Chapter 20
Callum’s eyes were widening because, for the first time, Clara had been so vocal that he slowly realized something.
And to hear it straight coming out of her mouth-Clara wanting to build a real family with him-his anger turned into dust as soon as it slowly dawned on
him.
“You’re… Callum stopped. He blinked twice as his anger was slowly diminishing from his expression as he looked flabbergasted at the moment.
“Not anymore,” Ciara declared.
Instead of getting hurt by it, Callum was more focused on the truths behind it.
were in love with me at those times?” He finally finished it, his brows knitting.
Ciara didn’t bat an eye while looking at Callum, knowing that his realization wouldn’t matter to her anymore.
“Step aside, Callum. I’m going home,” she ordered while gritting her teeth.
“Ciara. You were in love with me?” he repeated as if she wasn’t loud enough earlier that he couldn’t process it.
“What is it to you? Step aside, Callum. She looked at him warningly.
Callum licked his lips as he put his hands at the back of his head like he suddenly realized a major problem.
“No, you weren’t You were cold and distant, and… you’ve never even told me…” Callum looked so lost while uttering it.
“You never paid attention because you only see me as your business partner.”
“Because that’s what you want, Clara! That’s what you clarified to me! That’s why I offered a marriage that involves business because I know you’d be interested in staying in my life! D a m n it! Since those college days, you haven’t noticed that I’m interested in you. That time, I went to your f**g house because I wanted to know you! That moment, I respected your father’s decision that I didn’t fire my shot at you during college days because I wanted to show your father that I would be deserving soon! That moment when I would always call you and treat you to dinner-those were the signs I gave you
“The signs that you’ve completely forgotten when that first love of yours came into the picture! Yes! We were fine in those months! But when that woman came, you slapped it right into my face that I am just a business partner in your life, Callum! You’ve chosen her.”
“I’ve chosen her because I wanted to protect you, d a m n it! Can’t you see? She was aggressive! She w lost! She was mourning the death of her child! The least I could do was stay by her side so I could protect my wife from her accusations! And yet… and yet your solution was divorce. Because what? You were seeing another man who’s more successful than me! Who’s wealthier than me? You were seeing a Sullivan, who’s with you now!”
Ciara’s shoulders were rocking from the intensive breakdown, and she stared at his bloodshot eyes, his wrath mingling with the pain in his eyes, the betrayal of the husband who thought his wife was interested in another man.
“You can’t manipulate me, Callum. I’ve seen most of Shane’s text to you. And she told me things about you and her relationship-
“And you believe her, huh? Do you believe her?” He stepped closer, closing the distance between them.
Ciara looked at him with pure restraint. She was already there, ready to fall for him again, but she didn’t want to get broken the second time.
“Out of all the women thad in the past, why… why would I choose to marry you, Ciara? You haven’t asked yourself about that, hmm?” He asked; his voice was calm yet confrontational.
“Shane, you think I’m romantically involved with her?”
“You’ve chosen her.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
“Because I needed her at that time to cover my insecurity so I could compete with that Sullivan you were seeing, Clara. I wanted Shane’s father’s connection to boost our business. I wanted to expand it. And yet, you were sneaking behind my back, seeing the man who had been at the top of the Haynes since day one. It was you who created this competition in me in the first place. It was you who made me so insecure and jealous”
Ciara froze. She didn’t expect it. She knows how c**g Callum is, but to hear from his mouth that he wanted to usg Shane for business purposes pave her goosebumps.
“if only saw you as my business agenda and not as my wife, I should have used you to spy and make that Sullivan fall in love with you so I could crash them one day or use them, but I didn’t. Instead, I worked hard, Ciara,” he said, gritting his tooth.
Ciara was completely flabbergasted. When her daughter pointed out that they must learn how to apologize to each other, and she even thought that Callum would never apologize, now she was completely wrong.
“My only mistake at that moment was not telling you about my plans. But I never cheated behind my wife’s back, Clara,” he clarified.
Clara’s eyes were almost dancing, as she couldn’t focus her vision on the sincerity she had seen in his eyes. She could feel he was telling the truth.
“You didn’t trust me,” Ciara whispered.
“How could I even trust the woman whom I’ve seen in Paris multiple times? Who wasn’t telling me things about herself? And who’s seeing the man who’s probably behind her extravagant travels?”
At that moment, Clara had seen her mistakes. It wasn’t just Callum who committed a mistake, but also her.
“Who are you, really? Who was that woman I fell in love with during that vacation when I sat at your table?” He whispered as his hand slowly reached for her hand.
Clara’s chest was banging loudly. She couldn’t hear the reasons in her head. She was thinking that Callum might be just using her against Sullivan, and a part of her could feel how sincere Callum is
She couldn’t answer him. The alcohol seemed to be working on her at the moment, and she felt dizzy and like she was losing her rational thoughts as Callum was making him drunk.
oman. I didn’t sign the divorce papers back then. I held into it for so long until I didn’t have a choice.”
“And mind you, woman.
Clara’s eyes widened uncontrollably. But Gwen made sure that it was processed.
“All this time, I’ve been waiting for you to walk back to me to discuss it, expecting that you might remarry again and you will find out you’re still registered to my surname, and yet, you didn’t. And you even slept with me. You aren’t married, aren’t you?”
Clara’s brows were knitting to the core. She can’t process what’s happening. She suddenly became so drained that she couldn’t think or say anything
When Callum’s eyes drifted on her lips, as they slowly rose back on her eyes like consent he was trying to ask on her as he slowly crouched a bit, when Callum brushed his lips with hers gently, her senses were immediately blocked.
“And where is your first love?” Ciara uttered it in the middle of it
“If you were asking if I married her, I didn’t,” he whispered against her lips.
It was the last resort she had. When Callum looked at her again, his eyes were hooded. When he brushed his lips again, Ciara parted her lips and kissed
him back
Callum sighed and pulled her waist as his hand held the side of her neck as he claimed his lips tully.
Ciara wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. She knew she had some shots, but his kiss made her so drunk that she didn’t want to stop kissing him.
Callum stopped and grabbed her hand for his own car. He opened the backseat and slipped Clara in as he immediately crashed his lips against her without even letting her breathe for a while.
He was already hovering ever her while his hands were already crawling between her legs and touching her softness,
“You don’t know how mad I am with you. I wanted to crush you into pieces and fix you right away; you were only meant to get broken for me; I am only meant to be whole for you to fill those parts I’ve taken from you,” he said like a curse as he pulled the thin fabric of Clara’s pants from the side.
Ciara closed her eyes while Callum kisses trailed down her neck as his fingers dove into her wetness.
“I’ve been so possessive that until now, behind this success and the urge to be at the top, I could show you that I am more than that man you’ve chosen.”
idiot.
“You are competing with a ghost, Callum,” she said in the middle of the heat as she grind against his touch.
“If you weren’t together, then why are you in their company, Clara? Is he your f**k buddy? The one you’ve bragged to me, who could f**k you better?” he asked tauntingly with a hint of jealousy.