MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 61 - チャプター 68

CheskaToday is my second day in California. It’s early morning, and I’m setting up my new cellphone when Drake emerges in my doorway.He’s talking to someone on the phone before handing it to me, making me wonder who it is.“It’s your friend Kate,” he says. “She got my number from Prince.”The mentioning of such a name still makes my heart drop. I sigh and take the phone from Drake. “Hello? ”Kate’s cries fill my ear as soon as I speak, and she goes frantic. “Oh my God, Ches. Are you okay? How are you doing over there? ”A soft smile tugs at my lips. I miss her. It feels like ages since the last time I heard from her. This girl is worrying about me like I’m dying. “I’m okay. Don’t worry.”“God, I never thought that—” She stops talking and starts sobbing. “If only I’d figured it out earlier.” She’s speaking about Andrew. There’s a guilt in her voice, and I want to tell her that none of this is her fault.Before, neither of us realized that Andrew was such a psychopath. We thought that

CheskaAs soon as Drake comes back from work, he visits my room. I sigh, closing my laptop. Drake leans back against my doorframe, still in his office attire.“Are you sure, Ches? ” he asks me the question once again.I nod. This past week, I've been spending time with my laptop to figure out what I'm going to do with my life. And finally, I've found a light, filled with hope for my future. A way to achieve my dreams."You know, I never thought that something like this would ever happen, but—" he falters, and I give him a hopeful look. A soft smile touches his lips. "As long as it makes you happy, I'm fine with it."Relief washes over me. I thought that he would be reluctant to accept my idea at first, but I always know that he's going to be supportive, as long as it's the best for me. I stand up from the chair, approach him, and hug him, making him sigh. "Thank you, Drake. I always know that you're going to be on my side."When we pull away, I do see the sadness in his eyes. Regrets.

CHESKAThe moment I close the door behind me, my sobs finally break. I never thought I would say those words to him—but I had to.We can’t be together anymore. I promised myself I would forget everything about my painful past—about him. I need to be strong, and I can only be that without him. I’ve planned my future, and he’s not in it. Our futures don’t align. Mine would only destroy his.Drake leans back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed. He heard everything.When he turns to me and walks over to hug me, I bury my face in his chest and cry my eyes out, holding on to him tightly. I can’t bear the pain anymore. Hurting Prince breaks my heart even more than when he broke mine.He came all the way here for me. He waited for days, standing outside in the street. He stayed even when the rain poured down on him. He was crying when he said he loved me.And I crushed him with my lie.“I don’t love you anymore.”I’ve never felt so bitter. The truth is stuck in my throat

CheskaThe thought of Drake purchasing a gun lingered in my mind all night, but I decided not to question him about it again. I kept wondering why he suddenly felt the need to carry one. We had been living in California for two weeks, and so far, everything seemed fine.This morning, he left for work as usual. While I was about to finish blow-drying my hair in the bathroom, I heard footsteps coming from downstairs. My heart thudded hard against my chest. Ever since Andrew broke into our house in England, the smallest sound or slightest movement has made me paranoid. I was sure Drake had locked the door—so if it wasn’t him, who else could be inside?Slowly, I stepped out of my room and headed downstairs, nearly tiptoeing to avoid making any sound. My pulse quickened as I reached the ground floor. When I saw the figure entering the living room, I yelped in surprise.My eyes widened as Prince came into view. Relief washed over me—at least it wasn’t a lunatic who’d broken in—but the shock