Page 99 of Forbidden Deception

I look at him over my shoulder as I reach my car. I want to just take one last fill of him.

There he stands in the rain, watching me. His broad shoulders show through the white shirt that has turned transparent. His hair falls into his eyes, wet and curled. The corded arms that hugged me, that touched me, hanging limp at his sides. The lips that I kissed twisted down.

I weakly smile at him. “I love you too, Rafael.”

He raises his hand towards me, but I turn and get in my car. He steps toward me, but I drive away.

The glimpse of him in the mirror, standing alone in the driveway, makes me cry all the way home.

How could this be the end?

How could this be my last time seeing him with that tender look on his face?

39

The noise at the airport makes it hard to concentrate, but I manage to dial Rafael through the mess.

He picks it up on the first ring.

“Venezia, why did you leave like that? You aren’t at your apartment, either.” He sounds so breathless it twists my stomach.

“I’m leaving.”

“What? Where are you going?”

“I’m going to London. I’m…I’m not coming back, Rafael.” I manage to get it out in as few words as possible, so he doesn’t hear the tears in my voice. “Don’t come looking for me. I’m sorry, Rafael.” I cut the call and shut my phone down.

My hands shake as I exit the terminal and walk across the tarmac to the private jet, the words Cainn on the side bittersweet. How can I possibly go back to the way I used to be and just forget Rafael?

The air hostess meets me at the top of the stairs. “Ms Cainn, the plane is ready for you to enter. We have prepared refreshments, and there is also—”

The screeching of tires drowns the air hostess’s words.

I spin around to see a familiar Range Rover. The door whips open, and Rafael runs out, eyes fixed on me.

How did he know?

My heart falters and drops. The air hostess ushers me inside the jet, then closes and secures the door. I run to the middle and squeeze in between the seats to look out the window at him.

Remo’s security team intercepts him. There are twenty men on site, and Rafael brought no security with him. He struggles and fights them. His hair is a mess, as are his clothes, but he doesn’t give up.

He fights them off one by one. My eyes tear up.

A punch gets thrown to his face, and five guards are now trying to neutralise him.

I told this fool not to follow me and yet here he is.

“This is your captain speaking. Cabin crew, prepare for takeoff.”

Does the captain not care that there is a commotion outside? Why is he taking off like this?

His mouth calls my name even if I can’t hear him. His eyes slide up to fix on me through the window, and the pain in his eyes makes my chest constrict. I can barely breathe as it is, and the broken look in his eyes shatters me.

He punches the guard in front of him, then kicks at the ones behind him and manages to escape their clutches. He runs towards the jet just as it starts to taxi.

“Miss, please take your seat. We are about to take off,” the air hostess says.

No, why is he running towards the jet?!

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