Page 49 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
We had decided to close the company on December 24th so our employees could prepare for their festivities.A simple gesture, but one that had been enough to light up their faces.
Eva seemed more serene than usual, even if her paleness and dark circles betrayed her fatigue.When I expressed my concern, she gently placed her hand on mine, a reassuring smile on her lips.
"I'm fine, don't worry.Let's just enjoy this day, okay?"
At noon, we prepared lunch.Because I had almost lost Eva, this ordinary moment became precious.Peeling vegetables, chopping onions...Once mundane gestures, they suddenly seemed to have a different value.I savored every second.
But the afternoon took a different turn.A migraine forced her to lie down, and I had to watch her curl up, her face tense with pain.Helpless, I slipped into the bedroom with a bottle of essential oils, ready to offer her some comfort.
"Let me try," I whispered, sitting next to her.She nodded gently, a tired smile on her lips.
As my fingers slowly massaged her temples, I felt her breath lengthen, her sighs of relief resonating like a sweet melody in the silence of the room.These moments of intimacy, where I could finally take care of her, reminded me how much I had missed her.Each caress was an act of love, a way to tell her without words how much she meant to me.
I stayed by her side all afternoon, attentive to the slightest movement, watching over her restless sleep like one guards a fragile treasure.Each time she half-opened her eyelids, she found my gaze upon her, full of tenderness and concern.As night fell, the room took on a soft dimness, enveloping our cocoon in an almost sacred tranquility.
When I slipped under the sheets beside her, I felt her body relax against mine, instinctively seeking the closeness we had missed so much.She nestled against me, and that sigh, light but laden with relief, moved me deeply.
Certainly, I would have imagined a completely different program for Christmas Eve.But there, in that silent room, lulled by her peaceful breathing, I understood that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.This Christmas might not have the grandeur of past celebrations, but it had the essential: Eva.
30.Don't make the same mistake
TRISTAN
Unfortunately, her migraine persisted, and she was unable to attend Christmas lunch at my parents' house.
"Go, Tristan.Don't worry about me, I'm just going to sleep for a while," she insisted, her voice soft but firm.Yet the idea of leaving her alone tore me apart.I eventually left, but my heart stayed with her, in that bedroom.
When I crossed the threshold of the family home, the warmth and laughter of my brothers and their partners greeted me.The smell of the holiday meal, the sparkling decorations, the festive atmosphere—everything was there, and yet I felt incomplete, as if part of myself was missing without Eva by my side.
"Tristan!"
Lily's cry of joy broke through my gloomy thoughts.She threw herself into my arms with that spontaneity that was uniquely hers.I held her close, grateful for this simple and unreserved affection.
"I'm so happy to see you!Isn't Eva feeling any better today?"
Her genuine concern touched me.Lily had always cared about Eva, considering her a sister.
"She'll be better tomorrow, don't worry," I whispered, hoping with all my heart that these words would become reality.
The meal took place in an unusually festive atmosphere, my parents having set aside their quarrels for the occasion.But my mind constantly wandered back to Eva, alone at our home.
Later, I gave Lily the bracelet I had carefully chosen for her during my trip to Oslo.Her face lit up with genuine wonder, her eyes shining with joy as she discovered the details of the jewelry.This expression instantly reminded me of Eva, of the unique way she had of getting excited about small gestures of kindness.I pictured her face lighting up at the simple but meaningful gifts I had brought her from the Christmas market.She had that rare gift of appreciating not the value of things, but the intention behind them, the thought behind the gesture.
When it was time to leave, my mother walked me to the door.
"Thank you for coming, Tristan.It was so nice to have you all here, even if you're leaving a bit early."
"It was a beautiful celebration, but I missed Eva's presence."
She looked at me with that half-smile she reserved for difficult conversations.
"You know, Tristan, when you truly love someone, you don't hesitate to give them a complete place in your life."
She paused, weighing her words.I wondered where she was going with this.
"Maybe if you haven't done that until now, it's because you don't really want to."
The barely veiled suggestion irritated me.
