Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Her hands fell limply against her sides. “At least have the courtesy to tell me why.” When her voice cracked, her hand tightened over her tummy. It’s okay, baby. We’re okay. “Because this doesn’t make sense.” She looked at the billionaire, unable to stop begging him with her eyes. Please, Sergei, Please. “We were okay just this morning, weren’t we?”
Sergei’s fists clenched inside his pockets.
“Weren’t we?”
He started to turn away.
Pain screamed inside of her, and she choked, “Sergei, please. Just tell me what I did wrong—-”
“You did nothing wrong,” he gritted out.
“Then why?” she demanded painfully. Why make me trust you? Why make me love you?
The billionaire was almost tempted to laugh, knowing that he could have asked her the question as well. Why couldn’t he be enough for her? Why? He remembered how she had looked at him before she left, asking him, How do I look, by the way?
How the fuck could she have even asked him that, knowing that she was about to meet Julian Alexeyev behind his back?
The pain of her betrayal ravaged him, and he said harshly, “I don’t owe you an explanation.” And this time, he didn’t give her a chance to say another word. Motioning for the chauffeur to step out, the billionaire ordered him to escort Fredericka into the car and take her to the hotel.
Looking back at Fredericka, he said flatly, “I won’t let you drive in the state you’re in.”
Fredericka didn’t answer, only turning away from him, and he forced himself to watch her go so that it would be clear to every part of him that it was over.
It was over.
When the chauffeur opened the car door for Fredericka, she suddenly stopped and spun to face him again, and the billionaire froze at the smile on her face. It was painfully, heartbreakingly beautiful.
“I get it,” she whispered. “I do get it, and I d-don’t blame you.”
“I don’t understand—-” But the way his chest was constricting tightly was telling him he should have.
Her lips moved, her voice inaudible, and agony burst inside him, telling him that he should understand what she was saying.
She disappeared into the limousine, and soon she was being driven away.
At his command, he thought tautly. Because this was what he wanted. This was what was right.
Turning away, he found himself staring at her car and he walked towards it unthinkingly, unlocking the door. He didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t know what he was hoping to see. More evidence that he had done the right thing? Or perhaps what he wanted was more evidence of her betrayal and her love for Julian Alexeyev?
But what he did find was something he didn’t expect at all.
On the passenger seat was a familiar-looking box, and his heart clenched at the sight of it.
Why? Why did she have this?
Dimly, he heard another car speeding down the driveway, of voices of his family who had just returned. But he paid this no heed, his burning concentration focused on the box he had grasped from the seat.
As he straightened, the box still in his hands, he saw his family hurrying towards him.
“Blyad.” Misha swore when he saw what his older brother was holding. “We’re late then?”
Seri groaned. “I knew it, I told you we’d be late.”
“I hope Fredericka recorded her proposal,” Vassi muttered and looked at Sergei. “Did she?”
Sergei didn’t answer, only opening the box with shaking fingers.
It was still the same ring he had purchased, but when he pulled it out of the box, that was when he caught a glimpse of the engraved words on its inner side.
Lyubov maya.
My love.
Misha was the first one to notice Sergei’s whitened expression. “What happened? Is it Fredericka?”
“She lied to me,” the billionaire said hoarsely. “Why would she do this then lie to me about meeting Julian Alexeyev?”
“Oh, Sergei.” Seri’s heart ached hard for her oldest brother. “Fredericka called us half an hour ago, telling us to come back because she was going to propose to you. D-did she—-”
“No,” Sergei said tonelessly. “I didn’t give her a chance to. I told her to leave.”
Seri shook her head in confusion. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I thought—-” He swallowed hard. “I thought she wanted Julian Alexeyev, and she was...she was only with me because of the baby.”
“That’s not possible,” Vassi said quietly. “She loves you, Sergei. I don’t know why she lied, but I know what I saw and I know that she loves you.”
Ah.
“I love her, too,” he heard himself say. “I love her.” But right now, he was beginning to fear he had no right to do so.
It took a mere six minutes to call Alexeyev and get the truth out of their meeting, fifteen minutes of beating the red light and getting a speeding ticket to make it to the hotel where he had forced Fredericka to check in.