Page 50 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
"How we live our relationship is our business," I replied, my voice tense with effort."It doesn't in any way diminish the depth of our feelings."
"You think I haven't seen the tensions between you lately?"she said, letting a silence charged with implications hang in the air."Don't make the same mistake I did.Don't cling to a relationship that's becoming toxic."
I clenched my jaw before admitting, my throat tight:
"It's true there have been tensions, but we'll overcome them.Together.You can be sure of that."
Eva was sleeping deeply when I returned home.Her regular breathing filled the room with a soothing calm that contrasted with the tumult of my thoughts.In the protective dimness of our bedroom, my mother's words played on a loop in my mind, each word raising new questions.
Had I deliberately chosen not to fully integrate Eva into my life?
The thought chilled me.
Was that why I had never thought about asking her to marry me?
Did I, somewhere deep inside, doubt what Eva meant to me?
No.
The answer came to me with sudden clarity.
True, my fascination with Audrey had caused damage.Wounds that we were just beginning to heal.But looking at Eva sleeping peacefully despite everything we had been through, I was certain that we would overcome this trial together, and our relationship would emerge stronger.
Eva woke up around six in the evening.She seemed better, her features more relaxed, her migraine dissipated by rest.I took the opportunity to hand her the gift I had brought from Oslo, my heart beating with hope.
"Merry Christmas, Eva."
She slowly unwrapped the small package, and her eyes widened as she discovered the pendant in the shape of a leaping reindeer.
"It's beautiful, Tristan," she breathed, moved.
She gently touched the jewel with her fingertips, but a shadow briefly crossed her gaze.I didn't need words to understand what she was thinking.This reindeer, of indecent value, was worth a hundred times the gift given to Audrey, but it wasn't a question of price.Gently, I took her face in my hands and placed a kiss on her lips.
"I'm sorry, Eva.I didn't measure the impact of my gesture.If I could go back, I would correct my mistakes, but I can't.So, I promise to give you so many jewels that they will erase this painful memory."
"I don't need jewelry.The fact that you agreed to part ways with Audrey and find another assistant means much more than all the gifts in the world."
She nestled against me, her warm body curled against mine, like a silent forgiveness.
Then she handed me her own gift: a turtleneck sweater in ecru cashmere, of exquisite softness.Delighted, I removed my jacket and shirt to try it on, feeling Eva's gaze briefly graze my bare skin.A silence charged with desire stretched between us, filled with all that we didn't yet dare to say.
I leaned toward her and kissed her.She responded with infinite gentleness, surrendering without reservation.That night, we lost ourselves in each other, as if each caress could close a wound, each kiss rebuild what had been broken.
***
Eva and I hadn't planned to take vacation between Christmas and New Year's.With all the work difficulties, I didn't really have my mind on it, and Eva wasn't particularly keen either.Besides, she had gone to Florence for two days on a business trip and wasn't due back until tomorrow.Without her, I had no reason to rush home.Work, for lack of anything better, filled my evenings and kept me from thinking too much about my mistakes.
Despite our Christmas reconciliation, something remained unresolved between us.The tensions hadn't completely disappeared, like a poorly healed wound that would continue to make us suffer until we properly cleaned it.I knew it was necessary to talk, to lance the boil, to clean up in order to rebuild on a healthy foundation, but neither of us really knew how to go about it.It was as if we were waiting for the right moment, without knowing when it would come.Or maybe I was avoiding this conversation out of cowardice, out of fear of what it might reveal about my own weaknesses.
Focused on the next round of funding, I jumped when Stella violently opened my office door without knocking.Her face was ashen, her hands trembling.
"Tristan, I swear I didn't know," she said, panicked."I thought it came from you.I thought it was the report you wanted me to finalize.My God, what have I done?"
I immediately stood up, walked around my desk, and gently guided her to a seat.She seemed on the verge of an anxiety attack.I handed her a bottle of water, which she brought to her lips, her hands still shaking.
"When you feel better, tell me what's happening."
"I thought it was you who left the USB drive."
