Page 154 of In Love with a Ruthless Man

Knowing how those words would have devastated her, the prince wanted to kick the door open and snatch her away—-

But he couldn’t.

Fate had already decreed how this night would play out, and for better or for worse—-

His role was in the darkness.

And hers was in the light, with another man.

“That’s h-how s-selfish I was.” Listening to Bennett’s broken voice, it was easy for the prince to picture the other man’s crumpled expression, but even so, he didn’t feel an ounce of pity.

Desperation lined Bennett’s voice as he continued, “M-maybe I’m s-still selfish, b-but I’m trying to change. G-God knows I’m t-trying, but I can’t do ithere.”

When Fawn still didn’t say anything, the prince heard Grant beg hoarsely, “C-come with me. P-please. That man w-won’t ever l-love you. You know that.Right?”

The prince waited for Fawn to deny it.

But she didn’t.

“I l-love you, Fawn, I l-love you more than ever, and I c-can’t bear leaving you behind—-”

Yet another moment of silence, and then a muffled voice whispering, “I’m sorry, too.”

Ah.

The sound of a girl in a boy’s arms—-

Of Fawn in Bennett’s embrace—-

As it should be.

“I’m sorry, Grant. So sorry because I pretended I didn’t know how much you were suffering, but I knew.”

The prince’s lips twisted.Pretensions made the world go round.

“I knew that you were doing it for me, because I asked you to. But no more—-” Fawn’s voice became clearer and more audible, a girl leaving a boy’s arms. “If you leave me, and the prince l-leaves me because of it...it’s not your fault.”

The prince pushed himself off the wall.

“I w-wish I c-could do m-more for you,” the prince heard Grant choke out. “But I c-can’t. I’m too w-weak—-”

There were more words exchanged, but they no longer reached his ears, and they didn’t have to.

The prince had heard enough.

He started to walk away, ignoring the part of him that felt it was too damn soon, too damn quick. It was as if he had only a taste of what life could be, of how it was to be loved, and how it was to love-—

But the other part of him told him he was only fooling himself.

You knew.

You always knew it couldn’t last.

You always knew you would have to leave her one day.

Yet he had still allowed her to get under his skin anyway, and now they were both paying the price.

A shuddering breath racked his body as the coldness of the dark started to spread inside of him. The cold would keep him in line, the dark would make him strong, and he needed both to break her heart before he broke his.

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