Page 60 of Forbidden Deception

“I’m not supposed to like him, Danyi. Not because of our roles but because of who we are. We can’t be, ever, and yet I’m too weak to make my heart let him go, to not see if he could forgive me at the end.” I take a deep breath that seems to take far more effort than normal.

“Why?”

“Because I may destroy him. No, Iwilldestroy him, and I can’t even begin to think about how much we will both suffer.” Tears fill my eyes, but I blink to keep them at bay.

A warm hand clasps mine. I look at Danyi to find her smiling.

“If he likes you even a percentage of how much you like him, then you may get your happy ending. What is love without a struggle?” She tilts her head. “Want to know how I know this?”

I nod.

“My sister went against my parents’ wishes to marry the guy she loved. She had to wait ten years for them to come around. She longed for our parents, who gave birth to her, fed her, taught her to love and grow, to love the woman she is today. But they weren’t against them because they didn’t like him but rather because they were forbidden. He was her supervisor at university when she went there to get her masters.” She laughs, as if she finds something funny. This isn’t funny.

“What do you know, he turned out to be our business rival’s son. So it was even more messy.” She shakes her head with a laugh, making me smile, too.

“Your sister chose well, it seems.”

Danyi laughs harder at my comment.

“Oh, she will kill you for saying that, but I’m glad our parents have finally come around now. She suffered without their love for far too long. See what I mean? What is life, what is the journey of finding your happy ending, without a fight?”

I nod, take a deep breath, and strengthen my heart for the date with Rafael soon.

“Want to go shopping with me for an outfit for the date?”

Danyi’s eyes widen, and she engulfs me in a big hug, making me lose balance and fall on the sofa.

“I thought you wouldn’t ask. Yes, of course! It also feels like you are proposing to me right now.”

24

“Where are you taking me?” My cold fingers wrap tighter around Rafael’s hand. The wind whips at us as soon as we step outside, but my covered eyes don’t give me anything to work with.

“You can take the blindfold off,” Rafael whispers from behind me, then his hand drops mine, and he unties it himself.

I blink, my eyes adjusting to the light. We’re on the rooftop, and there’s a helicopter standing tall and ominous in front of us. The sky blazes with magenta and blue streaks, splashing colour across the city.

Rafael walks around me until he stands in front of me, his eyes twinkling like the descending sun behind him, lips stretched into a soft small smile. He reaches his hand out to me, gaze raking over my white trousers and red top.

“That’s it? A helicopter ride?” I tease when he helps me climb in and leans over to secure the harness around me. Once done, he pauses right in front of me.

Is my heart even beating?

Am I even breathing?

He shakes his head with a soft chuckle.

“I know you aren’t like this, but something about you makes me want to throw my whole fortune at you, just so you know howmuch I am willing to give you,” he murmurs, knuckles brushing my cheeks.

His hand pauses near my mouth, so I playfully nip at his fingers.

“When you truly feel deeply for someone, you are always ready to give them the world. My brother set quite a high standard for me. I’ve seen him do so much for his wife. It’s only fair I get someone who will go to the ends of the Earth for me.” My tone might be playful, but I truly do want what Remo feels for Aurora.

“Your brother will pale in comparison to me; trust me on that. But everyone feels and shows theircaredifferently.”

I don’t miss the way his breath hitches when he says ‘care’ as if he wanted to say something else.

He leans back and buckles himself in, nodding at the pilot in front of us, and the blades pick up speed. I grin, glancing at Rafael and my hand placed on his thigh.

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