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Yuri's chest clenched as his sister broke down in front of him, her head lowering as if the pain was too much for her to bear, and she was unable to make a single sound even as her tears started to fall endlessly.
He took a step towards her even when the words to comfort her were out of reach, and they remained out of reach even as he pulled her into his arms, and she started sobbing against his chest.
"And I don't know...I don't know why this had to happen." Her confused gaze lifted up to him, just like how she had always done when they were young, and she would go to him when she had a question. "I just wish I knew why..."
In those days, she had believed that her big brother had all the answers in the world, and as much as he wished it was the same now—-
"I don't think we're always meant to know the answers," he said hoarsely. "But one thing I know is that things will get better—-"
"But what will getting better mean? Because I—-" Shame filled her, but Hallie didn't want to hide the truth any longer. "I still love him, Yuri," she revealed brokenly. "I know it's wrong, and I hate myself for it. I hate myself so, so much—-" Her gaze lifted up to him, her blue eyes lost in a sea of emptiness, confusion, and pain. "But I can't seem to help it," Hallie choked out in shame. "I just can't seem to stop loving him even when I k-know it's b-bad—-"
"No." And Yuri fucking believed this, regardless of what the world would think or say. "Fuck no."
"But he's married." Hallie could barely breathe as those three words threatened to kill her with the truth. "He s-said he loved me, but he...he..."
And oh God, she could still remember how he had looked at her as he cupped her face.
I'm saying stop trying to fall out of love with me...
She tried to hold on to Yuri, but the memory was too much, and she crumpled down to her knees as she saw him in her mind, and she remembered how he had bent his head while whispering the very same truth that was now destroying her from the inside.
I'm saying stop trying to fall out of love with me...because it's never going to happen.
Yuri and Kalli were both on their knees in the next second, their arms going around Hallie.
"It's never wrong to love, Hallie," her sister-in-law whispered. "Just don't steal him away."
One, two, three seconds passed, and despite everything, brother and sister were unable to help it. A tremulous laugh slipped past Hallie's lips while Yuri could only shake his head, a reluctant smile touching his lips.
Kalli wasn't sure what was so funny, but sometimes the reason didn't really matter. What was important was that her sister-in-law remembered to laugh again, after such a long, long time.
Chapter Three
Monique took a step back and beamed with pride when she saw her beautiful husband's reflection on the full-length mirror. "Don't you think we look good together?"
Andreus knew he should just fucking lie and say yes.
But he couldn't.
Monique's smile wobbled on her lips. "You obviously don't think so."
Fuck.
"I'm sorry." These days, it seemed to be the only thing he could honestly say to her. "But villains like me...we can never look good next to a saint. And that's what everyone will always think when they see us together."
"Oh, Andreus."
A blush tinged her pale cheeks, and the way it accentuated the delicateness of her features made Andreus absently reflect on how most men would probably kill to have Monique as a wife.
"I don't know why people keep saying you're this mercurial ogre I should be scared of. From the moment we met, you've always been such a charmer."
And yet here he was, with his skin crawling at the tinkling sound of her laughter.
You really are a fucking ass, Economou.
For the past ten weeks, just about everything that had to do with Monique made Andreus feel unsettled, and he had no fucking idea why that was.
While she had never attracted him, there had been a time - years even - that he had actually found her company enjoyable. But ever since marrying her, it had instantly become the opposite, and there was just something about her that had Andreus constantly on guard.
Fucking asshole, Economou. That's what you are.
And the truth of this became a thousand times more evident as soon as they arrived at the company's headquarters in San Antonio. Andreus had wanted their driver to take them straight to the building's basement parking, but Monique had insisted for Jim to drop them off by the entrance steps instead.
"We don't have anything to hide," Monique argued gently. "So why should we act otherwise?"
"I just don't want a repeat of last time."
