50. Adelaide
FIFTY
ADELAIDE
Deep and ruthless, the voice boomed through the room.
He’s here.
Christian bore a look of destruction as broke the door down. Gone were the bright hazels, in its stead was a cold, assaulting earthquake.
He stalked towards Harry.
“ Christian ,” I whispered with a tearless sob.
His mask faltered before completely shattering at my feet.
Christian pummeled a fist into Harry’s face.
He looked like a madman, punching over and over again. Not once stopping. Contorted in excruciation—of the ache he suppressed for the past seven years. For his mother and for himself.
How have I never noticed the daunting expressions? The exhaustion sagging his skin? The look of utter depression coating his gaze?
He came for me, yet I never stayed for him.
It took four police officers to make Christian stop. The others were handcuffing the board members.
In the meanwhile, I rushed to Arun. Taking the jacket of my pantsuit off, I wrapped it as best as I could around his shoulders and pulled in for a hug. He instantly started sobbing.
We stayed like that until the paramedics took Arun away for a check-up.
Rowlen picked up the file and with his head told me he’d be outside.
Christian’s hand was covered in Harry’s blood.
“Adelaide—”
“Follow me,” I swiped the bottom of my nose.
Multiple police cars lined the driveway and the road in front of the house. Two ambulances were on sight, I walked to the first one.
A young woman turned her head as we approached. “Can I borrow a first-aid kit?”
She looked at Christian’s hand. “I can clean that up for you really quick.”
“That would be great?—”
“I’d prefer if my wife did it,” he gruffed.
The woman smiled as she grabbed the first aid kit from a top shelf. “My husband’s the same when he gets hurt. I’ll get out of your hair,” she jumped off the back.
Just when I grabbed the side handles to get in, Christian’s hauled me up with one arm. “I got you.”
He followed suit and took a seat on the empty stretcher.
Silently, I worked on the wound—tearing up when I noticed how many cuts he got. Nothing went right. This should have worked but it didn’t. I thought I planned it out perfectly, but it was a mess. Arun was there and I didn’t know. More secrets were revealed. In a single day, I stole what Christian worked towards for seven whole years—denying him the satisfaction.
Now I was left with misery and pain and regret.
Was it worth it?
A tear fell on a cut.
The sound of our breathing paused.
In the span of a heartbeat, Christian smoothly pulled me onto his right leg with my own two cradled in between. I buried my face where his shoulder meets his neck and cried.
He rubbed soothing thumbs on my neck. “Let it out, baby.”
I’d let myself give into his comfort.
Only once.
When I pulled away, our eyes met.
Mine flickered down to his lips and all of sudden distance was out of the question.
Christian didn’t kiss me—no, he devoured my inner being. What was gentle on the outside was ruthless inside. His frustration poured into me in explosive ways, destroying all logic in its path. I cupped his cheek, feeling a rough stubble.
I almost melted into him.
But like all melted liquids, they solidified.
I ripped apart from him, putting distance between us by moving to the end of the vehicle. With fingers rubbing off any reminder of him.
“Don’t do that,” he said, hoarsely. “Please.”
Without a word, I went back to finishing cleaning him up—feeling his gaze on me the whole time.
“I love you,” he whispered. “There is no religion in this world that would forgive the sinner I am, but if worshipping you somehow atones for my sins of hurting you, then consider me your follower.”
He pulled me back onto his lap, this time burying his face in my neck. “My love for you is timeless. I’d fight death for your love.”
A choked sob. “I was a part of your plan.”
I’m the reason you’re in pain.
“You’re a part of me , Adelaide.” His arm tightened around me. “This plan started for my mother, but it ended up being for you—for us .”
He pulled back, staring up into my eyes before moving in for another kiss.
Our lips were about to touch. “I want a divorce,” I whispered.
He loosened his hold, going completely slack with unleashed tension. “No.”
Christian wasn’t listening.
Getting away from him, I jumped off the ambulance and started walking towards someone— anyone —when I caught Umaima speaking with Rowlen.
His arm pulled me back, my front bumping into his chest.
“You are my wife, my one and only love, I’ll be damned before we divorce.”
“I’m exhausted, Christian.”
Instantly, his eyes softened. “Give me another chance, please.”
“What chance?” Tears poured no matter how much I wiped them away. “I’d give you a million if I had the strength.”
“We’re not good for each other,” I continued. “All we do is hurt each other.”
“No,” he shook his head while his own tears poured. “I hurt you and I will mend those wounds.”
“But it leaves scars and those remain as permanent reminders of pain,” I responded. “I’ve stayed in my safe bubble for too long. The world looked round in my eyes, but today I’ve realized how rigid— how many sides there are to it.”
“If this is about the truth?—”
“It’s about being unaware,” I added quickly. “You kept it from me, but I don’t blame you. It’s my fault for shutting it away.”
“You aren’t at fault!”
“Neither are you,” I whispered.
I turned around to walk away when someone’s loud gasp snapped me back.
There, on the ground, Christian kneeled while staring up at me with tears running down his face. “For the rest of my life, I will continue begging for you on my knees, if that’s what it takes to have you.”
A strong man begging for me—for us . If I were a stronger woman, I’d give in.
But I wasn’t.
Our love was strength, but I made us weak.
I made him weak.
Mirroring his posture, I wrapped my arms around him with one intent even if he thought it was forgiveness.
With shaky hands, I lifted the necklace of my ring off of him.
The final piece of our relationship.
“You deserve to be happy.” His hands fell as I stood, looking down at him with the necklace biting into my fist. “Just not with me.”
Everyone around us watched like we were their favourite series.
Christian tore through the night sky with his last crumbling words.
“You defined happiness for me, Adelaide. You gave me a reason to live and to get through this war, because on the other side of this storm was the sun—was you . Without you, I have lost all purpose in my life.”