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Cecily

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

I’ve spent months preparing for this day. For the moment when the whole truth came out.

I prayed and tried to build courage, because I knew that the moment of our confrontation would not be a pretty thing to see.

I could never have prepared myself, however, for the look on his face when he finally finds out the truth.

At first, I see pain, and it nearly tears me in two, but then it’s replaced by contempt as I confirm what I’m sure he already knew.

Receiving hate from the man I love almost kills me.

I try to hold myself together, but inside I’m breaking into a thousand pieces. “I was going to tell you everything.”

“What? Have you come to give a new version of the story that Peyton revealed to the newspapers? A different outcome, like: I came to strike a blow, but I fell in love?”

His irony is like a knife, but I don’t let him see it.

“You can’t believe that. You know I don’t care about your money. I’m only interested in you and Joseph.”

“Leave my son out of this, Cecily.”

“Why would I leave him out when he is the one I came for?”

“What?”

“If you want to believe I’m a gold digger like Peyton claims, I can’t convince you otherwise, but I can give you my word that I didn’t come to New York for you. I came for Joseph.”

If I expected any change for the better in his expression, I’m disappointed. He looks even angrier. “Are you related to that son of a bitch?”

“Don’t talk about Keith like that! And no, he wasn’t my relative—he was my best friend.”

“Friend? A woman abuser? A bastard who beat his pregnant wife?”

“That’s not what happened, Dionysus. For the love of God, you need to listen to me.”

“I don’t need to do anything. You have no rights, Cecily. You are a liar who sneaked into our lives. You gained my trust, the love of my son and my family.”

It doesn’t go unnoticed by me that he doesn’t talk about his own love, and that is, of course, because he never loved me. He doesn’t even give me a chance to explain.

“I won’t be able to reason with you now. You’re very upset.”

“ Upset? You have no idea what I’m feeling.”

“Anger, I know, and I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m so sorry, Dionysus.”

I try to take a step closer, willing to do anything to obtain forgiveness, but he stops me with a wave of his hand.

“No. I don’t want you to touch me. I don’t want to breathe the same air as you. Unfortunately, we know that I will have to do so, however, because you carry my child, but you will never touch me again, Cecily.”

I try to take into account how hurt he is, based on what I know about the Kostanidis pride, but still, I can’t control the hurt his words cause me. “Keith wasn’t who Sue said he was, Dionysus. She married him out of self-interest. It angered her when he donated the money from the sale of the company anonymously to charity. She’d planned a coup that didn’t work. She wanted to be the queen of a na?ve boy, and all she managed was to gain an upper-middle-class lifestyle. It was good, much more than she’d had in the past, but not enough for someone so ambitious.”

“And why should I believe you?”

“Because I love you and I love Joseph. I’m sorry I didn’t reveal this sooner. I intended to leave, to let him live his life as your son, because I knew he was safe at your side.”

“What if he wasn’t?”

“I was going to fight for custody of him in court. That’s what I promised Keith. I thought Sue was the one I would have to fight, but she died. I had no idea she had married a rich Greek. I only found out through the newspapers and magazines when they broke the news of her death, and that’s the only reason I tried to find you.”

“I don’t believe anything you say.”

“However,” I continue, pretending that what he said doesn’t hurt me, “it only took a week to see that Keith’s son was being well taken care of. I saw how much you love each other, and I should have left at that time, but I fell in love with you.”

“You fell in love ? Or did you try to succeed where Sue had failed?”

I know I’m wrong as hell, but his lack of faith in me hurts me, and I can’t keep quiet. “Some would say she didn’t exactly fail. She married two rich men. It was a shame for her that the first one had a good heart and gave away all his fortune.”

I notice a vein pulsing in his neck, and I know he’s controlling himself because I’m pregnant. Seeing him so angry with me is more than I can bear.

There’s no point staying here. Right now, he hates me and won’t listen to anything I say.

I take the letter that I always carry with me out of my bag. “I’ll leave this for you to read when you’re calmer. It’s a letter from Keith. You should read it.” I place it on his desk and start walking to the door. “We’re both upset, so I’m going home. When you want to talk, I’ll be waiting for you.”

“No.”

I stop walking and look back. “You don’t want me to leave?” I ask, with a spark of hope lighting in my heart.

“I don’t want you to go home. It’s not your home anymore. Anderson will take you to the penthouse. Stay away from Joseph. I don’t trust you.”

“I have your child inside me. What do you think I would do? That I would run away with Joseph?”

“What I think is beside the point, Cecily. You’re a liar, and the only reason you won’t be kicked out of my life is because of the baby.”

“You don’t mean that, Dionysus. You know who I am.”

“No, I don’t. Now leave. You will hear from my lawyers.”

I open the door, barely able to see the handle, my vision completely clouded by tears.

I think about calling Elina because I don’t want to go to the penthouse. I don’t want to be alone. When I reach into my bag, however, I realize that I left my phone in his office. I wouldn’t go back there for anything in the world. I’m not going to get a ride with Anderson either.

I’ll take a taxi and then ask Elina to retrieve my device.

Instead of taking the private elevator, which will leave me in front of the garage where Anderson is, I go to the one with public access.

I enter, upset, but before the door closes, Cage appears.

“Cecily, what happened?”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Come here,” he says, pulling me into a hug.

I’m dizzy, weak, and I let myself be guided into his arms.

He holds me firmly. “What happened?” he asks again.

“Were you leaving now?”

“Yes, why?”

“Can you give me a ride to Elina’s house?”

“Only if you tell me what happened, or I will call Dionysus. You look like you’re about to faint.”

“We had a fight. That is all. Now help me, please, Cage.”