Page 191 of In Love with a Ruthless Man

“Igor?”

“I’ll kill the first one who moves,” his right-hand man said calmly.

It was enough for the prince.

The sight of the prince entering the operating room had the medical staff inside screaming, and the prince said in a hard voice, “Out.”

They ran past him, screaming.

An alarm sounded, and the prince knew he only had minutes left, even with Slade Wyndham making sure that his own security would be slow to respond.

Fawn was in the middle of the operating room, white-faced, back straight. She had sat up the moment he entered, brown eyes wide with terror. When their gazes met, a cry tore out of her.

It was as if having his eyes on her hurt, and the prince stilled for one moment—-

But then she raised her hands to cover her face, and an agonizing realization of the truth dawned on him.

Ah God.

She was ashamed of how she looked.

Pain crippled him, and his own shame almost made him feel he didn’t deserve to get an inch closer. But even so, he forced himself to move, telling himself that he owed this to her.

When his fingers circled her wrists, she asked brokenly, “Why are you here?”

“Because I can’t let you have this surgery.”

A muffled, teary laugh. “S-seriously? Are youinsane?”

The sweet, innocent sound of her laughter made him suck in his breath, but even so he managed to say, “Yes.”

He felt her hands press closer to her face, almost as if she wanted another layer of flesh to keep everyone from really seeing her.“Why?”

“Because I’m selfish.”

“S-selfish?”

He nodded, knowing that she could see him through the slits of space between her fingers. “Because I’m selfish...and a coward.”

Silence.

And then she whispered, “Why?”

“Because...” His chest heaved as he inhaled. “It’s the only way to let you know that I can love you.”

When she stiffened, he knew she knew what he was planning—-

“N-no.” Her voice was an anguished stammer. “I’m n-not ready—-”

“I’m sorry,” he said rawly.

Her voice became hysterical. “NO! I said no—-”

His fingers tightened around her wrists.

“Please.”

And then he was slowly but firmly pulling her hands away, and she started to cry when she realized there was nothing she could do.

---