Page 125 of My Ruthless Husband

“What?” I squeak. Clearing my throat, I speak again, “What? When did this happen?”

“Last week. And even if she weren’t, I would still go for you, River. I told you I like you a lot,” he says softly, reaching across the table to place his hand over mine.

His words are persuasive, calculated. It’s clear he has thought about this a lot. But as much as I want to respect his feelings and the potential benefits, I can’t ignore my own heart. I need to finda way to gently let him down, without causing too much damage to our families’ relationship.

“I can’t speak on this matter at the moment,” I say finally, my voice soft. “Please understand, this is a lot to take in.”

He smiles, a bit more relaxed now. “I know. Just know that whatever you decide, it needs to be the right choice for our future. And I hope you’ll see the potential in what we could achieve together.” He gives my hand a squeeze.

I subtly pull my hand away. After that, thankfully, Edward shifts to his travelling stories and I resume nodding when necessary.

I will find a way. There’s no way I would ever marry Edward. Dad will surely understand. He won’t go against my wishes. I take a deep breath, reminiscing our Paris holiday. Dad and mom’s love story had inspired me. Dad’s tales encouraged me to fall in love with Damian.

He will understand once I’ll tell him about Damian. After all, he knows how it feels to be helplessly in love. He can never wish a tragic ending for my love story. That thought gives me a bit of hope and I begin feeling better.

One thing I have learned from this date. Edward loves to talk. I stifled my yawn twice and he didn’t notice. He has shifted to his Greece adventures now.

At one point, my gaze begins wandering around. I take in the modern, sleek décor, and the tables, noticing the cozy couples lost in their own worlds. A brief smile tugs at my lips at the sight of a girl playfully feeding her companion dessert. I let my gaze drift away from them and roam again. But all of a sudden, abruptly, my eyes come to a halt. Through a swirling haze of cigar smoke, a pair of piercing black eyes lock onto mine.

A jab of shock goes through me.

Edward’s fingers gently capture my chin, turning my face toward him with a grin. “My stories had you daydreaming, didn’t they?”

Caught off-guard by his sudden touch, I lean away from it, I manage a faint reply, “I… um, yeah, they did.”

My heart pounds loudly in my chest, drowning out Edward’s voice for a moment. Am I hallucinating? It can’t be. With a shuddering breath, I trail my eyes across the room once again. And for the second time, I meet those black eyes. Because he is still watching me.

“Damian.” I mouth his name. He arches a dark brow. That one move sends a shiver down my spine.

He takes a confident drag of his cigar, his eyes locked on mine through the swirling smoke. For a moment, I think I saw fury in the depths of his dark gaze. But I’m not sure because it’s gone.

I cancelled our date because I told him I had to see dad and now I’m here with Edward. He probably thinks I am cheating on him.

The fear of losing him almost makes me whimper. Before I can do something, a waiter arrives with our dessert, blocking my view. When he finally moves away, I look back eagerly, only to find Damian’s seat empty.

Panic sets in as I frantically scan the restaurant, finally spotting him striding toward the exit. With a woman by his side. And just like that, my heart stops inside my chest.

I had been so preoccupied with my own fear of losing him that I hadn’t even glanced to see if Damian was accompanied by someone. I push to my trembling feet. Barely managing an apology, I run after him.

Reaching the foyer, I see them heading for the elevators. I halt for a few seconds. It feels like I am dying. But I resume walking.

My eyes burn the entire time as I make my way toward them. But by the time I reach there, they are already inside and the doors are closing.

With numb, cold fingers I press the call button to the elevator beside the one Damian just boarded. Within seconds, it arrives, and I quickly step inside. My vision blurs with tears as I helplessly stare at the buttons, unable to discern which floor they selected. I randomly press one and the doors start to slide shut.

Suddenly, a hand shoots through the narrowing gap between the doors at the very last second. The doors open again. And through the opening, Damian strides in.

For a second or two, I just stand there, unable to move. Pure shock makes my heart hammer against my breastbone.

All I can do is watch as Damian presses a button, making the doors slide shut. Once we are trapped inside, he faces me, leaning against the opposite wall, intent black eyes colliding with my startled greens.

His head tilts to the side as he studies me. “Breathe.”

I inhale then, only now realizing I wasn’t breathing. It’s hard to control my erratic heartbeat when he is watching me like that but I try to calm myself the best I can.

“Busy night?”

I flinch. He continues, “First, I see you with Edward McAllister at the restaurant,” he says coldly. “Then I see you running after another man.”

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