Pride and Promises ✔

Chapter 54

I turned away briefly to compose myself. "Are you, really?" I asked equally as quietly as he had.

When he didn't speak for some time, I sighed, shaking my head. "No, you aren't. Admit it, Mr. Stone. You got what you wanted, after all. Now there's no need to pretend anymore. So go on, have a party, enjoy. You've successfully managed to break me. Congratulations." I felt tears threatening to break free from the imaginary prison I'd locked them in. I just hoped that the lock stays strong enough to hold them until I was out of his sight.

He- I couldn't bear to say his name anymore clenched his hands tightly into fists at his sides. I saw his eyes flicker to my hand, which was still encased in a bandage, thanks to Gabriel Perverted Blanchet. His gesture reminded me of something. I searched through my bag and took out the thing that had been mocking me since last week.

I took out the ring he'd given me and threw it towards him. It hit his chest and bounced down to the floor. "Since everything was a lie, I don't see any point in keeping this. I hate having useless things with me. I'll return the others to your place as soon as I get home."

"Eve-"

"Ms. White, if you will. I believe you have lost the right to call me by my first name."

He flinched a little but stood silently. I wanted to march right out of the room at that very instant and forget about his existence altogether but something held me back. A question that had been repeating in my head since last week.

"Why?" I asked in defeat.

He looked startled at my question and looked at me with those eyes that used to make me feel like I was the luckiest woman in the world merely because they were trained on me. Now it only served to remind me what a fool I was.

I elaborated when he made no move to answer. "Why did you gain my trust just to betray me in the end? Why did you do all those sweet gestures, act like you cared, when you already had this mission to break me? Have I done something to you that you're taking revenge for? You know I don't remember everything from my childhood. Is that it? Was I so much of a horrible person back then that you hate me to the point of hurting me in the worst possible way one could ever hurt me?"

He shook his head vehemently, looking alarmed. "No! That's... that's not it. I only wanted the company to be mine. I didn't mean to hurt you so."

I smiled bitterly, as a lone tear slipped past its confines. "If only you had asked, Adrian, I would've given my life to you. You knew how important this company was for me. It's all I've worked in my life for. And you took it away from me, all in a blink of an eye."

He closed his eyes briefly before opening them and looking directly above me, not meeting my eyes. I noticed his hand twitching at his sides and for the first time, I saw some angry red marks on the knuckles which were in the verge of fading away. His next words, however made my concerns fly away, to be replaced by rage.

"I'm sorry. I... I'll make sure you are heavily compensated for your loss."

I looked at him like I was seeing him for the first time. I felt nothing but disgust at him now. Never in my life would I have believed he would think his money would matter to me after he took away my very soul from me.

"Compensated?" I scoffed. I couldn't stop the hurt that laced my words when I spoke next. "This is not about money, Mr. Stone. I could be down to a single cent and still live in content. I have my hands, I can work to earn. I have reached so far by working as a mere waitress and doing multiple jobs at the same time, and I'm not afraid to do the same again. This is about my trust in you, which you've completely shattered. You knew that this company was so much more than just a means of income for me. By taking it away, you've taken away the one thing I did for my dad, for my sister. And I'll never forgive you for that. Never."