Page 95 of Unbreakable Vow

Divorce papers.

When I look up at him, his lips are pressed firmly together. I think there’s fear in his eyes. I’m not sure because he’s never been afraid of anything.

“What’s this?” I put the papers down.

“When my mother was dying, she sent a letter to my grandmother. I thought begging for forgiveness and for her to finally recognize me as part of their family.” He pauses. “My grandmother never opened it; she sent it back and I kept it all these years. Unopened.” He wets his lips. “I opened it the other day. And it’s not what I thought. It wasn’t a long letter asking for forgiveness at all. It was a single piece of paper with a single sentence scribbled.”

“What did it say?” I grab hold of his hand now, knowing how much anger and pain he’s been holding onto all these years.

“I forgive you.” He blows out a long breath. “She forgave them for everything.”

I squeeze his hand.

“Which made me realize something.” He straightens his shoulders. “You were right, about a lot, but particularly this. My mother wouldn’t want me to destroy the company. She forgave, and it’s time I do.”

“If we divorce, you lose the company,” I remind him with a crack in my own voice.

I know I didn’t want to be tucked away somewhere to be forgotten. But somehow being set free is just as bad.

He doesn’t want me.

“It’s all been dealt with already. I finally got my hands on my cousin, and we figured it all out.” He sighs. “So, now we need to figure this out.”

He pushes the papers toward me again.

“You said once that you could love me enough for the both of us, but you were wrong.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small black velvet box, placing it next to the papers.

“I was?” Another crack, and the tears are getting harder to shove down. I didn’t realize I’d said that out loud.

“I have never loved anyone or anything as much as I love you, Cora. I’ve tried to ignore it. I tried to deny it. I tried to put enough space between us to make it go away, but it doesn’t. It’s unwavering.”

I swallow. “You love me?”

“I do,” he answers with a hard nod. “And I know you love me back, so don’t bother lying,” he orders in the typical Sergei way.

“I won’t.” I shake my head. “But, then why the divorce papers?”

“Because.” He opens the box and a princess cut diamond ring stares up at me. “Then you’ll be free to marry me. Not because we have some business arrangement, but because you want to. Because I want to.”

My throat dries up.

“And if I say no?” I give a pointed look at the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.

“Then I will do everything I can to change your mind, no matter how long it takes.” He leans back, taking away his touch from me. “I’ll do what Viktor has done and give you the space and love you need to come to your senses. It worked for him. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for me.”

His arrogance makes me laugh. “It worked for him?”

“Yes. Marlena finally agreed to marry the bastard.” He waves a hand through the air. “But I don’t care about them. I care about us. About you.” He leans forward. “So, you have to decide. Divorce and marry or just divorce.”

I stare at the papers. “Seems like a lot of legal red tape,” I say, picking up the box. The light hits the diamond, and I can practically hear it ding with the sparkle.

“It’s paperwork.” He lifts a shoulder. “We can be remarried by tomorrow night.”

I glance up at him. “No.”

His face falls. “No?”

“No. I don’t want to be remarried tomorrow night. I want a wedding this time, Sergei. A real wedding. With a white gown, and Krista to be my maid of honor. I want you in a tux waiting at the end of the aisle for me. I want all of it.”

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