Page 61 of The Billionaire's Vow

“So, you know,” he said quietly.

It wasn’t a question.

And that was the worst part.

Because yes—she knew.

And now, there was no going back.

Chapter 24

Dimitrididn’thesitatethistime.He closed the distance between them and pulled Giselle into his arms, wrapping her up in his warmth, in his strength.

For a long moment, she remained stiff, her breath uneven, her body caught between resistance and the need for comfort.But then, slowly, carefully, she moved, tilting her head up to look at him, her eyes searching his.

“Wait…!I know… what?”

His grip on her tightened briefly before he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, breathing her in.Then he guided her over to the sofa.They sat, their knees nearly touching, the tension between them thick and heavy.

“You know your brother and Elliot are working together.”

She stared at him, uncomprehending at first.But then the weight of his words settled over her, crushing and suffocating.She jerked back, shaking her head.

“You knew?”she whispered, her voice trembling with something between betrayal and disbelief.“All this time, you knew?”

“No.”His response was immediate, firm, as he shook his head for emphasis.“I suspected.But I wasn’t sure.”

Giselle swallowed hard, struggling to breathe past the tightness in her chest.

“As soon as you warned me about the thefts, I had you and Tommy start looking into it.Something about the way Elliot approached you last month made me put him on my list of suspects.But we didn’t suspect Craig until later.”

She absorbed that silently.Dimitri watched as the emotions flickered across her face—the hurt, the sadness, the betrayal.But then, something else surfaced.A flicker of something fragile and desperate.Hope.

Her throat bobbed as she forced out the words.“So, you don’t hate me?”

“Hate you?”His brows furrowed in genuine confusion.He cupped her jaw, tilting her face toward him, his thumb brushing over her cheek.“Why would I hate you,mia cara?”

“Because my family…” Her voice cracked, and she blinked rapidly, as if trying to hold back the weight of all the years, all the burdens she’d carried for so long.“They’realladdicts!And their addictions are costing you money!”

Dimitri exhaled slowly, his expression softening.“Your family’s addictions costyoumoney, Giselle.Every month, you pay off their debts.But you don’t hate them.”

She let out a sharp breath, tensing all over again.Her hands curled into fists in her lap.“Actually…” She hesitated, her voice almost too quiet.“I think I do.”

He arched a brow, waiting.

She shook her head, eyes squeezed shut.“Idohate them, Dimitri.They are nothing more than leeches.My father has a job, but his only goal in life is to make sure he has a steady supply of beer.Even this morning when I went over there—to tell them I wouldn’t give them any more money—he was already drunk.”

Her voice wavered, and when she opened her eyes again, they were glassy, filled with a pain so raw it made something in Dimitri’s chest tighten.

Giselle had spent her entire life carrying her family members.And now, for the first time, she was beginning to see the weight for what it was.

He reached for her hands again, gently prying them open and threading his fingers through hers.“Then let them go.”

A single tear slipped down her cheek, but she didn’t pull away.Didn’t fight him.

For once, she just let herself feel.

"I'm so sorry,mi amore," Dimitri whispered, pulling her onto his lap.