He paused.
That made me glance at the phone.
At the small screen.
At the man who always spoke in absolutes—but never like this.
“Speak.”
I frowned slightly, easing my foot off the accelerator as the SUV rolled smoothly along the curved seaside boulevard.
The engine purred beneath me, steady and controlled, while the road stretched ahead in a long, winding line beside the ocean.
“Scrolling through Violet’s Instagram profile in that VIP lounge... that was on purpose. I only wanted you to hate me more. To show you that nothing positive can ever come from our marriage, to keep the distance between us.”
My grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
“It’s one of the many ways I push you away,” he added.
“But the truth is... it wasn’t her face I was seeing while scrolling through her feed. It was yours. Hard to believe, I know—but it’s the truth.”
The ache in my chest didn’t disappear.
It didn’t soften.
It just... changed.
Sharper.
More complicated.
My fingers loosened slightly on the steering wheel, like my body didn’t know whether to hold on tighter or let go completely.
“You want me to hate you?” I asked quietly, my voice barely rising above the wind rushing through the open windows.
“Didn’t you... already?”
A bitter, humorless half-laugh followed.
“I’ve hurt you over and over, Elena. There’s no forgiveness for that.”
His tone was flat now.
Certain.
Self-condemning.
“A man like me deserves nothing but hatred,” he whispered, breaking.
“I know you’ve always thought of escaping... I know you will, someday, no matter my power, no matter what I pray for. And I know you’ll come back for revenge.”
“But even an hour without knowing where you are... it’s already unbearable. I can’t imagine how I’ll feel when you finally leave me for good.”
His voice tightened just a fraction.
The words settled heavily between us.
My brows furrowed slightly.
