Page 64 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
God, I had betrayed the woman I loved in so many ways.
Audrey was keeping things strictly professional now.Following Samy’s advice, I was managing her transition carefully—gradually shifting her projects under the supervision of department heads and slowly phasing her out of high-stakes initiatives, like our Australian expansion, to avoid raising questions among the team.Likewise, with the Espoir Foundation launch coming up, an abrupt removal would spark too much speculation among our partners.She would still attend, but relegated to a minor hosting role.
Once those events were over, she would be fully reassigned elsewhere.
In the meantime, I took every precaution—no private meetings in my office.If a meeting was unavoidable, I kept the door open.This time, I had learned my lesson.
When my phone rang, my heart leaped.I rushed to grab it, hoping to hear her voice, only to feel the crushing weight of disappointment when I saw a client’s name on the screen.
I returned to an empty house where everything reminded me of her.Our photos mocked me from the walls, snapshots of happiness, fragments of a life I had put in jeopardy.Her scent still lingered in every room, and I would have given anything to hold her again.
She had taken almost nothing with her, just a suitcase with a few spare clothes and her laptop.
It wasn’t until I looked at her wardrobe that I realized how much effort she had put in for me lately.Many of her clothes were recent purchases.I remembered the dress she wore at the end-of-year gala, the one that made her look breathtaking.And to think, I hadn’t even taken the time to ask her for a dance.
In my attempt to keep our relationship discreet, I had ended up paying her less attention at work than I did my other colleagues.I had ignored her efforts to please me, let this fragile situation seep into our private life.
If Eva gave me a second chance, I would never make the same mistake again.This time, the whole world would know exactly where she stood in my life.I would never hide her like some shameful secret again.
Leila and Satoshi regularly came over for dinner, watching over me like worried parents, afraid I might fall apart without Eva.But their fears were unfounded.I knew full well that I needed to be at my best when Eva came back.Because when that moment came, I would need all my strength, all my clarity, to convince her to give me another chance.
The worst part was the disappointment I saw in my little sister’s eyes when I showed up to Saturday lunch without Eva.Even my mother shot me pitying looks, as if she could see straight through my impassive mask to the desperation underneath.
After the meal, Lily dragged me to her room, determined to put me through a full-blown interrogation.
“What the hell did you do to her?”she demanded, arms crossed, glaring at me.
“And why do you automatically assume I’m the one at fault?”I protested.
“Because I’m on ‘Team Eva.’Now spill it.Stop beating around the bush.”
“Great.Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I muttered.
Lily huffed, tapping her foot impatiently.“Come on, out with it!”
Despite her young age, she was probably the only person around me who could listen without judging.So, with a heavy sigh, I admitted the truth.
“There...There was someone else at work,” I said miserably.
“You’re such an idiot!”she exploded.
“Okay!Okay, I already feel like crap, no need to pile it on.”
“Hey, I’m not a therapist.If you want someone to coddle you, go find one.I’m here to kick your ass when you mess up.And you really messed up.You better fix this.A woman like Eva?You don’t let her go.”
“I know.I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to her.”
Lily flopped onto her bed and patted the spot next to her.I sat down without arguing, and she rested her head on my shoulder.
“All right, nice words and all, but what’s your plan?”
And for the next hour, Lily helped me brainstorm every possible way to win Eva back.
40.Check your damn phone
TRISTAN
Eva had been gone for ten days.I had no idea what was going through her mind.Had she left to clear her head before coming back, or was she already moving on without even giving me a chance to explain?
