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“Frederic sold company secrets to competitors, princess. It was a cash grab because he wanted money. Quickly. He was desperate and did awful things and that’s why he was fired and lost a great deal of his investment, and so did I.” He ruined us because he shared valuable information, and I saw my company go up in flames. I failed while the world thought I’d succeed.
I lost so much money, and everyone involved only saw failure. My family’s name was tarnished by my company’s mistakes while it was solely one man’s doing.
But Frederic continues to ruin my life: this time robbing me of the love of my life. Something so precious and close to my heart.
I don’t want him to win again.
There’s disbelief on her face and bags under her eyes. She looks so tired and fed up with everything and everyone around her. I want to ease the pain and be the one to help her navigate life.
Another tear falls from her eyes, and it’s like a punch to the gut. I’m part of the reason there’s so much sorrow on her face.
She breathes in deeply and wipes that lonely tear from her eye.
“So, he did lie,” Evangeline says firmly, fixing a cold look on her face.
“Yes,” I whisper, and she nods her head, pushing her shoulders back, and in the blink of an eye, she moves toward the front door.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“Home. I have a brother to deal with and a wedding to prepare for,” she says, and I quickly grow desperate.
“What about us?” I ask, fearing that once she leaves my house, it’ll be over.
“What about it? You believe love is not enough, but I know it is.” I wince at her words.
“Evangeline, don’t say that,” I whisper, moving closer to her, but she shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head like she’s already given up on me.
“Time is ticking away, Chester.” Her voice cracks, and it hits me straight in my chest.
“I love you and I’m trying to figure it out, princess. I’m trying.” I reach out my hand and cup her cheek softly. The coldness drops instantly, and those painful eyes stare back at me. I feel pressure on my chest, and it becomes harder to speak without choking up. Because as much as I blame Frederic for his sister’s pain, I am also responsible.
Her lips wobble, and I tug her closer to me by grabbing her hip. Tears roll over her cheeks, and it guts me.
“I have to go,” she whispers, tugging my hand from her cheek.
“No, please,” I beg. “You have to hear me out.” I reach for her hands, feeling how small they are compared to mine. I bring them to my lips and kiss them.
A sad smile covers her lips.
“I don’t have time, Chester. I have pressing matters to attend to and they’re waiting for me.” I feel her slipping through my fingers as she turns around and walks away.
“I love you,” I whisper, and Evangeline halts. She looks over her shoulder and her eyes meet mine.
“I love you too.” And a second later, she storms out of my house.
“Fuck,” I yell, and it feels as if she clawed out my heart with her departure. The empty spot in my chest screams for her to put it back where it belongs.
Most of all, I regret not being able to say what’s truly on my mind, on my heart. That I want to marry her but feel as if I can’t physically move forward because my fractured heart can’t take another marriage not working out. Our problems have a solution, and for the first time, I take that step forward to reach what we both deserve.
Just one. I’ll learn to take more steps forward because I’m not letting go of my princess. I’m not letting go of a life with her.
Chapter Thirty-two
Chester
Yesterday has slowly ticked by. I’ve counted the minutes, sometimes the seconds, but time never raced by. It went excruciatingly slow, and I experienced every one of those hours with my mind solely on Evangeline.
But I hit rock bottom when Moreen felt the need to comment on my lack of positivity this morning. The queen of a negative mindset demanded that I lift my spirits while she’s one of the reasons why it all escaped me. Moreen has been torturing me with every tiny detail about Evangeline’s life since the day we broke up.
