Claire’s POV
"Love?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. "You don’t deserve to use that word, Evander, not after everything you’ve done."
"I know," he admitted, his voice breaking slightly. "But I am still standing here, aren’t I? Am I not trying to fix what I have? Even if you hate , even if you never forgive , I won’t stop trying." He inhaled deeply as his unwavering gaze was fixed on mine. "But the conversation I am asking for—it’s not about us. It’s about my son."
I frowned, my brows knitting together as I tried to make sense of his words. Eliam? What about him?
He kept repeating that it was about Eliam. Was this another one of his manipulative tactics, or was there sothing more?
"Fine," I replied reluctantly, my voice sharp but calm. The urgency in his tone couldn’t be ignored, no matter how much I wanted to walk away. "But don’t think for a second that I trust you, Evander."
"I wouldn’t expect you to trust so soon," he said quietly. "But thank you for agreeing."
I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes as I waited for him to start. But instead of speaking, Evander stepped closer, his gaze dropping to my neck.
"What are you—" I started, but the words caught in my throat when I felt his fingers brush against the bruises on my skin.
"Let treat your wound first," he said softly, his voice surprisingly tender. His rough and cold fingers grazed my neck, pausing just above the bruised area.
Before I could react, he leaned closer, his warm breath fanning over the sensitive spot. The contrast between the chill of his touch and the heat of his breath sent a shiver down my spine, and I froze.
My body betrayed , responding instinctively to the familiarity of his touch. But I wasn’t about to let him take control again.
"Stop," I said firmly, stepping back and putting distance between us. My hand flew to my neck, shielding the bruise from his reach. "Don’t make excuses to touch ! It’s my body that is injured! And if you didn’t care about in the past... then you don’t have any right to care for right now!"
"I am not trying to control you, Claire," he said, his tone steady, though there was an edge of frustration. "I just... I can’t stand seeing you hurt. I never liked it in the past, and I won’t tolerate it in the future either."
"Well, you should have thought about that before you destroyed everything," I snapped, my voice laced with bitterness. "If you really cared, you wouldn’t have hurt in the first place."
Silence fell between us, heavy and suffocating. I could see the battle in his eyes, the struggle to find the right words to make believe him. But I didn’t want to believe it.
"Say whatever you need to about Eliam, and then I am leaving," I said coldly, crossing my arms again. "I am not here to relive the past, Evander. And I am definitely not here to let you play gas with ."
Evander stood there in silence for a while. Finally, in a low tone, he spoke. "Let’s talk in my study." Without waiting for my response, he turned and walked away.
I hesitated, a knot tightening in my chest, but I needed to know what he wanted to talk about.
As I entered the study, the mories flashed in front of my eyes. The way I was devastated and the divorce papers I found added to the pain in my heart.
"Have a seat," Evander said as his voice snapped out of my thoughts. He gestured to the chair across from his desk, and I sat down reluctantly.
Evander leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk, his expression unreadable. "Claire, before I start, I would like to ask you sothing..." He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "Why did you marry ?"
I blinked, and I was genuinely startled by the question. For a mont, I wondered if he was mocking . "Why does that matter now?" I asked, my tone sharp, but when he didn’t respond, I sighed. "Maybe because I had a crush on you back then. I was young and naive, completely unaware of your cold, heartless nature," I added as I rolled my eyes.
Evander’s lips twitched, but whether it was amusent or sothing else, I couldn’t tell. "Are you sure it was ?" he asked as he raised his brows.
"What the hell are you trying to say?" I shot back, frustration bubbling over .
"Just answer ," he said quietly, his calm deanor only aggravating further.
I clenched my fists, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Fine. Maybe my stupid crush on you was part of it. But if you must know the truth—" I paused, glaring at him. "I wanted to escape my father. He would have sold to the highest bidder sooner or later, and marrying you felt like my only way out. So yes, I chose you as my potential buyer."
The words hung in the air; it sounded cruel and venomous. For a mont, Evander said nothing, his expression turned unreadable. But I could see the flicker of regret and Anger in his eyes but it didn’t matter.
"Claire..." he started, his voice unusually soft, but I cut him off.
"Don’t," I said sharply. "Don’t try to turn this into sothing noble. You didn’t save , Evander. You just gave a different kind of cage to live in."
Silence stretched between us that was heavy and suffocating.
"Is that what you have believed all this ti?" Evander finally asked, his voice quiet and almost vulnerable.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. The truth was written all over my face, my silence louder than any words could ever be.
"I never bought you," Evander said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension. "I married you because I loved you. And if soone paid a price to bring you into my life..." He hesitated, his jaw tightening. "Then it was Gloria."
"Excuse ?" I froze, my mind racing to keep up with his words.
Evander leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair as though battling his own frustration. "Gloria orchestrated everything," he pronounced. "She thought you were just a pawn, and when she realized I truly loved you, she couldn’t stand it. That’s why she drove us apart."
"What are you even saying right now?" My voice trembled with confusion and anger. "You are blaming soone else for everything that happened between us?"
"I am not blaming her for all of it," Evander admitted, his gaze unwavering. "But she took advantage of my mistakes and your pain. And she is still not done. That’s why I need you, as she is trying to take Eliam away from ."
"What?" My voice rose in disbelief as I stared at him wide-eyed. "How could she even try to take your son away from you?"
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What do you think Gloria is trying to do!? And what would be revealed here?
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