Law #1: Never Bet on Love: A Sweet Billionaire Love Story (Laws of Love) by Agnes Canestri (the beginning after the end novel read .TXT) 📗

distracted raising Murphy and when she was organizing her new life with Malcom. She visited me regularly at my boarding school, and when she couldn’t come, she always sent me packages. I still recall the joy of receiving one of those during those empty Saturdays in St. James Academy.

“For that to happen, Eva would need to start to care about him,” Murphy adds coyly, but a look from our aunt silences him. Murphy stands up. “I need to go now. I have a patient with severe agoraphobia I need to visit.” He winks at Marjorie. “Auntie, while you’re addressing this topic, why don’t you give Nate some advice about women. I think he needs it.”

“Ha, ha, ha, so funny, Murph.” I growl, but Murphy only chuckles at my reaction.

He walks toward the exit and soon we hear a loud thump as he pulls the door shut behind himself.

After he disappears, Marjorie blinks back at me. Despite her fragile figure and pale complexion, her eyes bear a piercing intensity.

I shift on my chair. “Don’t judge me so harshly for agreeing to play along with Murphy. I did it because I didn’t see another way. Not when Mother entrusted him with so much power over my fate.”

She bobs her head from side to side. “Yes, I know. I still can’t figure why Holly did that. But, Nathan, to bet about a girl’s feelings? That’s not a joke.”

“I know that. And I’m not taking this bet lightly, either.”

Marjorie shakes her head. “That’s not what I meant.”

I’m aware that I’m moving in the moral grey area by pretending to like someone just to gain their trust. Even if, for now with Eva, I didn’t need to feign interest. It comes naturally for some weird reason.

I’m not comfortable admitting this to myself much less to my aunt, and at the same time, it’s hard to stand the condemning look on her face, so I reply, “Eva, this woman I’m supposed to, uhm, pursue, seems rather tough at giving her trust to men. I’m usually good at reading people, despite what Murphy likes to think.”

“I know you are, Nathan. And I think your brother knows it, too. But he believes that you’re wrong to refuse getting attached to anyone. To feel for anyone. Perhaps this bet is his attempt to teach you this?”

“No. This bet is his way of screwing with me. To take away what he knows I want most. As if I haven’t missed out on enough.”

The bitterness coloring my words must originate from some dark corner of my soul. It surprises me more than Marjorie.

She leans her face into her palm and sighs. “Oh, dear. I know you’ve endured so much. Your mother should have never sent you away. But it was hard for her too. You need to accept that my sister didn’t love your father. Her real soulmate is Malcom. That’s why she married him so soon after your father’s death. Murphy was just a baby, but you were already a boy. And you didn’t like Malcom.”

I still don’t.

This trip down memory lane isn’t doing me any good, so I clear my throat. “Anyway, back to Eva. As I said, she’s a smart woman. Even if she starts to take a fancy to me, she won’t go all in with her heart.”

“If you know this, then why bother wooing her, Nathan? You should just tell Murphy that—”

“But I don’t even need her to, Auntie. People often mistake a simple crush for love. I’m certain that even Murphy doesn’t really know the difference.”

I don’t either, to be fair. But at least I don’t go around claiming that I do.

Marjorie’s lips slowly curl up. “So you’re not planning on actually making this girl fall for you only to leave her high and dry?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I just want her to have a slight infatuation, enough to be gushy about me when she accompanies me to the fundraiser. That should do the trick with Murphy and win me the seat as CEO.”

Marjorie claps her hands. “That’s more the Nathan I like to see. I’ve always known that deep down you care about the feelings of others.” She grins and a mischievous glint invades her eyes. It makes her look almost as healthy as she was before her diagnosis. “Do you want me to tell you a secret about women, my son?”

“Will it help me to win the bet?”

“It might.”

“Then, I’m all ears.”

And I am. Even if I’ve put on a good show for Murphy, I’m at a bit of a loss when it comes to what my next step with Eva should be. Gifts are not her thing. Nor is a bold invitation. Even compliments didn’t go a long way. I’m not sure what I can still do…

Marjorie bends forward, squinting. “Here is the secret, Nathan. Women like men who show their soft sides. It doesn’t matter if you’re rough around the edges or cold on the surface. Your uncle Gerard was just the same. Still, he won me over. You know why? Because what really counts is whether you can be honest about your shortcomings. You need to be genuine. Show who you are.”

I furrow my brows at Marjorie.

I recall Eva’s smile as I told her the real story behind the earrings instead of keeping the facade of coolness. Maybe that was the time I had the feeling of being close to her, indeed.

Can it be this simple?

I’ve brainstormed complicated A,B,C—heck, even H scenarios—about how I should behave with her. I’ve written an entire page filled with elaborate schemes. I’ve looked at all different angles in my mind to pinpoint what the most successful tactic would look like…and now, Marjorie is suggesting that the foot-in-the-mouth way I behaved, when Eva’s presence messed with my brain, is the way to go?

But if it was, wouldn’t I be having a coffee with Eva instead of my aunt? I shake my head. “You know, Auntie, despite my best efforts, I did behave the way