Chapter Twenty-Seven
A lexandre drove around the island aimlessly, for hours, struggling to make sense of everything that had occurred in the last few hours.
Alisha’s betrayal had shaken him, just as much as Carlos’s confession had. His grandfather had begged him for forgiveness—for a lifetime of wrong done to him, confessing that he’d only thought of his own son, Rico and never about Alexandre.
“I’m ashamed of myself,” he’d said, admitting that he was grateful to Raquel for opening his eyes. “I have two heirs now—you and Leandro,” hugging him he’d said, before admitting that he was looking forward to seeing Alexandre’s child.
However, while leaving, Carlos reminded him what a special woman Raquel was and warned him to never let her go.
All his life, he’d wanted to be a true Monteiro yet, when Carlos embraced him and accepted him as one, he didn’t feel jubilant. Instead, anger and shock had coursed through him.
Still reeling from Alisha’s betrayal, Raquel’s betrayal had slammed into him with the force of a tsunami.
He didn’t understand why she’d spilled his secrets to Carlos.
The things they had spoken in the privacy of their home, revealed to a man who could destroy him emotionally.
Only Carlos hadn’t—he’d repented and accepted him as his grandson.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to forgive Raquel. In a haze of anger, he’d driven home, only to have her stand up to him—justifying her actions. She remained unrepentant—never once apologized for exposing him to Carlos. Instead, she begged him to understand her—her motives.
As he drove around listlessly, his ire fizzled out, leaving behind a pounding headache. The haze inside his head began to clear and his thoughts became comprehensible again.
Why had he lashed out at Raquel while he had quietly taken in Alisha’s betrayal and Carlos’s change of heart?
Because she mattered more than Alisha and Carlos.
The reality slammed into him—stunning him. Her betrayal hurt more because he had never expected her to hurt him.
And because he—he loved her!
The truth sank into him, spreading through his veins to every part of his body—every cell in him exalting. He loved Raquel—and that’s why her actions had hurt him.
And what had he done? He had hurt her back. Remorse filled him. How could he hurt the one person who truly loved him? Hadn’t he always looked at his mother, first and then his father’s family, for love? And when love came his way, he turned his back on it!
Stepping on the accelerator, he sped back home.
“Please don’t leave me,” he muttered, driving through the drizzle, hoping Raquel was at home. She’d offered her heart—her love to him and in his anger, he had rejected them both.
He regretted it. Deeply. He would ask for her forgiveness and beg for another chance. But fear skittled through him even as he made plans to persuade Raquel into giving him another chance.
What if Raquel wasn’t home? The question filled him with trepidation.
“Please,” he prayed to a God he had long forgotten. “Don’t let her leave me. I need her. Please. I will make it up to her. Please...”
But when he reached his seaside home, he found the house doused in darkness and fear shot through him. She was gone! A cry of desperation tore out of him as he ran to the front door and thrust it open.
“Raquel!”
****
R aquel sat up as Alexandre’s voice bellowed in the hallway yet again, the second time that night. She was a wretched mess with a tear-stained face and swollen eyes. Sniffing, she switched on the bedside lamp, the sudden flash of light stinging her eyes.
After Alexandre had stormed out of the house, she had remained rooted in her place, too shocked to move. His parting words played on a loop in her head as she struggled to assimilate that her husband, her lover, the man she had offered her heart to, had cruelly rejected her love.
Was she destined to be unloved all her life?
Her mother’s rejection of her had forced her to close herself off from people, making her believe that she would never inspire anyone to love her.
Even with Alexandre, she hadn’t expected to fall in love—yet somehow, she had.
His kindness, undivided attention—all of it was a farce.
She thought his affection was an indication of his mellowing feelings—only it hadn’t been.
She was just a woman he was unfortunately trapped with.
If this is love, then I don’t want your love.
She closed her eyes as fresh tears sprang anew. Hadn’t she bared her heart to him? Hadn’t she fought for his right to be a Monteiro? Hadn’t she stood up to his grandfather and told him that he was a fool for not loving the wonderful man she had married?
And what had he done? Thought her intervention was a betrayal and rejected her. Stung by his rejection, her first instinct was to leave him. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it, knowing what it felt to be unwanted and unloved.
She couldn’t falter at the first hint of trouble in their marriage! Her love was true, and she wouldn’t abandon Alexandre, not when she knew how much he desired to be loved. He was her first love—her only love, and she had to make him see that what she’d done was out of love for him.
