Page 157 of My Big, Fat, Accidental Billionaire Husband

But tonight proved something. I’m not that same coward anymore.

I can fight.

Can protect what matters.

Too little, too late, Dominic.

I press harder against my bleeding side, welcoming the pain. I deserve worse.

The crushing weight of what I’ve done to Tatiana hits me full force again. How could I betray her like that?

I failed her when I should have protected her from Nico.

And now I’ll pay for that failure forever.

“The doctor is on his way,” Jake says, returning to my side. “And sir?”

I look up, barely seeing him through the haze of pain and regret.

“It looks like you were targeted randomly. They claim no one paid them.”

That penetrates the fog. “Has to be Weiss,” I mutter.

Jake shrugs. “Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll find out. But right now, let’s get you patched up.”

I let him help me to my feet, wincing as fresh pain lances through my side. We walk slowly to the living room where he deposits me on the couch.

I close my eyes, seeing her pained face again.

And I sigh.

Forgive me, Tatiana.

42

Tatiana

The sunlight streaming through my cheap blinds feels like a personal attack. My eyes are swollen, my throat raw. The clock reads 6:23 AM, which means I’ve had roughly two hours of sleep. Fantastic.

Welcome to annulment day, Tatiana. Round two of being officially unwanted.

I stare at the popcorn ceiling of my Queens apartment. It feels both foreign and familiar after weeks in Dom’s sterile-but-luxurious penthouse. My old IKEA furniture and Target bedding suddenly seem childish in comparison, but at least they’re mine.

No strings.

No clauses.

No betrayal.

I keep replaying last night in my head. Dom’s silence. Nico’s smug face. The dawning horror as I realized what was happening.

I roll over and press my face into the pillow. Maybe if I just stay here, I can pretend none of it happened. That I didn’t sign a contract with a billionaire. That I didn’t get married in Vegas. That I didn’t start falling for a man who was willing to trade me to his brother like some sort of business asset.

Asset management was literally part of my business degree, but I didn’t thinkI’dbe the asset.

My phone buzzes from the nightstand. Probably Sabrina. I grab it and confirm her name on the screen. She’s been texting me since 4 AM. Probably because of the little text I sent her about how I was going to kill Dom and his brother. Whoops.

Call me when you’re up. I’m worried.

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