Page 125 of Sweet Deception

I turned away, my anger still simmering beneath the surface. “Maybe I should just leave then.”

“What were you two talking about earlier? With Nate?” he asked suddenly, his voice tense. “You both seemed pretty caught up in conversation.”

“He’s just an avid reader, like me. We were talking about a book I’ve been reading,” I said, keeping my tone casual.

“If you ever need someone to talk about books with, I’m here,” he offered.

“Oh really?” I snorted. “You’re barely ever around. You’re always traveling, talking to investors, other cartel leaders, making deals. I can’t imagine spending my life with you, Gleb. You’re always busy.”

His expression darkened. “I’m not going to abandon my work just because I’m married.”

“I’m not saying you should abandon it.” I crossed my arms tightly. “But can’t you see? You’re never here, and it feels like I’m just... existing next to you. I’m not the kind of woman who can just accept being alone all the time.”

He pushed his coffee cup away with a sharp movement, sending it crashing to the floor.

He stormed up to me, lifting me off the counter and setting me down roughly. “Can you stop talking about leaving me?”

My mind raced. “You don’t get it, Gleb. I’m suffocating here. You keep me locked up, and I’m just supposed to accept it because you think it’s ‘protecting’ me?” My voice cracked.

“I feel trapped. You don’t trust me, you don’t even communicate with me, and you think locking me in this house is going to keep me safe? I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

Gleb’s face twisted with guilt, but he stayed silent, his hands clenching.

I shook my head, tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t know if I can do this anymore, Gleb.”

His voice was rough as he spoke. “My father... I watched him drown in his own blood because of an overdose. My mother...She died in that fire. I couldn’t even save her. I was just a kid, Anna. I couldn’t protect them, and it destroyed me.”

“I’m not some cold-hearted monster. I protect the people I love.”

My heart ached. I wanted to reach out, but he stepped back, his gaze dark. “I’ve lost too much. I can’t lose you too.”

My eyes filled with tears. “You won’t lose me, Gleb. But you have to let me in. You have to trust me with all of you, every part of you, no matter how broken.”

“I’m sorry, Anna. I know I’ve hurt you. I’ve been so focused on protecting you, on trying to control everything, that I forgot what you really need from me.”

His words broke me. The man who had been so cold, so distant, was now unraveling in front of me.

His apology felt hollow, and for a second, I thought I might pull away, but something in the way he said it broke me. He wasn’t just sorry, he was scared. And that terrified me more than anything.”

“Gleb...” I whispered, my heart aching for him. “I’m not going anywhere. I won’t leave you.”

“Every time I pull you closer, I just feel like I’m pushing you further away. You deserve someone whole, someone who’s not trapped in his own fucking mess.”

“I don’t deserve you,” he choked out.

“Yes, you do,” I said, my voice strong despite the tears in my eyes. “You just need time. We need time.”

I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my body close, feeling his warmth seep into me. His body tensed at first, but then he slowly pulled me closer, his arms enveloping me in the tightest embrace.

He carried me back to the bedroom, and we lay there in silence. His breathing steadied, but neither of us spoke. I could feel the weight of the unspoken words between us, the unsaid promises.We were two broken souls, trying to find a way to heal each other.

I hated myself for loving him this way, especially when every part of me screamed to run. But the truth was, I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. It was terrifying and selfish, but I needed him as much as he needed me.

“I’ve been having nightmares because I have not been sleeping in the same room with you.”

My chest tightened. “You abandoned me.”

“No. I was just too scared to face you after locking you up.”