HIS GREATEST BETRAYAL

Chapter 54

"I will show you to the guest room," Claudius answered instead.

Still stunned by Silvia's unexpected apology, he strode out of the kitchen leaving her to follow behind. He opened the door of the guest room and went in. Silvia followed behind him.

"Goodnight," he said and moved towards the door.

Silvia ran after him and hugged him from behind. Claudius stopped in his tracks, too stunned to even move. Then he heard sniffles behind him and he knew that she was crying again. He felt sympathy for her because he knew how painful it was when parents separate. His parents had separated and abandoned them afterwards. That wound had refused to heal for years.

"Can you please stay with me until l have fallen asleep," she whispered behind him and tightened her hold on his waist.

Claudius closed his eyes having a battle within him. He sympathised with her and wanted to comfort her because he knew how much painful it was to feel unwanted. To feel so insignificant that your parents couldn't stay together for the sake of you. He understood her pain.

But on the other side , he felt hesitant to stay with her because he knew that Silvia wanted more than he could offer. She had made herself clear on that. He didn't want to give her false hope. No woman deserved to be treated that way.

"Please," she whispered in a broken voice.

Her soft pleading voice struck a cord within her. He curled his hands into tight fists and expelled a low breath.

"I will stay with you until you are asleep," he told her.

He removed her hands from his waist and turned around to face her. Tears were silently streaming down her cheeks. He raised his hand and brushed away the tears with his thump. Silvia stared up into his face and he felt his breath being knocked away.

Her golden brown eyes had the power to held a man captive and refused to let go. He felt the same as he stared deep into the mystery of her eyes. He tore away his gaze from her by great courage.

"You need to rest," he said in an unusual husky voice and guided her towards the bed.

Silvia slipped into the blankets and Claudius joined her. He switched off the bedside lamp plunging the room into darkness , with only the moon casting a pale glow on the bed. For some minutes , they remained in an uncomfortable and tense silence. They were staring at the ceiling in silence.

The silence got so uncomfortable and suffocating that Claudius decided to break it.

"My parents divorced when l was twenty and they both abandoned me along with my triplet brothers ," he started.

Her face turned to him. Claudius could see the look of surprise drawn on her face. Then the shocked look was replaced by a sympathetic look. Her hand sought for his under the blankets and she held it.

"I am sorry that had to happen to you when you were so young," she told him.

A low laugh rumbled from him.

"It happened a long time ago. I have gotten over it. My younger brothers were my support through out the years. Many times when l felt like giving up on life , l just had to look at their faces and know that l had to survive, at least for them."

Claudius noticed that her face had fell at his words.

"Silvia?," he asked in a concerned voice drawing closer to her.

She avoided his eyes and glanced at the ceiling. Her lower lip began to quiver.

"I was once glad that l was the only child of my parents and that l would get all their love and attention. But it didn't happen as l wished , l remained invisible to my parents for twenty six years. My father barely spared me a glance. He was always running around building his business empire and bedding his various mistresses. My mother claims that she should have left my father a long time ago but she only remained for me . That wasn't true . She was never there for me. For years , l felt unloved and unwanted. I was bitter and resentful when l saw anyone happier than me. My mother used to spend most times in her room hurting over my father's infidelity . She stayed all those years because she was waiting for my father to love her. When she realised that it was impossible , she meet another man and decide to move on. Now they are leaving to another country. She is leaving me with that monster l call my father."