Page 94 of Duchess By Accident
“Where is the letter, Natalie?” Adrian took a step towards her, menace in his voice.
Natalie shook her head, unable to look at him a moment longer. Her stomach twisted, bubbling violently. She thought she would be sick. “How little you must think of me.”
“I will not let you harm her.” He whispered. “Tell me where the letter is. I will give you whatever you want. Just tell me what you have done.”
“There is your damned letter!” Natalie gestured to the fire, to the curling ash.
“You destroyed it?” Adrian slumped against the table.
“Of course I did.” Tears streamed down Natalie’s face. “I love Melody. She is as good as my daughter. I loved you!”
“I… I thought…” Adrian looked as though someone had struck a blow to his head. “When you said…”
“I know what you thought.” Natalie spat. “You made that clear.”
She moved towards the door. He grabbed her hand, and she slapped him, the force of it stinging her fingers.
“Do not touch me.” She hissed.
“Natalie, please…” He released her, rubbing at his cheek.
“I trusted you, Adrian. I gave you my heart.” She sobbed. “I thought you trusted me. I thought you knew me.”
“I do trust you-” Adrian began anger and fear warring in his eyes.
“- clearly you do not, or you would not have done what you just did.” Natalie moved towards the door.
He growled in frustration. “I was only trying to protect my daughter.”
“Do not use her as a shield. You wish to control everything and everyone around you, and you say it is for her. But that is not true. The truth is you are a coward.” Natalie wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You are too scared to trust, and I cannot live like that.”
“What are you saying?” He took a step backwards. “You know how I feel about you. I lo-”
“- do not say it. Do not say it, Adrian. There can be no love without trust.” Natalie could scarcely see through the tears in her eyes. “I would never have told anyone. I will never tell anyone. But I will never trust you, not after this.”
“And you think I will trust you?” His eyes flashed in anger.
“I know you do not. So, I will do what you have always wanted. I am leaving, we shall have separate lives as per our agreement.” Natalie felt as though someone was tearing her heart from her chest. “Enjoy your solitude. I will write to arrange a time to see our daughter.”
“You are abandoning her, just like her mother.” Adrian spat.
“If you think that, then you truly do not know me at all.” Natalie looked at him with all the anger and pity she could muster, but her pain still bled through. “Goodbye, Adrian.”
She slammed the door, and strode away.Three times the fool.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Ithought I could trust you.”Natalie’s voice echoed in the air around him.“All you had to do was tell me.”
Adrian whirled around. His heart beat wildly as he squinted, desperately trying to make out shapes through the fog that surrounded him. “Natalie? Where are you?”
“You lied to me.”The voice boomed out around him.
Adrian spotted a figure in the distance and moved towards it, his hand reaching for the shadow. “I never lied to you. Please, come back. Let us talk about this.”
It vanished, leaving him clutching only mist. Beads of sweat trickled down his face. His legs felt heavy. He had to find Natalie
“I trusted you.”The voice boomed out.“All you had to do was tell me!”
