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"I don't care. I chose this, Andreus. And I'll always stand by you."
He wanted to tell her that standing by him didn't require her to volunteer for a public flogging, but what was the point? If he didn't know any better, it was as if Monique got some kind of kick from turning herself into a martyred wife, but since that didn't make any sense at all—-
Fuck it.
If this was what made her happy, then that was what they'd do, and everything after that played out exactly the way he had already envisioned.
The crowd of paparazzi waiting outside HQ surged forward as soon as Andreus helped Monique out of the backseat of his limo.
Is your marriage real or is this to hide the fact your husband's gay?
Come on, Mrs. Economou! Tell the truth!
Take pride with who you are!
Come out of the closet! Give us something!
Someone from the crowd hurtled something at them, and it was already too late for security to react in any way. A powder bomb had already exploded, and the whole crowd laughed as rainbow-colored dust burst above Andreus and Monique's heads.
"Happy gender reveal, cocksucker!"
Monique let out a gasp, but Andreus, his features still etched in steel, didn't give her a chance to confront the crowd like she had been prone to in the past.
"Let it go," he said quietly.
She stared at him in dismay. "But—-"
Andreus took hold of her hand and led her inside, and this rare touch had Monique quickly swallowing the rest of her protest. She turned to him as soon as they were inside the elevator, and Andreus, sensing this, turned to face her as well.
"Oh, Andreus." She reached up to brush the streaks of powder from his suit, and Andreus' jaw clenched as he fought against the urge to push her away.
"How can they be so mean? They don't even know what's really going on!"
The distress in her voice was evident, but it was as if he was numb, and he couldn't even make himself feel the smallest ounce of sympathy or gratitude.
God, I'm such a fucking asshole.
He saw Monique take a deep breath when the elevator doors opened, and she glanced up when his grip on her hand tightened.
"You don't have to do this—-"
"Of course I do." She was speaking to him as if he were a child this time, and he could only grit his teeth as he struggled to contain his dislike. "I promised to be your wife, Andreus, for better or for worse, and I meant it."
What the hell was wrong with him?
Andreus knew he should be fucking grateful for her loyalty, but his heart was dead, and even though he knew she would rather hear sweet lies from him—-
"I don't deserve your kindness...and I don't think I ever will."
He could only give her the truth, and what would always be true was how his heart would only beat for Hallie and no one else.
Monique was quick to smile and conceal her frustration and resentment. "You've made it clear from the start where I stand, and I've also told you where I stand. I'm just happy being able to help you, and that has never changed."
Andreus could only nod...since there was nothing else to say. No matter what Monique did, his feelings for her would never change...just like his own feelings for Hallie would never change.
They finally entered the boardroom, and just like that, his dark eyes found her like his soul would always find its other half.
Hallie.
Her dark hair was longer than he remembered. Her face painfully paler and thinner, but it was still the loveliest thing he had ever seen, and God, God, God.
How did one take his gaze away from the light, after having lived all these weeks in absolute darkness?
He remembered his princess reaching up to trace his lips.
Tell me I'm not dreaming any of this?
And at that time, he had answered her with what he thought was the truth.
You're not dreaming this.
But as they both knew now, he had been wrong.
What they had was and could only be a dream.
Chapter Four
I'm not special anymore. I'm not. I'm not.
It was the first thing Hallie thought of when the doors to the boardroom opened, and she saw him walking in.
Her fingers tightened around the padded armrests of her chair, but it still wasn't enough to stem the turbulent mix of emotions rushing through her veins. She had tried to imagine how this would play out in an effort to prepare herself, and while her mind had succeeded in coming up with countless scenarios that ranged from anticlimactic to devastating—-none of it came even a fraction close to reality.
She had imagined all sorts of things, tried to predict how she would react upon having her first glimpse of Andreus and Monique as a married couple, and that was how she got it completely wrong.
