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“He wants you to ask himwhy.”
She started to cry, and he pulled her into his arms. Closed his eyes. Tightened his hold on her.
Because they both knew he wasn’t done yet.
“You’ve never stopped hurting since that day, Annie,” he whispered bleakly.
She didn’t answer, only cried harder against his chest.
“If there was something I could do – any of us could do to stop the pain, we’d have done it for you. You know that, don’t you?”
“Y-yes.”
“But there’s nothing. There’s nothing except this.” He pressed his lips to his sister’s head. “You can’t live the rest of your life with this much pain in your heart. It’s impossible. You must find the courage to face him again, Annie – if not for your sake, then for us. Do it for us.”
Three
“You will likely sayI am being biased again, but youhaveprogressed a lot since the first time you came to me,mio figlio.”
“You’re right,Padre Adolfo.I don’t believe you.”Marcus’ tone was faintly ironic, but the twitch of his lips effectively softened the words. “You are a priest before a psychologist, I think. Being optimistic is intrinsic in your line of work.”
The bespectacled white-haired man seated in front of him laughed. “You, on the other hand, are too hard on yourself.” Leaning forward, the priest gave his young and most generous benefactor a brief pat on the hand. “Youarea changed man, Marcus.”
The Italian billionaire didn’t speak.
Leaning back, the priest said with an understanding smile, “I may not be as pessimistic as you are, but you must also remember that my, err, line of work prohibits me from lying.”
There was a moment of silence before Marcus inclined his head, saying with a faint grimace, “Touché,Padre.”
“Know that the words weren’t meant to score a point. They’re only to open your eyes to who you’ve become.” Standing up from his armchair to signify the end of their counseling session, the priest offered his hand to the younger man, saying firmly, “No more looking back, Marcus. You are a different man now. Not perfect, but then only God is. What you are now is the best man you can be – and you can only be better when you finally take that leap of faith we have been preparing the entire year for.”
The priest’s words remained with Marcus even when he had long left the parish and was boarding his jet for a half-day flight to Europe. Padre Adolfo made it sound so damn easy, but he knew that when the moment to take the said fucking leap came – he wasn’t sure at all if he would be able to do it.
The last twelve months had not been good to Marcus Ravelli. Every damn day was still a constant struggle, and when he was alone – like now – he couldn’t help questioning himself.Even if he did change – even if he had changed – was that enough to make him deserving of another chance with Anneke?
Being served divorce papers had brought Marcus to the lowest point of his life, and he had ceased caring about anything, anyone, and certainly not himself. His company would’ve gone belly-up if not for Jaike urging her husband Derek Christopoulos to make a timely intervention. The couple had been the only ones unafraid of him – and cared enough for him – to keep Marcus from self-destructing. Even so, he had resisted their every effort to help him, his manner violent and abrasive until that one day the Greek billionaire had bailed him out of jail.
