Page 31 of The Billionaire’s Betrayal (Billionaires of Paris #2)
EVA
Thursday morning, I left for Florence to meet with partners.
We were supposed to spend the day working, and in the evening, they were going to introduce me to potential clients.
However, a family emergency cut our day short, and I was able to catch a last-minute flight to Paris.
I was happy to return earlier; I hadn't been feeling my best lately.
Despite my regimen of magnesium and vitamins, I still felt constantly tired.
I needed to make an appointment with my doctor.
I decided to surprise Tristan by picking him up at the office.
At this hour, he would likely be one of the few people still working.
Marco, who had picked me up from the airport, accompanied me to our floor and waited by the elevators.
I walked slowly toward Tristan's office, already imagining his surprise when he saw I was back early.
That's when I saw them through the window. And when the pain devastated me.
Tristan was there with Audrey standing in front of him, completely naked.
I remained petrified, unable to look away from the scene that was destroying seven years of my life.
I saw the desire in his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing as he drank in her nudity.
A violent pain struck me where I stood, and my tears flowed uncontrollably.
I don't know how long I stayed there, paralyzed, watching them as she moved toward him with slow steps.
Then I realized they could see me at any moment.
I wasn't ready to confront them. I didn't want to see her triumph or his guilt.
Panic seized me, and I took three steps backward like an automaton before turning away.
Marco's expression crumbled when he saw me. The look he cast toward the hallway I'd come from turned murderous, his jaw clenched, but he followed me without a word when I rushed into the elevator.
"Drop me off at a hotel, please."
He nodded and stopped in front of a hotel near the Champs-élysées, then got out to open the door for me. I had taken time to compose myself during the trip and gave him a weak smile as I got out of the car—a smile that must have looked more like a grimace.
"I'm here if you need me, Eva," he said, his gaze concerned.
"I'll be fine, I promise."
I quickly checked in at the reception and hurried to my room.
It was only when the door closed behind me that I collapsed to the floor, my body shaken by silent sobs.
Despite myself, the image of Audrey naked in front of Tristan kept replaying in my head like an endless nightmare.
I bit my fists until they bled, and a muffled scream escaped from the depths of my soul.
All his promises were nothing but lies! How could I have been so stupid?!
How long had this been going on?
How many times had he made love to me while still carrying her perfume on his skin?
Nausea overwhelmed me again, and I rushed to the bathroom, my body convulsing with spasms, vomiting everything in my stomach.
My phone vibrated around 10 PM, Tristan's name lighting up the screen like a cruel irony.
TRISTAN : Did you have a good day? What's the weather like in Florence?
I stared at these words, incredulous. So this was betrayal? These mundane, meaningless questions while he was losing himself in another woman's arms? Rage and disgust mingled within me as I typed my response, forcing myself to maintain this facade of normalcy.
EVA: The weather was beautiful, and I had a very good day. I'm tired, going to bed. See you tomorrow.
TRISTAN : See you tomorrow, sweetheart.
"Sweetheart." These words, which once warmed my heart, now made me want to scream.
When I put down my phone, I collapsed onto the bed, clutching the pillow against me as if it could ease the pain and fill the gaping void in my heart.
I knew I would have to confront Tristan, demand answers, but for now, all I wanted was to cry.
The image of Tristan devouring her with his eyes was like shards of glass under my skin.
I curled up under the covers, hoping sleep or oblivion would soon deliver me from this torture.
Sleep didn't come, and by early morning, something changed within me. I was nothing but an immense emptiness. Everything that mattered and had value to me was gone, drowned in torrents of tears. A few days ago, I wondered when one should let go. I know now.
In the end, there was an advantage to a secret relationship: no one would care about our breakup. No one would know that my world had just collapsed.
Marco came to get me the next day, at the time my original flight was supposed to land.
One more lie. Neither of us spoke during the trip, although I constantly felt his concerned gaze on me.
I went up to our penthouse in a daze, each step bringing me closer to a confrontation I dreaded as much as I desired.
Arriving at the door, I stopped, uncertain, aware that the next few minutes would change the course of my life forever.
No, that wasn't true.
My life had already imploded.
Was I ready to face Tristan?
No. I didn't want to see him or read the lies and betrayals on his face. I didn't know yet if I wanted to confront him or erase him from my life. Whatever my choice, I was afraid of what it would mean for us.
But what was the point in prolonging the torture?
Whether now or in an hour, the truth would be just as cruel.
It was time to end this charade.
My hand didn't tremble when I lowered the door handle. This new strength almost surprised me, as if my body had already accepted what my heart still refused to admit.