Page 50 of Gamble with Me
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Zyon
My eyes traced the words on the screen, not believing what they saw. My queen, my heart chose another man than me to live with. She decided to give him a chance he didn't deserve.
I didn't understand it. I provided Valeria with money, a job, and an apartment, assuming it would be enough for her to start over and focus on us. But I was wrong. She still cared for that bastard, and the realization felt like a bucket of ice was thrown over me.
I had her. She was mine, but only for a moment, and then she slipped between my fingers like a quick little lizard. Or maybe she just needed a thrill in her life, the rush of being discovered as a cheating wife, and she used me for her entertainment.
The confusion grew inside me until it reached the size of a massive, heavy boulder and settled in my stomach, gnawing at me. The oxygen in my lungs burned, swallowing my insides. I felt like I might start throwing up at any second.
The emotional reaction to Valeria's choice startled me to the bones. My feelings were swirling, preventing me from thinking clearly about this situation. It wasn't sadness that broke my heart. It wasn't anger that drove me toward her. It was something entirely different that forced me to keep my distance and stopped me from barging into her apartment and demanding an explanation.
Could it be love? That intense feeling my mother described as an all-consuming, destructive, and addicting sensation that pushed people to do unreasonable things?
I was ready to fight against anything and everyone to be with Valeria, but I was terrified of her rejection. It was irrational that the woman I craved the most could put me in this position. I couldn't face her and hear she didn't want me. I couldn't look into her gorgeous eyes and see it was all just a game. I hid my identity from her, but my feelings were real.
Yet she returned to him. To the man whom she left when he was in the hospital. She didn't visit him, didn't care about his health, or investigate what had happened to him. She packed her things and her daughter and left without a second thought. So, what changed? Why the fuck did she come back?
Sitting on the tree beside Valeria's balcony, I watched as Chester left, and in an hour, he returned. While he was away, I played with the thought of visiting Valeria, yet in the end, I stayed hidden between the branches, observing her window.
It was quiet inside, and when Chester joined his wife in the bedroom, my stomach twisted with disgust. The gun on my hip begged to be used, but it would be the most enormous stupidity ever.
Firstly, their daughter was inside, and witnessing her father's cold-blooded murder would be devastating for her. Secondly, my impulsive actions could change Valeria's life into a living hell with Italian lapdogs at her back. I had to solve this without causing trouble. I had no other choice but to stay put and patiently wait for information about Chester and his accomplices.
Probably for the first time, I ignored my dad's words and didn't take what I wanted by force. Instead, my mother's wisdom crossed my mind, putting a tiny smile on my lips.
Years ago, when my first marriage was in shreds, Mom told me one thing that was deeply etched into my memory.
"Give your wife time to reconcile with herself. She needs to find her inner strength to make a decision to continue or let go."
With Sarah, I was the one to end things between us. I was fucking tired of her antics and disobedience. She almost got killed twice because she didn't listen to me. It was safer to send her to Paris and get a divorce.
However, with Valeria, it was a different story. If she needed time, I would give her time. If she needed a gentle approach, she would get it. But not with Chester by her side. I had to get rid of him as soon as possible. Otherwise, I didn't know what I might do.
Pure jealousy mixed with the fear of losing the woman of my dreams feasted on my confidence and turned me into an insecure mess. Never in my life was I scared of being refused, but Valeria awakened a side of me I didn't even know I had. How utterly absurd it was.
I returned home at dawn and didn't bother going to my bedroom. I lay on the couch, crossed my arms over my chest, and stared at the ceiling. My mind was overwhelmed with scenarios that could be happening in the Kellermans’ household. My heart bled with every thought of Valeria enjoying her husband's arms. I wanted to scream, throw up, and maybe cry at the same time while thinking about them. It was torture, but I couldn't stop it.
"What are you doing here?"
I cringed, drifting my gaze to my half-naked brother, who stared at me as if I were an alien. Looking around, I realized I had mistaken my apartment. I was on Dorian's couch.
"Tough night," I mumbled, sitting up. He took his phone and called Malin, who materialized in the living room before I could object to this family reunion.
"This is not necessary," I sighed when they sat opposite me in the armchairs, both frowning at me.
"Obviously it is," Dorian objected, moving the glass with scotch toward me. "What happened?"
"Nothing important," I snapped, ignoring his raised brows when he looked at my clothes.
I wore a black hoodie, jeans, combat boots, and the ski mask and black leather gloves peeked from my pocket. Of course, they knew the reason behind my grim expression was Valeria. "Do we have any news about Chester?"
"Yes." Malin nodded. "And it's huge."
My brothers had no idea that one simple word patched my hurt heart. I didn't care how big of a revelation Malin had. We could finally move forward.
"Speak," I ordered, shoving the whiskey down my throat. It wasn't the breakfast I should have at six in the morning, but it was the fuel I needed.
