Page 168 of My Ruthless Husband

“All this over spilled drinks?” I ask, incredulously.

“No. This is about all the years of torment she put you through.”

I shouldn’t have told him about her bullying. I shouldn’t have shared anything.

I cover my mouth with trembling hands. Shaking my head, I look up at him. “Why now then? Why did you wait until now toavengeme.”

“Who said I waited?”

The satisfaction in his voice is chilling, and dread pools in my stomach. I can’t shake the feeling that her father’s suicide and her ex-husband’s bankruptcy are somehow linked to Damian.

As I start to retreat, he closes the distance, his grip seizing my chin with a possessive fierceness. “Why are you so shocked, angel? You’ve been surrounded by people who’d do anything to achieve their goals. Why shouldn’t your husband be the same?”

“If you’re talking about my father, you’re mistaken. Yes, he held me against my will. Yes, that’s a crime. But he had his reasons—goodreasons.” I see his expression shift, and within a blink of an eye, his hand is closing around my throat—the same throat he had kissed moments before.

“Is that so?”

I gasp when he squeezes my throat. “Y-yes! He was protecting his d-daughter.”

“And I was protecting my wife.”

“But you had no right to do that to Melissa!”

“Do what? Turn her from a privileged heiress to a beggar? Or leave her terrified for her life?” His tone is cold, his satisfaction palpable.

“Stop!” I plead, gripping his wrist as the pressure increases, choking off my breath. I gasp as his fingers cut off my air. Just as my vision begins to blur, he releases me. I stagger back, coughing, my hands flying to my throat.

“There. Now you can hate me a little more,” he says, his voice cold.

I stare at him through unshed tears, still clutching my throat.

“You can justify your father’s actions all you want, angel. You’ve already made him out to be the hero, and me the villain.”

Grabbing me by the hair and pulling me close, his lips brush mine in a soft, almost tender kiss that leaves me trembling. “Didn’t I tell you that you don’t get to regret marrying me?”

Before I can respond, he steps back. “Get some rest. We’re leaving in a few hours.”

“L-leaving?”

“I have to leave for business tonight.”

“But why does that involve me?”

“Because, my dear wife, you’re coming with me.”

My eyes widen and he smiles coldly. “You see, I refuse to be an incompetent husband any longer.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Ipress my fingers into my aching temples, feeling the pressure beat beneath my skin like a relentless drum.

Everything’s a mess inside my head. Damian admitted he tried to have Melissa killed.

He didn’t even flinch when he said it, just admitted outright that he’d planned to kill her.

I knew he could be ruthless. I knew he wasn’t above manipulating the world to bend to his will, using his power like a blunt weapon to get what he wants, but hurting someone? Taking it that far? I never let myself believe he could be that heartless.

A shudder runs through me, and I can’t help but wonder how he sleeps at night. Then I remember—he hardly does. I’ve watched him doze off only to wake, hours later, as if the weight of his secrets won’t let him rest. He just powers through the days with nothing more than restless naps, as if he’s running from something even in his sleep.

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