Page 58 of The Billionaire's Marriage Dare

She looked like she was preparing herself to be hurt all over again.

Christian didn’t let himself think.

He walked to her, went down on one knee, and said hoarsely, “I’m sorry.”

But Jane only nodded, her stiff, cold silence almost an exact replica of how he had been with her days ago, and she was the one begging him with her eyes to talk.

To just let her know that things could still be okay.

“You were right. I knew it wasn’t you before the security breach. And I didn’t have to hear about the FBI arresting—-”

“Christian.” Her low, controlled voice cut him off. “I know.”

Ah. He looked at her, and there was nothing in her eyes.

“I read your message, and you sent it well before the news started reporting about the FBI’s undercover op.”

“But it’s not enough,” he said dully.

Jane shook her head slowly. “No.” The word was a painful whisper. “It’s not.”

He reached for her hands, and she shook her head even more profusely.

“Jane—-”

“No.” She struggled to keep her voice from shaking as she tried to explain, “I’m not trying to be dramatic or anything. I just know you’re right. And that we’re wrong for each other—-”

Christian’s face turned ashen.

A moment later, he started talking – fast.

“No, Jane. I was wrong. You were right. We can still fix things and—-”

The desperation in his voice was familiar, and it hurt.

It hurt because he was too late.

It hurt because she knew it was only temporary.

It hurt because she knew it wasn’t real.

“Jane, I love you.”

And oh God, he was using the exact same words, too, and it hurt.

“You don’t love me,” she said brokenly, “the way I want you to love me.”

He grabbed her hands and squeezed them tightly between his. “I do, pet.” His voice was taut and urgent. “I love you, only you, more than anything—-”

“Christian.” She looked at him helplessly. “You blocked my number.”

He flinched.

And the tears suddenly couldn’t stop falling.

“I know it seems a silly, shallow thing, but God, Christian, I could never do that to you—-” Her throat started to close, but she still couldn’t stop speaking. “And never so soon, and it was just ruthless—-” And her vision began to blur, and she had such a hard time breathing, but she knew she needed to get the words out. “And everyone knew. They knew—-” She choked, and she gasped. “They knew, while I was working my ass off to help you, that you had already erased me from your life.”

Ah, God.

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