Page 36 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
I had dedicated these past years to building our life together, to establishing Community Pilot, to creating a shared future.I regretted nothing: I had been deeply happy, fulfilled, both personally and professionally.But perhaps all beautiful dreams have an end.
The idea of leaving Community Pilot tightened my throat.How could I stay, endure his presence day after day, watch him love another without my heart breaking a little more with each moment?No, if we were to separate, I would have to leave and start over elsewhere.A blank page, as terrifying as that might be.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, hot, bitter.I wiped them away furiously.Crying would change nothing.I wasn't the type to feel sorry for myself.Whatever direction my life took, I would rebuild it.Brick by brick, if necessary.I just hoped that time would eventually heal this wound that was tearing me apart from the inside.
23.You’re going to have to choose
TRISTAN
The more days passed, the more I realized I had to talk to Eva.I couldn’t stay silent while Audrey kept invading my thoughts.Keeping the truth from her was putting our relationship at risk.A relationship couldn’t be built on lies and secrets.I owed her that much—it was obvious.But I didn’t do it.
Every morning, I woke up determined to talk to Eva.And every night, I went to bed defeated by my own cowardice.I didn’t want to see her world crumble because of my confession.More than anything, I was terrified she’d ask me to choose.The idea of losing Audrey paralyzed me.That thought filled me with shame, but it weighed too much on my conscience to ignore.How could I even hesitate for a second between the woman I had loved for seven years and a mere attraction?
Day after day, my unspoken desires and guilt darkened my mood, eating me alive.I could no longer meet Eva’s gaze, knowing full well I had feelings for another woman.Every moment spent with her became an ordeal, and our relationship slowly crumbled.To the point where I couldn’t even make love to her or say "I love you" anymore.Those words, once so natural, got stuck in my throat, suffocated by shame and silent betrayal.
Eva tried to keep up appearances, but she was hurting.My betrayal was destroying her—I could see it in the torment in her eyes, in the pain she could no longer hide.
I needed to talk to someone, to get some perspective, and most of all, to quiet the conscience that haunted me day and night.Steve, my usual confidant, was out of the question this time.Telling him about Audrey would have been a death sentence.I didn’t want to trigger his protective instincts toward Eva or risk turning my best friend against me.So, I turned to Satoshi and asked him to grab a beer with me at six.Did he have any idea what was coming?I doubted it, but he agreed without hesitation, seemingly happy to hang out, away from the chaos of the office.
We had our usual spot—a quiet bar tucked away in a secluded alley, far from the buzz of the more crowded places near work.After a quick nod to the bartender who knew us well, we settled into a secluded booth, away from prying eyes and ears.The bar was our usual refuge, a place where time seemed to slow down and problems felt a little less overwhelming.The dim lighting, the worn leather chairs, the familiar scent of aged wood—everything invited confession.
Two beers in, with the tension in my shoulders starting to ease, the words finally spilled out.Satoshi listened without flinching, his face unreadable, his sharp eyes locked onto me.
"Do you love Audrey?"
His question hit like a punch to the gut.I took a deep breath, searching for the truth beneath the desire clouding my judgment.
"No...It’s different.She fascinates me, yes.This attraction burns me up at times, but it’s not love.Eva...Eva is my whole life."
Satoshi set his glass down deliberately, his piercing gaze drilling into me, as if trying to uncover the truth I might have been hiding from myself.
"Is she, though?Or are you just trying to hold onto a memory?"
It was a fair question.Ever since my trip to New York, my emotions had been tangled.The love I thought I had for Eva, my growing fascination with Audrey, the relentless guilt, the deep-seated fear of turning into my father, who had shattered our family—I didn’t know what was real anymore.
"You’re going to have to choose, you know."
"There’s no choice to make," I protested, my voice carrying a conviction I didn’t fully believe."Eva is the woman I love.This...whatever this is with Audrey—it’ll pass.It’s just a moment of weakness."
"You want to believe that.But if it were that simple, you wouldn’t be here talking to me."he replied calmly, his gaze unwavering."It’s easy to make declarations when you’re not in the same room as her.But what about when you catch her scent?When your eyes meet?"
"You’re really not helping me here."
I knew he was right, and that terrified me.What I felt for Audrey was more than just physical attraction—I was starting to develop feelings for her, something deep-rooted, despite all my resistance.But I refused to go down that road.I refused to be the guy torn between two women, the indecisive man who hurt everyone because he couldn’t make up his mind.
"I’m not here to tell you what you want to hear," Satoshi continued, blunt as ever."If you’re talking to me about this, it’s because you’re losing control of the situation.My advice?Put distance between you and Audrey.Distance might be enough to break the spell, to snap you out of this.Then, you can figure out where you and Eva really stand—whether you still have something to fight for or if your story ends here."
The thought of losing Eva was unbearable, like losing a part of myself.Despite the tension, despite Audrey and the guilt gnawing at me, I couldn’t picture a future without Eva—without her laughter, her warmth, the way she filled every empty space in my life.Satoshi was probably right, brutally honest as always.I just had to put some distance between Audrey and me, and everything would go back to normal, like before.It wouldn’t be easy—Audrey would probably take it as a rejection—but there was no other choice.Hesitating any longer would be cruel to both of them, and I refused to be that guy.I could do this.I had to do this.For Eva.For us.For the man I wanted to be.
I repeated those words to myself like a mantra, hoping they’d take root, hoping they’d become stronger than the desire eating away at me.
When I walked through the door that night, darkness greeted me.No noise, no lights.The silence was suffocating.After checking the rooms, the truth hit me: Eva wasn’t home.I stared at my phone, searching for a missed message, an explanation for her absence.Nothing.Worry crept in, bringing darker thoughts.An accident?An attack?
The sound of the front door made me jump.Eva appeared, her face unreadable, her expression distant.
"Hey," she said, offering a polite smile, almost detached."You’re home early?"
"Where were you?"
