but with elevators and people going to work, it might take a while.

I grabbed my phone and headed for the door, my mind already running through potential explanations and damage control strategies.

As I stepped into the hallway, lost in thought, I nearly collided with Libby.

“Hi. I was just coming to say good morning since you were gone before me and Ethan woke up.” She looked up at me with a smile, completely oblivious to the storm that was brewing around us.

I was tempted to tell her what was going on, but she was in such a good mood. Plus, I didn’t know the extent of things yet, and why ruin her day? The gossip website could have just posted the article for all I knew.

“Good morning.” I kissed her and forced a smile that I hoped she couldn’t see through. “I’ve got an urgent meeting with my father. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Her face fell slightly. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just some business stuff.” Either way, it would boil down to business, so it wasn’t a complete lie.

Before she could respond, I was already moving past her, heading for the elevators. I could practically feel her confused gaze on my back, but I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t risk her seeing the panic I was sure was written all over my face.

As I stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the lobby, I took a deep breath. Whatever fallout was coming from this article, I had to be ready.

Fifteen minutes later, my father’s executive assistant led me into his office where both he and my mother were waiting. Shit. This was bad.

Their faces were a mix of disappointment and anger. I’d seen this look before, but somehow, this time felt different. I was almost thirty, yet they made me feel like a wayward thirteen-year-old all over again.

I plopped down in the chair next to my mother, crossing my arms over my chest like a petulant teenager since that was how they were probably going to treat me. “What’s this about?”

“Leonardo.” My father’s voice held a warning, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Care to explain this?” He slid the same article Ryker had shown me across the desk.

“No.”

“No?” My mom’s voice was shrill. “This is scandalous! Two people, Leonardo? One is a man!”

“It’s not scandalous. We’re in a committed relationship with each other. Committed people kiss publicly.” My temper, which I usually kept in control, was rising to the surface, and I had to remind myself that blowing up at them wasn’t going to help matters.

My father pinched the bridge of his nose. “Leo, have you forgotten about the couple that blackmailed you? What if they resurface now? This kind of publicity is exactly what they’d capitalize on.”

I hadn’t thought about that. The memory of that nightmare made my stomach churn.

“And what about your future?” My mother chimed in. “How are you supposed to find a suitable wife and give us grandbabies when you’re gallivanting around like this?”

“Luca’s in a poly relationship,” I pointed out, frustration coloring my voice. “Why is it different for me?”

My mother’s face fell. “Don’t remind me. Your brother has already jeopardized his chances. We can’t have both of you throwing away your futures.”

“So, I’m held to a higher standard?” I scoffed. “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“Watch your language,” my father warned. “Luca has made it clear he has no interest in running things. He also doesn’t have his indiscretions plastered all over the internet. You, on the other hand, seem to attract scandal like a magnet.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “What do you want from me? I can’t live in isolation because some idiots don’t understand the concept of privacy.”

“We want you to be responsible and to think about the consequences of your actions. You’re supposed to take over when I retire. No one is going to respect a man who-”

“Who loves two people? Who fucks men?” Since both of them were skirting around the major issue, I’d say it for them.

My mother leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with what I recognized as her ‘I have a solution’ look. “There is a way to fix this, Leo. You’ll marry Clara Accardo.”

Not this again.

If I had a dollar for every time my mother tried to get me and Luca to marry Clara, I’d be an independent billionaire.

“Mom, I’ve told you before, I’m not interested in Clara.” And she’s not interested in me… or men. “I’m not marrying someone to appease you or the press. I’m in a relationship with two people I care about deeply. Why can’t that be enough?”

My father slammed his hand on the desk. “Because it’s not! This isn’t just about you, Leo. It’s about our legacy. Every time you pull a stunt like this, it affects all of us.”

I stood up, unable to sit still any longer. “What do you want me to do? End my relationship? Pretend to be someone I’m not?”

My parents exchanged a look, and I knew whatever they were about to say, I wouldn’t like it.

“We’ll announce your engagement to Clara and do damage control if the photos from the weekend have spread wide. You’ll also return to work with me and begin working with a publicist to fix your image.” My father’s voice was firm and held no room for argument. He couldn’t be serious about controlling every aspect of my life.

“And if I refuse?”

Neither of them spoke, and that was all the answer I needed. Unlike my brother, I did want to take over things for my father and had been preparing for it practically my whole adult life.

“I see.” I straightened my jacket, my jaw set. “And what about what makes me happy?”

My mom reached out and took my hand. I should have pulled away, but she had tears in her eyes, and I was a damn sucker when she got emotional.

“How long would something like that really last, Leonardo?” She squeezed my hand, but it did nothing to comfort me.

I honestly didn’t have an answer to that question. Things had barely started between us, but I was already falling for them. But was I only falling for the idea of being loved too? Of having someone to come home to?

“How long do I have?” I couldn’t think with the pressure coming from all angles.

My father looked at his Rolex. “The statement has already been released.”

Fuck.