The Beautiful Billionaire

LINDEN “I need to see my wife,” I informed my team as soon as we landed home. I was just glad that we all came back alive, even if Ilya’s powerful criminal empire might hunt us down one by one. Jasper went with Grace for a debriefing.

“Good luck with that. Estelle was actually the one who found the letter that led us to the coordinates. She’s furious.”

“I know.” My chest constricted. “I hurt her, but I’ll ask for her forgiveness for the rest of my life if I have to. Thank you for being there for her in my absence.”

“Now that sounds like my real brother, not the asshole who hurt his wife last night.”

When I finally arrived back at the house, the familiarity of being home came rushing back to me with the face of my wife in pain.

“Estelle?” I climbed upstairs, hoping to find her in our bedroom or the nursery room she was still working on. I admired her tenacity for not allowing me to get involved. I trusted her, and I had no doubt she could pull it off and make the room beautiful for our baby.

“Baby?” I called her again when she didn’t respond.

I pushed the door to our bedroom open- she wasn’t there. I realized so was Qamar. I still denied the truth. I went looking for her in the nursery room. The room hadn’t changed, and the white wall was still the same. I went back and found something that made my heart sink.

I picked up the letter I wrote to her on the well-made bed. She left me. My wife just left me despite her finding out the truth, that I was lying the entire time I said those words. But I knew it wasn’t because of hurting her and saving Jasper. It was because I didn’t trust her enough to trust me.

“Well, that was fast. What did she say?”

With my heart bleeding, I stopped and looked at Lynx. “You started to sound just like Sax.”

“Where are you going?”

“My wife left.”

“Shit, boss. I’m sorry. Where could she be?”

“At her house.”

“Wait. She left you, like left you?” Confused, he asked.

“That’s what I wished for her before I left. She’s granting it despite her finding out the truth. She’s making me pay for what I’ve done.” I went back to the car.

Lynx followed me and got into the passenger’s seat. “You could have just told her the truth. I’m sure no one can know.”

“She went to her father yesterday?” I started the car and dialed my wife’s number.

“Yeah. That arsehole Gustav did all that to tear you both apart.”

“That’s what exactly I wanted her to do. Now Gustav is aware of my separation from Estelle, he will leave us alone, let his guard down, and that’s where I come in with my revenge.” Estelle didn’t pick up. Either she was busy or ignoring me, but it was mostly the latter.

“He wants to take control of your wife.”

“Yeah, but that’s not gonna happen.” I drove off the driveway to the main street. “Did one of you contact Moses?”

“No. We didn’t. I’d say you did the right thing, but you could have involved us in your plan.”

“I wasn’t thinking clearly. When it involves the people I care about, my brain doesn’t usually work. I act recklessly and let my heart and my gut decide. I would do the same thing to all of you. For me, you all are not just my employees. You trust me with your lives, and that is something I don’t take for granted when you’re all in trouble. Trust is crucial to me, and loyalty as well. Our line of work is dangerous, and I need men who can watch his team’s back.”

“Thank you, boss.”

The gate opened to Estelle’s house. The car she usually used was in the driveway. She didn’t go to work.

Qamar seemed to know we were coming. He came as soon as we parked the car.

“Good to see you back, boss.” We hugged each other.

“Me too. Where’s my wife?”

“In her room.”

“Thanks.” I left him with Lynx.

As I entered the house, I felt nervous and excited at the same time. I didn’t know how to explain my actions when she already knew. She had already decided for herself the moment she left the house, which terrified me.

I climbed upstairs to her room. My heart continued galloping in my chest, and I kept blowing breaths as I got closer. I stopped in front of her door and paused before I knocked. I heard nothing.

I pushed the door open, and she was just there, so beautiful, waiting for me. “Baby-” Fuck.

Instead of throwing herself just like how I came back home for the first time I went to see Jasper, she squared me in the jaw, which was strong. My teeth tattered. My head tilted back. My jaw ached.

