Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

Chapter 40

40

ROMAN

T he moment I saw the door to the studio ajar, I knew. My pulse quickened, a surge of heat spreading through me. It wasn’t the good kind of heat, not the warmth Kaira usually brought into my life. This was fire, rage, betrayal.

I climbed the stairs, telling myself not to be angry, but it didn’t help. Every step infuriated me. I had told her. I had given her access to my home. To my world. She could do anything she wanted. The gym, the theater, or the pool. I let her take over the kitchen, but that wasn’t enough.

This was my place. It was my one connection to my mother. No one dared to violate this space. Marilyn was the only one allowed inside to keep it from getting covered with dust.

When I stepped into the room and saw her, I couldn’t quite decipher the myriad of emotions pumping through me. She stood in front of one of my mother’s paintings, her hand delicately brushing the frame. She looked so out of place there, in her black dress, her hair perfectly styled, a vision that could’ve taken my breath away if not for the scene surrounding us.

I wanted to grab her and kiss her like I normally did but I also wanted to grab her and toss her out of the house.

“What are you doing in here?” My voice came out cold and sharp, like a blade slicing through the quiet.

She spun around, her eyes wide with guilt, her lips parting as if searching for an excuse. “I… I was curious. I wanted to see what was in here.”

I could feel the fury rising like a tidal wave, and I clenched my fists at my sides to keep it from overtaking me. “Curious? I told you this was off-limits, Kaira. What part of that didn’t you understand?”

She flinched at the venom in my tone, and we stood watching each other in silence for a while the tension reaching a boiling point.

She blinked away tears. “I know I crossed a line, Roman, and I’m sorry. I didn’t realize?—”

“That’s the problem,” I interrupted, my voice rising. “You didn’t realize because you didn’t think. You didn’t stop for one damn second to consider what this space might mean to me.”

Her face crumpled, and I could see the tears flowing, but I couldn’t stop. The words kept coming, harsh and cutting, like a flood I couldn’t contain. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been so angry. I was enraged.

“This room isn’t just some part of the house, Kaira. It’s sacred. It’s the one place I’ve kept untouched, untainted, because it’s all I have left of her.”

“Roman—”

“Don’t,” I snapped, holding up a hand to stop her. “Don’t try to justify it. You broke my trust, Kaira. The one thing I asked you not to do, and you couldn’t even respect that.”

Her lip quivered with tears spilling down her cheeks. She stepped closer, her hands outstretched as if to placate me. “I know I was wrong. I know I shouldn’t have come in here. But I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t realize how much this room means to you. I thought… I don’t know what I thought.”

“Clearly,” I said bitterly, turning away from her. The sight of her standing there, looking so small and vulnerable, only made my anger worse. Not at her, but at myself—for letting her get close enough to have the power to hurt me like this.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I was wrong, and I’m sorry. Please, can we just sit down and talk about this? Let me explain.”

I turned back to her. The sight of tears streaming down her face clawed at my heart. But the anger, the betrayal—it was still too fresh. “What’s there to talk about, Kaira? You broke my trust. That’s all there is to it.”

“I didn’t mean to?—”

“But you did!” I shouted, cutting her off. “You did, and now this place feels tainted. This was my sanctuary, Kaira. The one place in this whole damn house that was just mine. And now—” My voice cracked. I stopped, swallowing hard to regain control.

She was crying openly now, her hands clasped together as if in prayer. “Roman, please. I’ll do anything to make this right. Just tell me how.”

I shook my head, the frustration bubbling up again. “You can’t. There’s no fixing this.”

I stared at her, the anger and hurt battling inside me. Part of me wanted to lash out, to push her away before she could do any more damage. But another part, the part that had grown so attached to her over these past few weeks, ached to pull her close and soothe the pain I’d caused.

Kaira was shaking, her shoulders trembling with the force of her sobs. “Roman, please,” she choked out. “I never meant to violate something so sacred. I was just curious. Stupid and reckless, but not malicious. I would never do anything to hurt you. I know you know that.”

“No, Kaira. I don’t know that.” I stared at her, the anguish and regret written all over her beautiful face. For the first time since we’d gotten to know each other, doubt began to creep in. Had she really been playing me this entire time? Was this all just part of an act to get close to me, to take advantage of my money and status?

