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“Olivia,” he began, his voice low and uncertain. “There’s something I need to say. It’s long overdue.”
He took a deep breath, and I was acutely aware of the rise and fall of his chest. His hands nervously tapped on the polished surface of the desk next to him.
“I’ve… I’ve treated you poorly.” His admission caught me off guard, the words resonating like a physical blow. “I want to apologize for my behavior, for everything I put you through. I know it doesn’t make up for the pain I caused you, but I want to try to make amends.”
A torrent of emotions threatened to drown me as I struggled to process his words. Was this really Alexander? Was this him, trying to let me in—something I never thought possible? Or was this just another manipulation to keep me tethered to him?
“Alexander, I…” My voice cracked, unable to find the right words to express my confusion and turmoil.
“Please,” he interrupted, his tone softening further. “Just hear me out.”
Taking a moment to compose myself, I nodded hesitantly, granting him permission to continue.
“Looking back, I see how wrong I was. I realize now that my actions were driven by fear—fear of losing control, of being vulnerable. But keeping you at arm’s length only pushed you further away from me.”
His sincerity pierced through my defenses, making it difficult to maintain my emotional barriers. The thought of him genuinely changing for the better both excited and terrified me. Could there be hope for us after all?
Alexander clenched his fists at his sides, as if grappling with his own inner demons. “I want to be better,” he confessed, his voice barely a whisper. “For you, for us.”
My soul ached as I studied the man before me, no longer the arrogant, cruel CEO I had known for so long. Instead, I saw a man willing to face his mistakes and make amends, even if it meant exposing his deepest fears.
“Can you truly change, Alexander?” I asked, hope and skepticism warring inside me.
His eyes locked onto mine, determination radiating from him. “I’ll do whatever it takes, Olivia. Just give me the chance to prove myself.”
I stood there, staring at Alexander, my breath hitching in my chest as I tried to make sense of the storm brewing within me. The office walls seemed to close in on us, trapping me in this moment.
“Olivia…” Alexander’s voice was a desperate plea, his eyes piercing into mine, searching for an answer.
“Let me think,” I murmured, rushing out of the room and leaving him behind. My mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts as I walked down the hallway. Should I quit? Would walking away from him protect my heart?
But there was a part of me that didn’t want to lose him completely. Despite the pain he had caused, I couldn’t deny the magnetic pull between us. Every heated glance, every stolen touch, drew me back to him like a moth to a flame.
As I paced in an empty conference room, flashes of our past together bombarded me. Our late-night conversations, the way his fingers would trail along my spine when no one was looking, the feel of his lips pressed against mine. I craved those intimate moments, even as I questioned whether they were ever genuine.
Could I trust him again? Was it possible that he had changed, or was I just setting myself up for another heartbreak?
“Olivia?” A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Come in,” I said, trying to steady my voice. Alexander entered the room, his gaze steady.
“Are you all right?” he asked, taking a step closer.
“Am I all right?” I repeated, incredulous. “Alexander, you hurt me. I wanted to trust you, but when it came down to it, you broke that trust. You jeopardized us and my professional appearance, which you knew I was afraid of from the start.” I paused, sucking in a deep breath. “And yet… here I am, still unable to let you go.” My voice trembled with raw emotion, and I fought to hold back the tears.
“Olivia,” he breathed, closing the distance between us. His hand reached up to cup my cheek, his thumb gently wiping away a tear that escaped.
“Can you truly change?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Can I trust you? Really trust you?” I balled my fists up, trying to suppress the emotions. “Like tell you all my secrets and let you see every part of me and trust that you will be there through it all?”
“Let me prove it to you,” he pleaded, his eyes burning with conviction. “Let me show you that I can be the man you deserve.”
I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of deception. All I saw was determination, vulnerability, and a desperate need to make things right.
“Give me time, Alexander,” I said softly. “I needed to see if this was real, if we could build something new from the ashes of our past.”
Alexander nodded, his grip on my face tightening for a moment before letting go. “As much time as you need, Olivia. I’ll wait for you.”
And with those words, I found myself standing at the edge of a precipice, torn between fear and hope, trying to decide if I should take the leap and trust him once more.
