Page 52 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
No.I would not give in.
I stepped back, my back hitting the window.My fists clenched.I had to pull myself together.
"I'm sorry, Audrey.I regret if I gave you false hope.It's true, you're a very desirable woman, but there's another woman in my life."
She stared at me for a long time, her gaze shining with a mixture of sadness and defiance.
"Why do you persist?Don't you see your story is over?Without that, how do you explain the attraction that drives us toward each other?"
"I won't go back on my decision."
She approached slightly, lowering her voice, her tone becoming softer, almost tempting.
"And you didn't need to choose," she whispered."No one will know...It would be our secret."
I stiffened.
"I'm not that kind of man, Audrey," I replied in a harsher tone.
An enigmatic smile formed on her lips as she held my gaze.With deliberate slowness, her fingers found the sleeves of her dress, slid them down her arms with feline grace.The silky fabric slid along her body like a caress, and the next moment, her dress lay at her feet, leaving her completely naked before me.
The evening light revealed her heavy, shapely breasts, her slim waist, her wide hips, her completely shaved sex.My erection pushed against my zipper, and my heart was beating so hard that I was sure she could hear it.My principles, my love for Eva, everything fought against the raw desire that threatened to overwhelm me.
31.When should one let go?
EVA
Thursday morning, I left for Florence to meet with partners.We were supposed to spend the day working, and in the evening, they were going to introduce me to potential clients.However, a family emergency cut our day short, and I was able to catch a last-minute flight to Paris.I was happy to return earlier; I hadn't been feeling my best lately.Despite my regimen of magnesium and vitamins, I still felt constantly tired.I needed to make an appointment with my doctor.
I decided to surprise Tristan by picking him up at the office.At this hour, he would likely be one of the few people still working.Marco, who had picked me up from the airport, accompanied me to our floor and waited by the elevators.I walked slowly toward Tristan's office, already imagining his surprise when he saw I was back early.That's when I saw them through the window.And when the pain devastated me.
Tristan was there with Audrey standing in front of him, completely naked.I remained petrified, unable to look away from the scene that was destroying seven years of my life.I saw the desire in his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing as he drank in her nudity.A violent pain struck me where I stood, and my tears flowed uncontrollably.I don't know how long I stayed there, paralyzed, watching them as she moved toward him with slow steps.Then I realized they could see me at any moment.I wasn't ready to confront them.I didn't want to see her triumph or his guilt.Panic seized me, and I took three steps backward like an automaton before turning away.
Marco's expression crumbled when he saw me.The look he cast toward the hallway I'd come from turned murderous, his jaw clenched, but he followed me without a word when I rushed into the elevator.
"Drop me off at a hotel, please."
He nodded and stopped in front of a hotel near the Champs-Élysées, then got out to open the door for me.I had taken time to compose myself during the trip and gave him a weak smile as I got out of the car—a smile that must have looked more like a grimace.
"I'm here if you need me, Eva," he said, his gaze concerned.
"I'll be fine, I promise."
I quickly checked in at the reception and hurried to my room.It was only when the door closed behind me that I collapsed to the floor, my body shaken by silent sobs.Despite myself, the image of Audrey naked in front of Tristan kept replaying in my head like an endless nightmare.I bit my fists until they bled, and a muffled scream escaped from the depths of my soul.
All his promises were nothing but lies!How could I have been so stupid?!
How long had this been going on?
How many times had he made love to me while still carrying her perfume on his skin?
Nausea overwhelmed me again, and I rushed to the bathroom, my body convulsing with spasms, vomiting everything in my stomach.
My phone vibrated around 10 PM, Tristan's name lighting up the screen like a cruel irony.
TRISTAN:Did you have a good day?What's the weather like in Florence?
I stared at these words, incredulous.So this was betrayal?These mundane, meaningless questions while he was losing himself in another woman's arms?Rage and disgust mingled within me as I typed my response, forcing myself to maintain this facade of normalcy.
