Page 226 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

‘Exactly.’ Bethan grabbed Elodie’s hand. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m really sad,’ she admitted huskily. ‘I liked him.’

‘Have you toldhimthat?’ Bethan asked gently.

Elodie winced.

‘If I could go back in time that’s the one thing I’d do differently.’ Bethan opened the next tub of ice cream. ‘I’d tell him.’

Yeah, Bethan had been utterly in love with the man she’d married and was taking a long time to get over her heartbreak in discovering that he hadn’t felt the same.

‘I don’t think Ramon wants to hear it,’ Elodie muttered.

‘Then write it,’ Phoebe suggested. ‘At least then you’ll have been honest. That’s for yourself as much as for him. How he responds is over to him.’

Two days later an envelope arrived at the escape room with the Fernandez crest in the corner. Elodie ripped it open, her heart pounding, Phoebe’s idea of writing a letter echoing in her head.

But it wasn’t a letter from Ramon. Only legal documents. The paperwork had been transferred and the escape room business was now in her name. There was no accompanying note. It was nothing to him, apparently. To spend money on a business, on a building, on Ashleigh’s independence. To let Elodie leave without so much as an actual goodbye.

She stared at the contracts. She could sell both the business and the building and pay him back immediately, but she wanted to prove herself first—that she could make it even more popular, that she was good at this job. She would regard this as a business loan and Ramon was the investor. She drew up a payment plan, factored in interest. Doubtless he wouldn’t care less whether she did or didn’t butshecared, and sure, it might take her years to pay him back completely, but she was damn well going to. She was already at work on a new themed room and Bethan was busy making stunning props. Maybe she’d eventually expand—she might never make multinational Fernandez-type status—but she could do national. Pushing towards that would keep her busy.

Sheneededto be busy. She needed to have no time to think atall. Which was exactly what he did, right?

He hid from everything that hurt by focusing on work. And now he had everything he wanted. Control of all the family assets that mattered to him. Complete emotional independence.

But he did stillfeel. In fact he was as volatile as she—passionate about things that mattered to him. He’d endured the bitterness of his father’s infidelity, his mother’s withdrawal, his wider family’s drama. And he’d blown up the minute he’d found out that she’d kept some truth from him. Because maybe he’d beenhurtthat she had.

Thatthought gave her a spark of hope—the impetus to at leasttry. She took a fresh sheet of plain paper. Maybe it wouldn’t matter what she said or did henceforth. Maybe he would never believe her—never have faith or trust in her. But she needed to tell him how she truly felt.

For years she’d swallowed everything back, obeying her father, not causing problems for her mother. When she’d finally tried to speak up—to end it with Callum—neither he nor her father had listened. She’d stopped speaking up about anything intimate, deciding never to let anyone in like that again.

But Ramon wasn’t anyone. He deserved more. He’d given her so much. The courage to do this would be the most important thing yet.

Ramon avoided coming home for more than a week. Elodie had escaped the second she had the chance. He’d gone to cool off and by the time he got back she’d gone.

He’d told her to, hadn’t he. And so she had. Destroyed him.

The next day Piotr had informed him that he’d taken her gear to her. Ramon had at least known she was safe. That afternoon he’d boarded a plane to find Cristina and Jose Ramon. Dealing with that lifetime’s worth of drama was easier than dealing with the absence of Elodie.

It hadn’t been easy—in fact it had been horrible. Ramon had strived to remain businesslike, stressing that they needed to find a civil way forward. He’d not mentioned Elodie, yet Jose Ramon had seemed subdued and for once willing to engage. Maybe Ramon’s early departure from the foundation gala had impacted more than he’d realised. Ramon had bypassed Cristina and asked Jose Ramon directly what he really wanted. He’d offered to support him in a management apprenticeship role at one of the hotels if he was interested. Surprisingly, Jose Ramon had agreed. Even more surprisingly, Ramon’s offer had seemed enough to placate Cristina. They’d agreed to amend the terms of the trust for the island, which meant no protracted legal battles in its future. Maybe things were never going to be great there, but not great was a lot better than fully vicious.

Trouble was, none of this helped Ramon sleep any better. None of it made him able to fully focus on his work again.

When he got back to London an hour before dawn days later the house was simply hollow. He spotted the small rectangular case in his dressing room when he went to get changed. The diamond collar gleamed on the velvet lining. Her ruby ring and wedding band were nestled in the centre of it. He touched the stone and regretted it immediately. It was cold when it wasn’t on her skin. Of course she’d not taken them to sell for the money. She didn’t want them—didn’t wanthim. He slammed the lid down, wilfully ignoring the fact that he was still wearing the ring she’d struggled to put on him.

He’d get Piotr to get rid of the lot later. Piotr who’d been emanating waves of disapproval like a silent doom machine ever since that horrible night. He stalked to the kitchen to grab some water. Closed his eyes and sagged back against the counter as that horrible conversation replayed in his head.

He’d beenbrutal. He hadn’t stopped to think. He’d just reacted. He couldn’t control himself around her. Never had been able to. And nor could she. That chemistryhadn’tbeen pretence.

For all his supposed intelligence, he’d not seen the truth of her even when the clues were there. In hindsight it was soobvious. But Elodie’s silence still burned like betrayal. Hadn’t she started to trust him? Surely he wasn’t just anyone? But maybe it wasn’t only that she didn’t trusthim. Maybe she didn’t trust her own judgement—or even her own worth. Her own father hadn’t valued her. Her ex hadn’t stood up for her—hadn’t paid attention to her desires. Of course she was cautious of controlling men and she saw Ramon as the ultimate in controlling.

Maybe it hadn’t been fair of him to be so impatient with her. Maybe his anger hadn’t been rational but reactive.Emotional.

Only a month ago he’d have scoffed at the idea that he’d ever be emotional. Or ever need emotionalsupport. He was fine. Strong. Calm. Capable.

He so wasn’t.

Now he saw that instead of being like his father, he’d withdrawn like his mother—from family, from intimacy, from basically everything but his work. Until Elodie had stormed his house. She’d challenged him. Teased him. Kissed him. Listened to him. She’d absolutely got to him. And he’d pulled her close. Taken her with him. Given her not things, but time.Himself.Something he’d never given anyone. He couldn’t admit it before but she’d put him at such risk.

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