Page 84 of Destined for the Devil
My dad wasn't a rich man. It turned out that my father wasfilthyrich. The chequing and savings accounts held close to six hundred thousand, but the number that was in various funds was earth-shattering. I didn’t even understand it when I saw it; the lawyer had to read it out for me.
Three hundred and eighty-one million.Three hundred...and eighty-one million dollars.
I couldn’t breathe; I thought I was having a heart attack. How could my parents possibly have had so much money? How? We lived a normal upper-middle-class family life. Where? How?! My dad had a construction company; he didn't own fucking Coca-Cola!
In the haze of what I’d just found out, Roman’s questions echoed back to me.Did you look to see how much was in those funds?
Why wasthatthe question he asked? Did he have an idea of my father’s net worth? And how would he have that idea…unless he was telling the truth. Unless my father was dabbling in the same dirty business, linking him to Roman.
I was rich now. I could do…whatever I wanted! I didn't need to go to school. I didn't need to get a job. I could just live off the interest and enjoy my life.
But that's not who I was. I was in med school because I wanted a stable and respected career. I would live just like my parents, like regular people. But…the first thing I was going to do was buy an apartment. Not rent—buy.One that wasmine.One that nobody could burn down.
I downloaded the app to search for properties and would check it out between classes. School was keeping me extremely busy, and I was thankful that I barely had any time to think. Unfortunately, every minute when I wasn’t in clinical rotation, reading, or writing…my mind floated back tohim.
I thought about him constantly. Was he thinking of me too? Did he miss me to death…the way I missed him?
I’d seen him a few times on the street, quietly watching me, and every time, I broke down into tears, escaping before he could get to me. He was torturing me, but from the glimpse that I caught of him, I knew he was falling apart too.
Distraction was a task in its own right. I worked non-stop, I stayed in the library until they kicked me out, and anytime I was awake, I was reading, writing, and preparing for the next day.
Weekends were the worst. There was too much free time, so I buried myself in the task of looking for an apartment, and it was so much more challenging than I had anticipated. I was grateful that it took up a lot of my time.
Every minute distracted was a minute I wasn't suffering over our breakup.
But the apartment search turned out to be unexpectedly complicated. Not only did my first realtor ghost me—so did my second one! Didn't these people want to make money?!
Now that I had the funds, I moved out of my friend’s house into aluxurious Airbnb and dedicated every weekend to seeing places for sale.
Of course, Roman found out my address.
Heshoweredme with gifts and love letters, each one breaking my heart even further.
He wrote such tender and loving words—he should have been a poet instead of a Bratva criminal.
I read each one and bawled, never daring to throw them out. Roman spoke of eternal love. A love that can't be broken by sins and mistakes. A love that overpowers all obstacles.
Angel,
Remember…in the quiet moments between us, I told you my feelings weren’t just love. They weren’t romance or poetry. They were eternal, something that doesn’t break, something that outlives everything else.
There is a force on this planet stronger than pain. Stronger than hate, disappointment, fear. And that’s what I feel for you.
My guilt is heavy. It colors all my actions, but baby, my love cannot be broken by my mistake. The sins I have committed cannot break our bond.
I know you don’t believe that right now and I don’t blame you. I hurt you in ways no apology could ever fix. I took something from you that can’t be returned.
But if there’s one thing in this entire fucking world that ever mattered…it’s you.
You are my truth.
And that’s the only way I can live, Angel. Ineedthe truth. That pure, innocent, real truth. My love for you will outlive anything. Even the wreckage and damage I caused. My love for you doesn’t get buried or overshadowed by mistakes, it burns stronger.
You’re not just a woman I fell in love with. You are my destiny. You fell intomy arms not by accident, not by chance. It was meant to be. All the events of my life brought me to you.
I know you think this can’t be fixed. That what I’ve done is unforgivable. But I believe in the truth. I believe the truth will find its way back.
My love doesn’t grow tired, weaker, or dull. It waits for you. The thought of never having you back breaks me down, but not my love.
