Mistaken for a Gold Digger: The Billionaire Lifelong Regret Chapter 08

Mistaken for a Gold Digger: The Billionaire Lifelong Regret Chapter 08

The doctor said my body had mostly recovered, but the emotional wounds would take more time to heal. 

I stared at the severe depression diagnosis report, watching Calvente follow the doctor to pick up my medication. 

I was sitting in the garden when someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder. 

The moment our eyes met, I watched the person in front of me go red–eyed with emotion. 

“Claudia…” 

Riccardo’s voice was hoarse and bitter. 

“So you’re here. I’ve been looking for you for so long…” 

He reached out to touch me, but I stepped back before) he could. 

I turned and walked away. 

Riccardo moved to grab me, but just before his hand reached me, Calvente – who had rushed over after hearing the commotion — caught him by the wrist. 

“Claudia, who is he?” 

The hopeful look on Riccardo’s face froze instantly. 

The eyes he turned on Calvente burned with rage. 

His eyes blazed. “I’m her husband.” 

The words had barely left his mouth before Calvente drove his fist into Riccardo’s injury. 

The sharp pain made Riccardo double over. 

“She’s my sister. She has nothing to do with you or the Bellanova family.” 

With that, Calvente shielded me and walked away without looking back, no matter how desperately 

Riccardo pleaded and cried out behind us. 

I hadn’t expected Riccardo to track me down like this. 

He came rushing out of nowhere, looking worn and haggard, gripping my hand and refusing to let go. 

“Can we talk?” Riccardo clutched my sleeve, his voice full of desperation. 

“I have nothing to say to you.” 

I tried to pull my clothes free, but his grip was iron–tight. 

“Just let me explain, Claudia. I didn’t know Lia was the 

one who drugged you back then…” 

“And Sophia – I’ve already made her pay. I’ve wronged you for so many years. You can punish me however you want. Please, just give me a chance to 

make it right. I know I was wrong, I… 

Before he could finish, Calvente came running over and kicked him to the ground. 

“The great heir of the Bellanova family, crawling around like a dog.” 

Calvente watched as Riccardo struggled to get up, too weak to manage it for a long moment, and spat on the ground with open contempt. 

“If I ever see you touch my sister again, I’ll cut your hands off.” 

But the threat didn’t bring Riccardo to his senses. If anything, it pushed him further over the edge. 

Riccardo abandoned everything at the company and started lingering outside the estate every single day. 

Calvente watched him, frowning. 

“Want me to have someone knock him out and dump him back home?” 

I looked at that figure in the distance. “He won’t leave until he gives up hope.” 

I got out of the car. 

Sure enough, Riccardo came rushing over immediately. 

He sidled up to me, trying to get in my good graces. 

“Claudia, I remember your stomach isn’t great, so I got up early this morning and personally…” 

With a sharp slap, I knocked the breakfast out of his hands and sent it flying. 

Riccardo looked down at his empty hands and forced a strained smile. 

“You don’t want it?” 

“That’s okay. I’ll bring something different next time.” 

He didn’t get to finish. 

“Riccardo, I don’t like you.” 

“I don’t like anything that comes from you.” 

I held his gaze as his eyes went red, and spoke slowly, one word at a time. 

“Back then, I had a fight with my family. I went to a dinner party and walked into the wrong room.” 

“I don’t know what happened with your older brother, and I was never the kind of woman you accused me of being – trying to sleep my way up.” 

“I know, I…” 

Riccardo reached for my hand. I shoved it away hard. 

“I was wrong.” Riccardo lowered his head. 

“I misjudged you.” 

“I love you, Claudia. Do you remember when we were 

kids – you saved a boy who had sneaked out and fallen into the water? You even gave him a…‘ 

“I don’t remember.” I looked at him and cut him off, my voice cold. 

Facing his disbelieving stare, I repeated it without any feeling at all. 

“Riccardo. I don’t remember.” 

Riccardo’s hands froze in midair, carefully cradling the necklace. 

I looked at what he was holding like it was the most precious thing in the world, and snatched it from him. 

I threw it on the ground and crushed it under my foot. 

“No!” Riccardo cried out and threw himself to the ground, instinctively covering the broken pieces with his hands.