Page 39 of It Happened In Paris

She sighed and continued. “After our night together, the very next day, Adrien pleaded for forgiveness.” She brushed a tear from the corner of her eye. “A few weeks later, after relentless groveling, daily flower deliveries, and dates, Adrien won me back. He promised to change and hurt me no more, so foolishly, I returned to him. Then I discovered I was pregnant. The timing was so close that I convinced myself the baby was his. He proposed immediately, and soon we were married.”

“Why didn’t you get a test to be sure he was the father?”

“If only I had. I wouldn’t have had to deal with him.”

Or take his last name, which bothered me to no end.

“And you divorced him—what happened?” I asked, though it pained me to delve into these memories.

“After we got married, Adrien showed his true nature. He lied, got aggressive with me during our arguments, and stayed out late into the night.”

“Wait. I don’t like hearing that. How aggressive? How did he mistreat you?” Every muscle in my body tightened on edge at the thought of what she endured.

“It only happened a few times when we argued.” She shook her head, clearly reluctant to say more, and I didn’t want to pressure her to relive any of it. “His business was struggling, and we were having a hard time. It was a stressful period for him.”

“That asshole doesn’t deserve your justifications for his behavior. Everyone deals with stress, and there are plenty of ways to manage it without taking it out on you.” I took her hand and kissed it. “If I’d known, I would have helped you leave.”

“He never really connected with the baby or embraced being a father. Every time he held Paris, she’d cry and cry. Eventually, he stopped trying altogether, and that added even more pressure on me.” She dabbed a tear from her cheek. “In the end, I realized I couldn’t stay with him. I couldn’t risk things getting worse or him ever endangering Paris.”

“I’m so glad you finally recognized that.”

“When I told him I wanted a divorce, he didn’t fight for me. And when I said I wanted to move back to the States with Paris, he didn’t contest it—like all he wanted was to get back to his life without a wife or child. Things have remained tense between us, but I did my best, for Paris’s sake, to keep some kind of connection.”

“That was far too generous of you.”

“Please, Richard, I did what I believed was best.”

“I’m not judging you. I’m incredibly proud of you for getting out of that horrible situation. Honestly, I beat myself up for not chasing you harder that morning. I truly think I could have given you a better life—if only I hadn’t been drugged the night before.” I massaged my forehead, lost in thought. “Vivian, during all your time with Adrien, did you ever hear about himusing drugs for himself or getting involved in buying, selling, or passing them on to others?”

“I wasn’t really into the party scene, but he definitely was. Club Aces was all the rage for concerts, wild parties, and celebrity sightings, but when I met him, it was at a quiet garden party hosted by the parents of the chef I studied under. Adrien’s parents were friends with them, and he appeared a clean-cut young man making his mark in business. We began dating, and his parents really took to me, especially his mother. A few months later, he invited me to move in, and that’s when I saw his double life—the polished version he showed to his family and the darker side immersed in the party scene.”

She stared up at the ceiling and sighed. “So yes, drugs were in the picture. I’m pretty sure he used them recreationally, although I’m uncertain about any buying or selling. I’d heard some people say that Club Aces was the go-to spot if you were looking to score any kind of drug imaginable. Over time, he’d become an embarrassment to his mother who was a devout Christian in social circles.”

“You know the authorities eventually raided his club, right?”

“I’d heard about it. By then, I’d already left him. I was making plans to return to the states.” She exhaled deeply and sat up straighter. “Looking back, I can hardly believe that life with Adrien was my own—it felt like it belonged to someone else.”

I couldn’t bear another minute of her dwelling on that prick. I shifted, positioning myself over her. “Enough. I’ve heard all I need about him. You have to believe that I would never treat you like he did, and I’ll prove that every day. So, tell me what it takes to erase him from your memory forever—I’ll do anything you ask.” I trailed kisses down her neck, lingering over each breast as her soft moans filled the space.

“Tell me, cupcake,” I growled, pressing further until my mouth found her clit, my tongue seeking through her folds…

“Memory of who? What? All I see and feel is you, Mr. Buchanan. Yes, right there,” she whimpered, clutching a handful of the duvet and arching her back. I added my fingers for her pleasure—curling them, stroking her, never relenting until she came undone on my tongue. “Do you want to spoil me? Give me more of that.”

“Fuck yes, Vivian. I’m giving you my all.” I aligned my cock and thrust into her wet center, holding there bare, desperate for every inch of me to satisfy her deepest desires so that she’d never yearn for another man.

16

FIND A WAY

VIVIAN

After our intimate night together,Richard and I walked hand in hand into the hospital, the sunlight on my face like a new day with him beside me. Once we were riding the purple elevator to the Pediatrics unit, though, I drifted away from him, as reality grew closer.

“We probably need to figure out how to tell Paris about you, about her father,” I said.

“And about us,” he replied. He gave me a puzzled look.

“I think we should wait to say anything.” I peeked up. His face flushed with confusion and hurt. Quickly, I outlined my reasoning. “Paris has been through so much. I worry for her well-being.”

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