I deserved that. I deserved worse.

I rubbed my chin and my jaw before I looked at her. “Estelle.”

“I want nothing from you. We’re done. You want a divorce. You’ll get it.”

“I don’t want a divorce. I did that-”

“You could have trusted me. You could have-” She swallowed hard. Her eyes filled with fury. “You chose the hardest way, Gabriel. Instead, you hurt me. And do you think your sorry ass, your letter could patch up what you’ve done? Do you think telling me in your letter would compensate for the pain you’ve caused me? We’re done keeping secrets, but you did it again, and you will do it again and again until there’s nothing left to pick up of our marriage. I’m done being that woman, Gabriel.”

“Just hear me out.” I took a calculated step, but she stopped me.

“There’s nothing you can tell me that can change my mind. I already made a decision.”

“Baby, let it cool down. We’re both overwhelmed.”

“Oh, I’ve already cooled down. I told you I want nothing from you. I’m not overwhelmed. I call what you did stupidity and distrust with his partner. You and my father are alike, and I don’t need that kind of person in my life. One is enough for me. Two is too much. I hate toxicity. And you are toxic in my life, Gabriel. Just like my father.”

“But you are willing to give your father a second chance. I deserve it, too. I am your husband, Estelle.”

“No, you don’t.”

I closed my eyes and breathed. It hurt even to breathe. This was how she felt when I told her those lies, and I wished I could take it back, but maybe this was a trying time for our marriage, and I needed to work on that to keep this marriage.

“Your father will call Ilya if I don’t do what he asked.”

“You’re bigger than him. You’re far stronger than him. You could have just punched him or knocked him out and called Jasper, but you always chose the hardest way because you like the adrenaline rush, you like danger, you like taking a risk, you enjoy saving lives too much, too much that you don’t even think the feelings of the people who care about you. I couldn’t be that person anymore, thinking of your safety every time you go out there. You have men, Gabriel, every resource, human, technology, information, and weapon, and your teams are capable of doing as you can, but you wouldn’t just stop. Your hero Boy Scout routine doesn’t work for me anymore. I’m done.”

“I won’t do that again.”

“No. I don’t believe you. I can’t trust you anymore. What do they say? Once a Marine, always a Marine. That’s who you are. And I can’t be with you. I have a child to raise, and I don’t wanna die young.”

“Baby-”

She raised her and shook her head. “You wanna be involved and be in our child’s life? I will let you because she needs a father, but aside from that, I can’t give you what you want.”

“I’m not giving up on us, Estelle.”

“You have to leave.”

“I will walk out of your house, but because I’m giving you the space and the time you need for yourself. I know, baby. I hurt you, and I will be asking for forgiveness for as long as I’m alive. And I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, I’ve taken risks, and I’m still taking a risk to save our marriage. I won’t let your father win. He can’t win.”

“This is not about my father anymore, Gabriel.” She grunted. Clearly, she was fed up with me and done with my bullshit. She thought of her decision, and even her husband couldn’t change it. “This is us. This is not working for either of us. And I remember what you said. You can’t let your child be born out of wedlock. You fulfilled it. Since you married me for that, now it’s time for us to have separate ways.”

“Do you really believe that I married you because you’re pregnant? I married you because I couldn’t stand the fact that you’re wasting your life over that ridiculous arrangement with that worthless piece of man.”

“I don’t believe in anything you say to me anymore.” Her words were like a hard slap to me. “You’re desperate. Do you remember what you said to me before your father? Well, let me say it.”

“I know what I said, Estelle.”

Still, she didn’t stop. “As long as I haven’t hurt you, I won’t let you go, but if, in any circumstances, I raise my hand on you, I’m afraid I won’t keep you because I won’t tolerate that and myself, and that’s not the man you married.”

“I fucking love you, Estelle. That’s why I married you, and that’s why I am here saving it, saving us. I love you.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.