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So slowly, she made herself turn to Helios and meet his gaze. “I used to think...it was only because I was afraid of him. But I realized...it wasn’t that at all. I kept doing it because I wanted to show him I loved him—” Her voice broke at the last word.
She looked at Helios, and unshed tears choked her voice. “I wanted to prove toyouthat I love you, but that’s wrong.”
“No, dammit, no.” Helios grabbed her hand and pressed it to his lips. He felt so fucking scared by how she was talking. It couldn’t be the end. She had to understand he had only been afraid, but now he knew the truth. It wouldn’t be like that ever again.
“MJ, listen—”
But the pain in her eyes made him feel like he no longer deserved to speak.
She whispered, “I’m so tired of trying to earn someone’s love. I don’t want to do it anymore.” She forced a smile. It was so hard to smile when she felt like her heart had just died. But she had to. “So President—”
That last term felt like a knife stab. He whitened even more, and he gritted out, “Don’t call me that—”
“Could you let Astrid know I’m relinquishing the fight for you?”
PART TWO
PROLOGUE
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“You were supposed tocome here with a woman,” one of the heavily armed men guarding the doorway said brusquely, his gaze suspicious as he gave James a swift but expert body check. The man opposite him didn’t speak, the bored expression on his face unchanging even as he pulled out his gun from his holster and cocked it, aiming for the side of James’ temple.
James straightened to his full height, reminding himself that he had nothing to be scared of. “That’s what I’m here to talk about.”Asshole.But he only added the last part silently, knowing that he would be an idiot to risk saying it. These goons wouldn’t give a fuck that they had racing royalty in their presence. All they knew was that James was supposed to be with his daughter – and he wasn’t.
Goddamn you, MJ, where the fuck are you?Stupid girl had always been a disappointment. He should’ve just sold the brat to her real dad. James knew he would have probably earned himself an easy one mil if he had done that. Maybe even five mil. Madeline’s ex-lover had always been a sentimental fool. But in the end, James’ desire for vengeance had won. Every time he made MJ suffer, it was like making that man pay a thousand times.
“I suppose you have an explanation for this?”
The oily voice coming from the man seated on the cushion, smoking a tobacco cigar, caused James’ thoughts to come to an abrupt halt. All thoughts of talking his way out of trouble fled, too. Even with the notorious crime lord hidden in the shadows, being in the presence of Manolito Chavez served as an effective reminder of what his ego had tried to make him forget.
This man killed for pleasure, but he also liked to kill when he was disappointed.
James started to babble. “I’m sorry. My daughter was supposed to be in town, but she just seemed to have disappeared. But she doesn’t have any other family. I can ask around, use my rights as her father to find out where she is. I just need some time.”
“You have one month.”