The dark and insidious thoughts were like a cloud coming in. I had been so certain, so confident in her and in us. But now, as I looked at the violated space around me, that confidence crumbled.

“Just… just go to bed, Kaira. I can’t do this right now. I’m going to say something I don’t mean.”

Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to protest, but I held up a hand to stop her. “Go. I’m serious. You don’t know me well enough to know just how big of a dick I can be. Get away from me.”

She hesitated for a moment, her shoulders shaking as she wiped at her eyes. “I know you don’t believe me, but I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I would never do anything that hurt you. I know you’re angry. But just know I’m here for you.”

I said nothing. I wasn’t joking when I warned her. I knew I could wield my tongue like a vicious sword. I had the uncanny ability to cut people down with my coldness.

Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room.

I stood there for a long time after she left, staring at my mother’s paintings. The beauty that once brought me peace now felt muted. It was all overshadowed by the weight of what had just happened.

When I finally left the studio and closed the door behind me, I heard it. The faint sound of Kaira crying in her room. It pierced through the walls, through my defenses, and straight into my chest. Hearing her in pain physically hurt me.

But I couldn’t offer her comfort.

I made it to my own room, closed the door, and leaned against it, letting my head fall back with a heavy thud. My fists were clenched so tight my knuckles ached, but I couldn’t bring myself to relax.

The storm was back, raging inside me like it hadn’t in years. I hadn’t felt this way since… since before her. Since before Kaira walked into my life and turned it upside down in the best and worst ways.

I should’ve been able to forgive her. To see past the mistake and focus on the fact that she cared enough to want to know more about me. But all I could feel was the sting of betrayal. The board’s warnings playing over and over in my head.

What if they were right? What if I’d let my guard down too soon?

No. I pushed the thought away, shaking my head as if to physically dislodge it. This wasn’t about my board or their warnings. This was about her. About us.

And right now, it felt like everything we’d built was crumbling. I couldn’t tell what was real and what was just my imagination.

Did I get blinded by sex?

No. I was immune to that trick. There had been many a woman that tried to lure me, seduce me, and snare me with sex. That was not it. I went into this relationship with Kaira with my eyes wide open. I didn’t believe she had a nefarious bone in her body.

I paced my room, running my hands through my hair as waves of anger and frustration crashed over me. She had violated my trust in the deepest way possible. It hurt because she was the first person I trusted in a long, long time. Maybe ever. I could feel I was making a bigger deal out of this than necessary.

The logical side of me knew that but I was feeling anything but logical at the moment. As usual, when I was spinning out, I needed to get my ass to the gym to keep myself from doing something stupid.

I jerked my shirt open, ignoring the buttons popping left and right. I moved to sit on the bed to take off my shoes when I saw a pair of black panties on the pillow.

My stomach clenched. Her being all dressed up and the panties on the pillow. She had been planning a special night for us. I didn’t know how I felt about that.

Instead of dwelling on it, I kicked off my shoes, stripped, and put on my shorts.

I made my way down to the gym, hoping to work off some of this pent-up frustration. The second I stepped through the door, I could feel my muscles start to uncoil, the tension easing ever so slightly. This was my sanctuary, just as much as that studio was for me.

I wrapped my hands and started pounding away at the heavy bag. My punches were violent, far more than they usually were. Every thud of my fists against the bag intensified my anger. I pictured her face, her guilt and remorse, and it only fueled the anger.

With each strike, the rage and hurt roiled inside me, a volatile storm I couldn’t seem to calm. Sweat beaded on my skin as I unleashed punishing blows against the bag.

There was a sick, twisting sensation in my gut that I couldn’t shake no matter how hard I hit. I trusted Kaira—foolishly, it seemed. I let her into my world, let her see the parts of me I kept locked away from everyone else. And she repaid that trust by snooping around.

I understood it wasn’t just the fact she walked into the room. It was a glimpse into a future with her. If I couldn’t trust her to do that one small thing, how could I trust her with anything else?

With a final vicious combination, I stepped back from the bag, chest heaving. Sweat poured down my face and back as I tried to catch my breath. The physical exertion had helped burn off some of the anger, but an uncomfortable knot of uncertainty still lingered.

I wasn’t sure if it would ever be gone.