Page 52 of Taming a Ruthless Heart

“Love you too, silly!”I reply, reaching for a golden shortcake.

I take a bite, the soft texture melting in my mouth as I ponder her words.I gaze away at the tall bookshelves lining the walls, packed with volumes of secrets themselves.Trust is such a charged word, one that comes with a hefty price tag in Dave’s world.I’ve seen what he does to those who betray him.And yet, here I am, hiding the biggest truth of all.

“Lex, you’re only delaying the inevitable.”Olivia’s voice softens, and she reaches out, covering my hand with hers.“He’s not an idiot.He’ll find out eventually.And won’t it be better if the truth comes from you?”

She’s right, of course.Dave’s too smart to be left in the dark forever.But every time I get close to telling him, to opening that door, I freak out.

I give her hand a silent squeeze, grateful for her honesty.“I want to.God, you’ve no idea how much I want to.But telling him could destroy the fragile trust we’ve managed to rebuild.I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

Olivia leans back, crossing her arms as she studies me, her expression thoughtful.“Alexia, sometimes we don’t get to be ready.Sometimes life just throws us into things, and we have to figure it out as we go.”Her voice softens, and I see a flicker of worry in her eyes.“He loves you, you know.Despite everything, he cares.He’s done more than most men would to keep you safe.Doesn’t that count for something?”

It counts for everything.That’s the problem.If he didn’t care, if he were still the cold, distant man I remembered, maybe this wouldn’t be so hard.But he’s changed.He’s softer, somehow.And that scares me more than any danger from Igor.Because with every glance, every small touch, I feel myself slipping, losing the defenses I’ve kept up for so long.

I meet her gaze, drawn to the fierce determination in her eyes.“I know he cares.That’s what makes this so terrifying.If he finds out about Rose and turns against me, I don’t know that I can survive losing him again.”

Olivia’s hand tightens on mine, grounding me.“Then don’t let him find out from someone else.Give him the chance to understand, to make his own choices, Lex.He deserves that.”

A sharp knock interrupts us, and Jonathan’s figure fills the doorway.“Miss Olivia,” he says, his voice polite but firm.“It’s time.”

“Oh, I almost forgot!”My cousin rummages her Birkin bag and fishes out her cellphone.After unlocking the screen, she hands it to me.“Type in your new number, please.”

I do and return her phone as we stand up.“Thanks, cuz.It was great talking to you.”

Olivia pulls me into a tight hug, giving me one last lingering look.“You know what you have to do,” she whispers.“Take care of yourself, Lex.And do the right thing.”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat as she walks to the door, every step a reminder of the world I left behind and the new one closing in around me.As she disappears down the hallway, the weight of her words settles over me like a shroud.

Do the right thing.

But in this world, where lines blur between loyalty and betrayal, love and hate, right and wrong don’t come easy.

The library is too quiet now that Olivia is gone, the echo of her presence lingering.I let out a breath, sinking back into the plush leather of the armchair.The iced tea on the table has begun to sweat, a ring of condensation pooling beneath it, forgotten.Olivia’s words replay in my mind, tightening around my heart like a slowly winding rope.She told me to tell Dave like it were that easy.

I pick up the glass and take a sip, the cold liquid doing nothing to soothe the wildfire in my chest.Part of me believes that Dave would rather hear the truth about Rose from me than find out on his own.But that’s the part of me that remembers the warmth in his eyes when we’re alone, the way he looks at me now as if we’ve erased five years of distance and pain.I cling to that warmth, knowing full well that it’s a fragile illusion.If I tell him about Rose, what we’ve rebuilt might shatter completely.

But the secret won’t stay buried forever.Dave seems to be already suspicious, watching me with that calculated intensity.If he digs deep enough—and he will, because Dave doesn’t know how to stop when he’s got a mystery in his hands—he’ll find out on his own.And when he does… the fallout could be far worse.I close my eyes, gripping the glass tighter.I’m standing on the edge of a precipice.

Another thought slithers in, unbidden yet insistent.Igor.The man who’s woven himself like a poisonous thread through our lives.I’ve pieced together fragments enough to know what he has done.Igor’s dark secrets will finish him off, maybe even get him killed.The Syndicate is powerful and resourceful as well.If I give Dave enough hints about the extent of Igor’s betrayal, maybe the Syndicate would take Igor down.

I set the glass down, hands trembling as a fresh wave of emotions crashes over me.The thought of Dave going after Igor stirs something deeper—a protective instinct I can’t ignore.I know Dave can handle himself.He’s ruthless, calculated, and a force to be reckoned with.But if Igor’s reach is as deep as I suspect, even Dave could be caught in his web.And that terrifies me more than I want to admit.

I feel a warmth building in my chest, the kind of warmth I haven’t let myself feel in years.Love.That’s what this is.Despite everything, despite the secrets and the lies, I still love him.In fact, I’ve never stopped loving Dave.And that’s why this decision feels like a knife twisting in my gut—because to tell him about Rose, to bring him that close to the truth, means risking everything.

The clock on the wall ticks, each second a reminder that time is slipping through my fingers.I take a deep breath, steadying myself.I’m not ready to tell him.Not yet.But the decision doesn’t sit easy with me.It festers, an ache that won’t go away, gnawing at me.

Olivia’s last words echo in my mind, a soft but relentless nudge.Do the right thing.

I push the thought aside, standing up and crossing to the window.Outside, the world is deceptively peaceful, the garden bathed in the soft glow of afternoon light.But beneath that calm lies a storm, one I can’t avoid forever.For now, all I can do is hope that when I finally tell Dave the truth, I’ll be strong enough to face the fallout.

21

Dave

The dining room is filled with a warm glow, the chandelier dripping light that pools in golden reflections across the polished mahogany table.Shadows play along the carved walls, dark and intricate, mirroring the tension stirring beneath my calm facade.Across from me, Alexia sits with Rose beside her, and I can’t help but watch the little girl.Every time I look at her something familiar tugs at the edges of my mind.

“Mr.Dave, guess what I drew today!”Rose’s bright voice breaks through the quiet, her sandy curls bouncing as she leans toward me, eyes shining with excitement.“Nadya says it’s my best one ever!”

Alexia smiles softly, glancing over at me.“She spent the entire afternoon with her crayons.Couldn’t be prouder of that picture, could you, Rose?”

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