Page 25 of A Diamond Deal
It would have been easy to do, but she’d called Serena.
She’d abandoned her phone—abandoned her life—because the photos had told her a story. Confirmed her every suspicion he was doing exactly what her father had done to her mum.
But Konstantinos hadn’t been unfaithful.
He’d had the opportunity and pushed the other woman away.
It was whiplash.
Poppy believed him.
But if he’d told her the truth…
‘Your dad,’ she said huskily. ‘Don’t you think I had a right to know?’
‘He wasn’t your father.’
‘No, he was yours,’ she countered, her heart thumping. ‘And I was your wife.’
‘Youaremy wife.’
His declaration shook her on her feet. He’d dislodged her every assumption. But her instincts hadn’t lied to her, had they?
Hehad.
He’d been hiding something from her.Something big.And if he could lie by omission? If he could hide the fact he was waiting for his father to die from his wife—from her—what else was he hiding? What other secrets had he kept from her?
She didn’t want to be the last to know or, worse, die in ignorance, like her mum.
Lying, it was a trigger for her. So many lies had raised her into the woman she was.Guarded.But he’d got beneath her defences. He’d made her believe she could have him if nothing else.Only him.Not a family. Not children.
Never had she wanted to risk a child feeling the way she had growing up. As if her position in a family—her family—was conditional.
She knew now, because of Isaak, she’d never letthathappen to a child of hers, but…
Her stomach ached.
It would never not ache.
There would never be another baby. But there would always be some type of pain. That was how the world worked. It dished out hope and took it away in the blink of an eye. And when she was hurting again—when the world decided to take another swipe, brought her down to her knees again…
Where wouldhebe?
She’d barely seen him after they’d lost their baby. She’d thought he was avoiding her. She’d thought he was having an affair. But he’d chosen to be beside a man he hated while she was…hurting.
Yes, he’d hired professionals. But he’d promised she could rely on him.Trust him.But she couldn’t. Not when it really mattered. Not when she needed him.
‘I still want a divorce,’ she said.
His jaw sharpened to cut steel. ‘Youstillwant a divorce?’
‘Yes.’ Her heart thrummed to a beat that pulsed too loud.Too fast.It was frantic. And it hurt. Behind her breastbone. He’d abandoned her to strangers to ease his conscience. He hadn’t cared about his father. He hadn’t cared about his son. He had not cared abouther.
He cared for no one but himself.
For that, she couldn’t forgive him.
‘I do,’ she breathed.
