Chapter 78
He knew she had discovered his identity. And it seemed the Duke had no intention of participating in this shallow charade any longer.
Don’t tremble. Stay calm.
Vanessa met the Duke’s gaze, her eyes forced into a mask of composure. The face of the man looking down at her was merely serene. There wasn’t even a trace of the guilt, pain, or sorrow she had vaguely imagined.
The Duke simply looked a little more tired than usual. His cold, deep eyes soon crinkled with a smooth smile.
“I assumed the fact that you came all the way here meant you already knew, Vanessa. I regret that I couldn’t tell you the truth sooner, though.”
Regret. That single word pierced her heart with agonizing sharpness. To her, it was a shock so profound that such a word couldn’t even begin to cover it.
The memory of the moment she decided to love him felt so far away. She couldn’t believe that the person whose warmth she had felt, whose breath she had shared, and to whom she had given her heart was entirely an illusion. Did he even dare to fathom how she felt?
Even in moments when she felt she might utterly collapse, she had held on by thinking of ‘River Ross.’ She had resolved to move forward toward a better tomorrow rather than sinking down to weep. She had lived with the belief that there was at least one person who would stand by her in the rain and roll in the mud with her.
Yes. Sometimes, it was such small things that sustained one’s world. That was why she could be this sad over mere words. Because I loved you.
“I intended to wrap things up within next week and tell you at an appropriate time. In a situation that was a bit more comfortable and better than this.”
It felt as if he truly only regretted that part. As if a minor detail in their relationship had simply gone a bit awry. As if it were a mistake that could be corrected at any time just by talking about it.
Even though there was nothing left that could be undone.
‘Perhaps it really was a trivial matter.’
If he had confessed the truth with his own lips before she found out, no matter the method, and if he had honestly sought forgiveness—then everything would have been better than it was now. At the very least, she wouldn’t have been seized by this miserable feeling.
That she had ended up loving a man whose very name was a lie. Vanessa burst into a hollow laugh at the reality crashing down on her. She felt as if she had been caught up in a truly wicked story. A thick sense of helplessness and loss washed over her along with her tremors.
It felt as if she couldn’t breathe properly. This entire situation, and the man standing before her, was simply too foreign.
“Sit down for now and let’s talk.”
He spoke calmly, offering an invitation as she stood there, her face as pale as if she might faint at any moment. Vanessa, who had been about to sit on the couch the Duke offered, changed her mind and shook her head. She straightened her back and shoulders, forcing strength into them even as they felt ready to give way.
“I don’t intend to stay long, Ri—um, I… I really only came up to talk. To get a definite answer regarding our contract.”
“Did you find the answer you wanted?”
“At the very least, I’ve confirmed that the man I struck a deal with wasn’t you.”
A cold intelligence flickered in her eyes, which were arched like a cat’s. Her lips, bitten hard to suppress her surging emotions, trembled slightly. After a brief silence, she spoke again.
“I don’t know what to call you anymore. Or how I should even speak to you.”
“……”
“What was that contract? The one in my uncle’s study…”
“That contract has nothing to do with this matter.”
“…I thought you were being blackmailed or something.”
Vanessa looked up at him with eyes that looked ready to cry, then let out a self-mocking laugh. Whether that investment contract was a form of payment or not… it didn’t matter anymore. The relationship of trust between them had been completely twisted. There was no way she could believe anything he said now.
“Vanessa.”
The Duke’s Adam’s apple bobbed slowly as he watched her. He pulled carelessly at his tie, which seemed to be choking him. It was the moment she thought the eyes of the man, who had been so composed, distorted with impatience.
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying. Why would I…”
Vanessa bit her trembling lip again. If only she could turn her emotions on and off at will. She didn’t want to show a weak side of herself in front of this man ever again.
She didn’t want to mistake this touch, wiping away the tear that fell down her cheek, for kindness.
Life goes on, no matter what. She had learned through experience that even moments that felt like they would kill her could eventually be endured if she just held on. That was how she had survived her uncle’s betrayal and smiled as if she were fine. She needed that strength now.
“My demand is the same as it was at the beginning. I want our relationship to end cleanly here.”
“The contract period isn’t over yet, Vanessa.”
Vanessa went to call his name but closed her mouth. River Ross. She could no longer call this man by that name, the one that hadn’t felt repulsive to her. Theodore. Her bond with the Duke wasn’t that deep.
While she hesitated, the man continued in a low voice.
“So, we are ‘still’ lovers.”
“……”
“And as I said, I am quite satisfied with our relationship. Therefore, I propose that we provisionally extend this contract.”
“Are you… asking me to be your lover now?”
The man’s face, silhouetted against the sunset, was cast in deep, unreadable shadows. It wasn’t easy to even guess his expression, but it was clear that the Duke was looking at her.
Vanessa looked up at him with confused eyes.
“Do you love me?”
“Why does the conversation go there?”
“I… I love you.”
“That’s good to hear. It’s cute.”
He laughed fiercely and gripped Vanessa’s white cheek firmly with his large hand. His hard fingertips traced the wound on her dry lips, as if it had bothered him from the very first moment he saw it.
She could feel a faint heat in the deep blue gaze watching her. Like a man who truly loved her. His long, lowered lashes cast faint shadows over his handsome face.
“……”
His head tilted as he leaned in close. Their lips finally met, and he bit hers, though not painfully.
Vanessa let out a sigh at that warmth. It was terrible. That her heart was still racing so wildly for this man. The fact that he had so easily torn down the walls she thought she had built so firmly.
The bridges of their noses brushed, and their breaths tangled softly again as he shifted his angle. The Duke only let her go when she began to pant, her face flushed red. Only then did a strange sense of relief slowly bleed into the man’s dry expression.
“Love is always a terrible weakness, Vanessa. Just as you’ve finally allowed yourself to be caught by me like this.”
It was true. Love was this terrible. A single tear formed at the end of her trembling breath. When she blinked slowly, it fell onto her cheek.
“I am purchasing and renovating a manor and land near Gloucester. I’ll push the schedule so you can move in as soon as it’s completed. I’ll even move the Rose Garden exactly as it is if you wish.”
“…No. It’s better that we stop seeing each other.”
“Tell me if there are any conditions you want.”
“I told you. I’ve decided I want to have a child with another man.”
Vanessa pushed him away with both hands. For a moment, Theodore’s deep blue eyes took on a predatory light and darkened.
“If you tell me to honor the contract period, which was until the end of this month, I will comply until then, but I don’t want to extend it. Besides, I plan to be busy with other schedules for the remaining time.”
“Another man? Who?”
“Anyone. So, I came to tell you that there’s no need to come see me anymore…”
Suddenly, her entire body was seized roughly. His tongue forced its way past her lips and entangled with hers violently. It wasn’t a gentle kiss that seemed to touch her soul like before; it was a fierce, ravenous kiss, as if he intended to devour her from head to toe.
“Ah, ngh…”
He lifted her slender, heated body, pressing her tight against his. He pulled her long skirt up along her thighs and had her wrap her white, exposed legs around his waist.
There wasn’t a hint of composure left on his impatient face. It was as if his poise had been a mask he was barely maintaining from the start.
After showering her with a fierce kiss that seemed ready to steal her very last breath, he carried her in his arms and strode across the hallway. Vanessa looked at the man with blurry eyes. Even as she was laid down on the bed, reality failed to return to her.
“Ngh…”
Her swollen breasts were rubbing too much against his hard body… She barely managed to regain her senses and pushed against his shoulders. Her seized wrists were pinned down onto the bed.
“Even if you… do this, nothing will change…”
Their lips tangled again. She let out a soft moan.
“Ri…”
Once again.
