“What better way to punish him,” he continued, his voice almost thoughtful, “than to have the woman he loves tell him, a week before his wedding, that she doesn’t love him at all.”
“He won’t believe it,” she insisted.
He raised the gun, the cold barrel hovering near her face.
“Then make sure he believes it. If you say anything else, if you warn him or try to be clever,” his voice dropped, deadly calm, “and he walks through that door, I will use this. I’m sure you don’t want that.”
Tears burned behind her eyes, but she forced them back.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice breaking despite herself. “What do you want?”
“First,” he said casually, “you break his heart and tell him not to come here. Convince him you’ve already left. The rest… will come later.”
He tilted his head toward her phone.
“Do it, Shauna. Or I hurt him the moment he steps in here. And trust me, I will.”
“He’s your son,” Shauna pleaded. “How can you even think of hurting him?”
“I stopped thinking of those two children the second I left them with their grandfather. So don’t think for one minute that I care about Akash. I don’t. Now make the damn call.”
Her hands trembled as she reached for her phone. There was no choice, no other option. Her chest tightened painfully as she stared at his name on the screen.
Akash. She loved him so much.
A tear slipped down her cheek as she pressed the call button.
He would hate her after this. Hate her for the words she was about to say. But if hurting him was the price of keeping him safe, then she’d do it.
She swallowed hard, her heart breaking. She didn’t know if she was going to get out of this mess with his father. She didn’t know what he wanted. But she would never let him hurt Akash ever again.
31
His car came to a stop at a signal. Akash checked the time., Just a few more minutes, and he’d be with her. Today, like most days, had been busy for both of them, leaving no chance to meet, and now his heart lifted at the thought of finally seeing her. Being with her. The light turned green, and his bodyguard eased the car back into the evening traffic.
His lips curved into a smile as he watched the city blur past outside his window. Ever since Shauna and he had finally laid the past to rest and admitted what they felt for one another, life had settled into a happy pattern. Work kept them busy, but they still managed to snatch snippets of time during the day to meet one another. However, they did spend their evenings together, first at their new home, which was coming along beautifully, and then at his apartment.
Happiness flooded his chest. He couldn’t wait to see her. To walk into their home and find her there. To hear her voice, to feel her in his arms after another long day. And in just a week, they would be married. One week, and she would be his in every way that mattered. His partner. His wife.
His smile deepened. It all still felt surreal. Sometimes he had to pinch himself to make sure that this wasn’t just a dream.
His phone rang, and he smiled when he saw her name flash on his screen.
“Hey,” he said, answering immediately. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes max.”
There was a long pause.
“Hi,” she finally said, her voice sounding flat. Not like her usual happy self.
His brows pulled together. “Shauna? Is everything okay?”
Another long pause followed.
“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked.
“I’m ending this… us,” she said.
“What?” he let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “What do you mean, you’re ending this? Is this a joke?”