Alexandre tarried at the door, peering at her in the dim light as though unsure if he should step into the room. “I feared...” he said, taking in large gulps of air, making her wonder why he was panting.
“Feared what?” She watched something akin to fear chase across his face.
“That you’d leave me.”
“Where would I go?”
With long strides, Alexandre crossed the room.
Sitting down beside her, he took her hand in his.
“Your place is with me, Raquel,” he said, stoking the hope that had almost burned itself out.
“I’m sorry for lashing out at you.” His words were filled with remorse, his expression contrite. “I shouldn’t have said... what I did.”
“I know I hurt you,” she said, her voice raspy from her tears.
“But I had to do it. I’m sorry for hurting you and your pride, but I will do it again because Carlos needed to hear the truth.
” Alexandre opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head.
“Let me finish. Your father’s family treated you horribly, Alexandre.
They never cared about you. They were only concerned about their precious family name.
“I had to tell Carlos that he’d crushed the heart of a lonely boy who only wanted love and affection from him.
I had to tell him what a wonderful man you’ve become despite growing up with a family hostile toward you.
I couldn’t stop myself because I love you, Alexandre, and I will always stand up for you. ”
He hung his head, ashamed that he had lashed out at her. “Tonight started out bad, Raquel...” He told her how he’d hopped on an early flight, eager to get home to her when he’d learned of Alisha’s betrayal. He told her how he had helped Alisha over the years and how much her betrayal upset him.
“Oh, Alexandre, how could she do this to you after all you’d done for her?” she cried, aghast.
“I was furious that she exposed us to the whole world,” he admitted. “Although it did bring us together. Believe me when I say, I was going to find you anyway.”
“You were?” Raquel couldn’t contain her surprise.
“You were in my thoughts, every day of the hour,” he confessed. “So much that I was going mad with the need to find you. I’d tasked my security team to look for you but before I could discover you, you found me.”
Raquel rejoiced at his admission. So their one night together had plagued them both equally!
Alexandre continued, telling her about his unexpected meeting with Carlos—and their life-changing conversation.
“When Carlos begged me for forgiveness and hugged me, I should have been overjoyed, but I felt nothing.” Meeting her eyes, he admitted, “All I ever wanted was to be accepted by Pops and when it finally happened, it felt like a hollow victory.”
“Why?” she asked, her heart thudding with hope, believing it was love she saw in his beautiful eyes.
“Because I couldn’t believe that you’d betrayed me, too.”
“I didn’t betray you!” Raquel protested, and this time, he nodded.
“I understand now. But earlier, I didn’t—not when Carlos told me everything you told him. Every feeling I confided in you, he knew and to me, it was an act of betrayal. I couldn’t believe that you would expose me like that. It unmanned me—having my feelings exposed in such a way.”
“Alexandre! I didn’t know it would hurt you so much!”
“It did,” he admitted grimly, “that’s why I lashed out at you, but I didn’t mean to reject your love.” His eyes mellowed. “Tonight, I realized how important you are to me, Raquel. Alisha’s betrayal didn’t hurt me as much as yours did, and you know why?”
She shook her head.
“Because I love you.”
Shock blasted through her. “You love... love me?”
“I do. It was anger that made me say all those horrible things to you, and I regret saying them. I was hurt that you exposed me to Carlos but now I know why you did it, and I can’t thank you enough for it.
If it weren’t for your intervention, Pops would never have come to me and asked for my forgiveness. ”
Tears glistened in both their eyes as joy filled them—forgiveness asked and received—love curing the painful wounds on their hearts.
“I will always stand up for you, Alexandre,” she whispered, smiling when he cupped her face, wiping away her tears. “I will always fight for you, because I love you.”
Alexandre covered her lips with his, kissing her with pent up hunger.
“Forgive me, darling,” he muttered between kisses. “For hurting you, for not believing you.”
“I hurt you, too.” She kissed him back. “Forgive me.”
“I love you,” he rasped against her mouth, gathering her into his lap. “I can’t lose you, Raquel. Don’t ever leave me.”
“Never.” Dropping kisses all over his face, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“Give me another chance. Let’s start all over again.”
“I’m willing to start over and over again, so long as we end up together,” she confessed, pulling him down for a kiss.