Semua Bab Oops! I Left With The CEO's Heart: Bab 21 - Bab 30

ALEXTime stood still. The world stopped moving. Everyone else in the hall disappeared, and it was left with only Emma and me. It felt like we were the only ones who existed.I drank in the sight of her like a man parched. And I was; I’d been thirsty for her for the past six years, and now that thirst was finally being quenched.It felt exhilarating, but at the same time, so immobilizing.Her head turned across the room and stopped in my direction. I thought I noticed her freeze, but she must not have seen me because she almost instantly looked toward the rest of the guests and began her speech.She was nothing but poised, eloquent, elegant, and so much more mature. I didn’t know how long the speech lasted because I didn’t even hear a single word she said.All I knew was that it was spoken by the most beautiful voice in the world.A responding round of applause brought me back to earth, making me remember that Emma and I weren’t alone. We were still in a world that interfered with eve

I wasn't surprised that Stefano had already figured out who Alex was, so I merely nodded to confirm his suspicions.Stefano exhaled through his nose and nodded too, like he was piecing it all together. “That explains a lot. Why you got like that. Seeing the man who hurt you for the first time in years. But… what did he want?”“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “He said he needed to talk to me.”“Why didn’t you let him?” Stefano asked.I looked at him, heat rising to my face. “Because I have nothing to say to that man.”Silence stretched between us.Then, carefully, he asked, “What about the kids? Do you plan on telling him about them?”I tensed. My fingers curled against my palm. My heart started racing.“There’s no need to,” I said.Stefano frowned slightly. “Why not?”“Because he doesn’t care,” I snapped before I could stop myself. “He never wanted them.”Swallowing, I continued. “The day after what happened between us… he told me he hoped I took protection. Like having children with

ALEXSeconds ticked away.Two minutes passed. Then five, but Emma didn't come out. When she told me to wait for her, I should've known that it was too good to be true for her to agree to talk to me.I turned, my shoulders already sinking with misery. Then the door creaked open.I turned back so fast I nearly lost my balance and saw her stepping outside. Her expression was stoic, giving nothing away, but I could tell that she wasn't pleased.“Where do you want us to go?” she asked, voice cool.I almost smiled. Hell, I did smile. “Thank you,” I said. “For agreeing to talk to me.”She didn’t respond. Just looked ahead like this was something she had to get through.I knew I was kind of forcing her into this, but I didn't have any choice. It was obvious that she wanted me nowhere near her house, so this had to happen somewhere else.“We could go get breakfast?” I offered. “If that’s okay with you.”She gave a stiff nod.We walked toward my rental car. I unlocked it with the fob and opened

EMMAThe second the words left his mouth, I shot to my feet. My heart was racing. My fists clenched at my sides as I stared down at him, heat rising under my skin.“What is this?” I asked through gritted teeth. “What are you playing at?”I used to dream about hearing those words. Years ago, I would’ve given anything to hear him say he loved me.But now, when I had finally stopped needing it, he was trying to mess with my mind by saying those words to me.I wasn’t going to let him do that.Alex slowly rose to his feet. “I’m not playing at anything. It’s the truth. I’m an idiot because I realized it too late. I only understood what I lost after I hurt you and you left. But it’s true. I love you.”“Shut up. Shut the hell up!” I snapped.His mouth clamped shut, and I took a shaky breath before I exploded.“You showed up to my birthday with your fiancée.” The word caught in my throat like acid. “The day after I gave myself to you. Do you even understand what that did to me? Do you have the

EMMAOnly God knows how I managed to keep a straight face in front of Alex.The second I stepped out of the café, hailed a cab, and slid into the back seat, everything started to crumble.My breathing came in sharp, shaky bursts. My lips quivered. I had to press my hands against my thighs to stop them from trembling.I hadn’t prepared for that conversation. I never thought I’d have to. I never believed that Alex, after all these years, would come back into my life like this and with words I used to ache to hear.All those things he said had left me twisted inside—confused and angry.I grabbed my phone from my bag and dialed Celia's number. She picked up after the first ring.“Emma, where are you? Are you done talking to Alex?”“Did you already drop the kids off?” I asked.“Yeah, I just dropped them off and I'm about to leave the school.” Her voice was tight. I could already hear the tension in it. “Are you finished with Alex? What did that guy want?”“Can we meet and talk about it?” I