How to Train Your Ex-Billionaire novel Chapter 52

"I didn't go out with her today. I canceled last minute," Yvan said flatly, loosening his tie.

Monica was taken aback. "What? You canceled? Why?"

"I don't like her. Why shouldn't I cancel?"

His grandmother was determined to set him up with Cornelia, resorting to every trick in the book—even threatening to stop taking her blood pressure medication—just to get them to go on a date.

He had reluctantly agreed, but then he'd run into Winifred and completely forgotten about the date.

When Cornelia finally called after waiting for ages, Yvan had simply said something came up and he couldn't make it, which had made her so mad she nearly threw her phone.

Monica fumed, "Cornelia is such a wonderful girl. How can you not like her?"

Yvan scoffed, "The world is full of wonderful women. Am I supposed to like all of them?"

Seeing Yvan's impatience as he turned to go upstairs again, Monica quickly changed her tune. "Fine, fine, you don't like her. I'll introduce you to other girls. What type of girl do you like? Tell me, and I'll keep an eye out for you."

"Don't bother. I can handle my own affairs."

With that, Yvan went upstairs.

Monica watched his retreating back, muttering to herself, "Handle your own affairs? Then why don't you bring a girlfriend home? I should ask Todd sometime. Maybe he knows what kind of girls Yvan likes. Young people understand each other."

Yvan sank onto the sofa in his bedroom, feeling drained.

Winifred's words from earlier echoed in his mind, sending waves of pain through him.

She hated him. What right did she have to hate him? She was the one who broke up with him. If anyone should be feeling hatred, it should be him.

He instinctively reached for another cigarette.

For the first time, the nicotine did nothing to soothe him; it only made him feel more frustrated and bitter.

Just then, his phone rang. He picked it up and was surprised to see it was Delia. He had given her his business card in the car earlier, telling her she could call him if she needed anything.

"Delia, is everything alright?" His voice softened instinctively.

"Please don't misunderstand," Yvan said with a smile. "I'm interested in Winifred, and I was wondering… is she married? I just got back from overseas and we haven't been in touch for a long time. I felt too awkward to ask her directly."

"Oh, so you want to pursue Winifred!" Nancy's smile returned in full force. "Go right ahead! Winifred isn't married. In fact, she's single—doesn't even have a boyfriend."

Delia had said he was not only incredibly kind but also very handsome.

Nancy had suspected then that he was always around Winifred for a reason. Turns out, he wanted to ask her out.

Since that was the case, she was more than happy to give them a little push. Winifred was twenty-six, after all. It was time for her to start dating.

"Alright. Thank you, Delia's mom," Yvan said, his voice steady as he ended the call.

He was so agitated that the hand holding his cigarette began to tremble. So she wasn't married. She was single.

But why had she lied to him? Did she despise him that much, enough to want nothing to do with him?

At that thought, Yvan's mood soured, and the frustration returned with a vengeance.