Page 52 of Lucas (The Valeur Billionaires #2)

She shakes her head, disbelief and betrayal mingling in her eyes. “I always thought Valeur were the ones who cheated us. That’s what my father told me. That the whole Valeur empire was built on contracts you stole from us. He said that’s why Gant Construction never succeeded.”

“That’s not true,” I say.

“I’m realizing that now. When you asked for all those financial documents, I started going through them, and the numbers didn’t add up.

I delayed submitting them to you because I was trying to understand what was going on, and the more I dug, the more I realized Father was responsible for everything that happened.

He wasn’t honest,” her voice cracks, fresh tears welling.

“I thought you always knew. That you were part of the scheme.” Shame fills me at the admission, at how badly I misjudged her.

“No! Believe me, I would never condone something like that. Never.” She grips my hand, her eyes pleading .

“I believe you, Wifey.” I pull her in for another kiss, relishing the feel of her soft lips on mine. “I need to confess something too.”

She pulls back, searching my face. Her eyes are shining, so full of love it takes my breath away. This woman loves me, and I might be about to throw it all away, but I have to lay it all on the table. “I thought if you were running Gant, you had to be aware of all the irregularities there.”

“I only discovered what happened when you requested the documents and I started going through them,” she rushes to explain.

“I know.” I capture her hand, tracing circles on her palm with my thumb.

I’m not sure if it’s to keep her from running or to comfort her for what I’m about to say.

Or maybe to comfort myself. “I know that now. But… I believed you knew, and so when I married you, when I had that contract drafted, I planned to dismantle Gant Construction, to absorb the assets into Valeur.”

“You what?” She yanks her hand from mine and stands, swaying on her feet.

I drag my teeth over my bottom lip, steeling myself. “Yeah. The plan was to ruin Gant, leaving you with nothing when our marriage ended.”

She closes her eyes, and for a moment, I think she might collapse. The urge to get out of this bed and hold her is overwhelming, but I can’t fucking move. Talk about bad timing.

“I haven’t intended to go through with it for a while now. Not since I began to get to know you. I no longer had any intention of following that plan,” I say, willing her to see the truth in my eyes .

She steps back, refusing to meet my gaze. The distance between us feels like a chasm, vast and bottomless.

“That’s what I went to see my dad about that night. To tell him I wasn’t going to go through with those plans, that I was ripping up the contract.” I try again, desperation leaking into my voice.

“So, your father was in on it?” she asks, her tone leached of emotion.

I nod, hating myself for putting that lost, betrayed look on her face.

“Who else knows?” She paces the room, restless energy vibrating off her in waves.

“Liam and Logan,” I admit, each word cutting my throat like shards of glass.

She huffs out a bitter laugh, shaking her head.

“And…Noah and Kaleb,” I force myself to finish, to give her the whole ugly truth.

“Your friends know too? So, every time you all hung out, you were laughing at me? The stupid woman who doesn’t know what’s coming?” Her eyes blaze with hurt and anger, her hands curled into fists at her sides.

“No, it wasn’t like that. I never thought you were stupid, and we never laughed at you. They thought I was making a mistake.” God, I’m losing her. I can feel her slipping away with every word, every revelation.

“Then they’re smarter than you. What about Cora? Does she know? Was she pretending to be my friend while plotting with you to take me down?” The accusation in her voice burns like acid, stripping me raw.

“No. Cora doesn’t know. I didn’t tell her because I knew she’d never go along with it. She wasn’t pretending. She’s truly your friend.” I try to pour every ounce of sincerity into the words to make her believe me.

“All this time, I was so worried, so scared of what would happen when you found out what my father did... And all the while, you were planning to destroy me.” She laughs again, but it’s a hollow, brittle sound. Defeat and resignation dull the vibrant green of her eyes.

“It wasn’t like that,” I protest, but she cuts me off with a sharp slash of her hand.

“No? Then how was it?” She plants her hands on her hips, her chin jutting out in defiance.

“That was the initial plan, but it hasn’t been for a long time. Why do you think I agreed to your rehabilitation proposal? Because I wanted to help you, not ruin you.” I try to make her see, to understand.

She shakes her head, a muscle ticking in her jaw.

“Ask me. Truth or dare,” I blurt out, grasping at straws.

“What?” She stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I have.

“I want to change the answers I gave you before. Ask me,” I plead, holding her gaze.

“Truth or dare?” she says, her voice trembling.

“Truth. You asked me what my biggest regret is. My biggest regret is drafting that contract and not telling you the truth the moment I realized I was in love with you.”

She’s silent, her face unreadable.

“You asked me what my greatest fear is,” I go on.

“This is it. This is my greatest fear. I’m terrified you won’t forgive me.

That you won’t believe I love you and that the last thing I want is to hurt you.

I’m scared you’ll leave me because I don’t want to live in a world where you’re not with me.

” My voice cracks, the words scraped raw from my throat.

“I believe you love me,” she says slowly, each word measured. “And I’m glad you’re okay, that you’re recovering, but...”

I bite my lip, dread coiling in my gut. “You’re breaking up with me?”

“No. But I need time to think.” She wraps her arms around herself, a protective gesture that twists like a knife in my chest.

“Please don’t go.” I’m not above begging, not when it comes to her. “I need you.”

“You should have thought about that before you lied to me for months. You made me feel like I did with my father—worthless and stupid. And that’s a feeling I never want to experience again.” She turns to leave, her hand on the door.

“Ava, wait.” I struggle to sit up, ignoring the screaming protest of my battered body. I have to stop her, have to make this right.

But she’s already gone, the door clicking shut behind her with a sound like a gunshot, a death knell.

I slump back against the pillows, all the strength draining out of me. It’s over. I’ve lost her.

Lost everything.

Within a minute, everyone is back in my room, their faces a blur of concern and confusion. All I want is for them to leave, to let me be alone, to cry, to shatter in peace.

But I force a smile, pretending everything is fine. Just like I always do.

Even as my world crumbles to ashes around me .

Even as the only thing that ever mattered slips through my fingers.

My Ava.

My heart.

My everything.

Gone.