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As Mairi and Damen continued to lead normal lives minus the trappings that came with Damen’s previous billionaire lifestyle, the public slowly began to see themselves in his wife. No longer was she a notorious gold digger in their eyes. Instead, she was a Cinderella who had found her Prince Charming...and chose to love him still even if he was no longer a prince.
A cab finally stopped before them. But before Mairi could get in, Damen held her back while Drake went forward to inspect the vehicle’s safety and determine whether the driver was someone to be suspicious about.
Mairi threw her hands up. “You’re acting just as ridiculous as Damen! What’s next? Secret Service agents tailing us?”
Drake almost smiled, and when he turned around to face the couple, he saw that the ex-billionaire’s lips had twitched, too. Mairi’s words were actually true, with Damen selling off his sports car to afford the fees of Drake’s men and ensure that they worked incognito in keeping Mairi safe as well as tailing his enemies, waiting for them to betray themselves.
“It’s safe,” was all Drake said.
Mairi sighed. “Hopeless. You are both hopeless.”
Inside the cab, Damen immediately pulled Mairi to him, wanting her close to him all the time.
Mairi didn’t resist at all when Damen tugged her close. She wanted the same thing, but she just couldn’t bring herself to reach for him first, seeing it as an act of weakness she couldn’t afford to make.
Ahead of them, Damen spied a boutique for infants. “Would you like to stop there? We haven’t bought anything yet for our baby.”
There was a tiny pause before Mairi said brightly, “I think it would be way cooler and more meaningful if we did it the old school way, don’t you think?”
His forehead furrowed. “What are you suggesting?”
“I could knit...”
“You can do that of course, but I don’t want you tired unnecessarily. Besides, there are other stuff that we must buy.” He paused. “Unless of course you are thinking of building a crib for the baby, too?”
Mairi stuck out her tongue. “Ha-ha.”
The reluctance on Mairi’s face bemused Damen. Admittedly, he knew little about pregnant women, but wasn’t it natural for them to be eager to shop for the baby’s needs?
A moment later, the truth hit him, and his chest constricted.It was moments like this, Damen acknowledged grimly,that he almost wanted to give Mairi up.A woman like Mairi deserved a real billionaire and not a former one like him.
He said quietly, “I can afford it.”
Mairi flushed, hating that Damen caught on to her so easily. She said quickly, vehemently, “I know you can.” She didn’t want anyone – not even Drake – to think that she doubted Damen’s capability to provide for her and their baby. Damen Leventis was one of the proudest men she knew, and it didn’t escape Mairi that his pride had also repeatedly suffered a great beating ever since she came into his life.
The thought had her drawing her breath sharply, Mairi doing her best to blink back tears that had sprung out of nowhere. Pregnancy hormones had made her even more melodramatic, with a tendency to cry over the smallest things.
Damen shook his head when he saw Mairi lower her head. He knew what that meant. He pulled her to him without a word. She struggled, which he expected, but he didn’t let her go, and soon her tears were soaking his shirt.
He asked gruffly, “What have I done to make you cry?”
She asked in a near inaudible voice, “Are you really happy about the baby?” Money was so incredibly tight these days, and she hated it that because of her unplanned pregnancy, Damen might just be forced to ask for a loan from the few people who had stuck by them.
Damen tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes, Mairi’s question puzzling him. “Why would you even ask such a question? I know you do not believe me, but I love you, Mairi. This baby is a product of our love, so how could it not be just as precious for me?” He paused, wondering how much he could say, but in the end, the truth won out. He had promised himself he would never lie to Mairi again – or at least not when it came to his feelings – and he was determined to keep that promise.
“This baby is a blessing for more than one reason, Mairi, and do you know why?”
She shook her head.
He said simply, “It’s a blessing because I know our child has created an eternal bond between you and me, and no matter if you want to get rid of this bond, you won’t be able to. I can only hope that the baby will keep you married to me forever.”
Mairi’s fingers curled against his shirt, now wet with her tears. She so wanted to believe Damen. And she almost did. Almost. She asked haltingly, “Why have you never asked me if the baby is...yours?”
A pained smile curved on Damen’s cruelly beautiful lips, and his voice was made hoarse by his regret and humility as he said, “Because I have always been the one who lied in our relationship. Never you.” He swallowed, remembering the time when Mairi had admitted to him that she had fallen in love with him at first sight. “Not even when it would have been better for you to lie.”