Secret Billionaire’s Contract Bride: Marrying My Enemy’s Lover

Chapter 44

“I’m sorry.”

My continued whispered apologies meant nothing to the dark purple splotches blooming across her bare back but I said them anyway.

I brushed her hair away from her shaking shoulders, kneeling on the floor of the bathroom as the soapy bathwater spilled over the edge of the tub and onto my pants. I didn’t care one bit. I only saw how much she was still trembling.

Her whole body shook like a leaf in a windstorm even as we were miles away from where I’d left him, unconscious and bleeding on the floor of her old apartment.

“I don’t want to go back.” was the only thing she had whispered to me when we got home. Her voice was hoarse from the tears she had run out of hours ago.

“Okay.” I agreed, easily. I never would’ve let her anyway. “I’ll hire someone to get your stuff out, move everything over here. Okay, baby?”

She nodded, silent as a mouse, and didn’t speak another word.

I dipped my hand into the warm water, washing her back. The bruises against her pale skin were a reminder of the violence he had used against her. Her wrists were the same color, and I carefully parted her hair, avoiding the massive lump on the

back of her head.

The pinkish water was warm, but it wouldn’t be for much longer.

I was lucky Mrs. Rivas was a retired nurse. She’d been shocked to be called out of bed this late at night, but there wasn’t any choice.

She assured me that Addie was okay, just a mild concussion. Her nose wasn’t broken, but I was still careful not to splash any water around her face.

She’d insisted on me staying with her for her bath, and despite my reservations, I could never deny her anything she wanted. On some level, it felt good to be needed by her but not like this.

Never like this.

The scene of what had happened lingered in my mind, an ever-reminder of how late I almost was. If I hadn’t gotten there in time…

I wanted to kill him.

I wanted to pound my fists into his face until he didn’t have a face left. Until there was nothing left of him but dust.

He deserved the worst, and I was going to do whatever I had to do to make sure he got it.

I nearly did. Until I heard her soft sobs through my bloody fists, my pounding fury, and my reckless hatred for my brother. Never before had I wanted someone dead but Ashton…..

I wouldn’t have lost a wink of sleep over him.

But Addie came first. She always came first.

I poured the strawberry-scented shampoo into my hands, rubbing it into her hair in soft circles. She leaned her head back, allowing me better access to her hair. I was gentle, especially around the large lump.

“Okay, dip your head for me,” I told her gently, as soft as I could be. She scooted forward in the tub, laying back until her hair was under the water. As I rinsed it out, I glanced at her face.

the violently blue bruise around her nose, I could almost assume it had never happened. Her arms were wrapped around herself tightly, still curled up like she had been since

hellhole.

now,” I told her gently as she raised her head out of the tub. “Better get out before the water

off, and get her into the fuzzy bathrobe Mrs. Rivas

didn’t say

not as I begged her to eat a few bites of Mrs. Rivas’s dinner, not even as

pool, our feet in the cool water as I held her hand tightly, holding her close to me. The smell of the warm tea Mrs. Rivas had brewed for us was nice company but there was still a distance between us

confessed, staring up at the stars above us. “If I had never…I didn’t

where her head was tucked into my shoulder. There was no answer, but

first

barely audible. “You threw ice cream

chuckled, fondly remembering the memory. “Only after you

stole the

her. Even tucked to my side and buried in my shoulder. I could see the small

was talking about, though.” I said, my heart thumping as I gazed back up at the sky. I could see

frown on her lips as she gazed

bright eyes who’d stolen my

cheek, letting the memory come

I whispered to her. “My father had hit me again, and I’d run away into the gardens. You snuck over

remember that,” she

my mom died. I’ll never forget what

did I do?”

a

“Magic?”

she sent me a disbelieving glance, “There’s no such

disagree. You taught me a real spell,” I told her with a grin.

challenged, that fiery glint shining in

smile off my face if I

the tip of her nose. I pressed my forehead against hers, closing my eyes as

pain, go

smiling brightly at

were wide as she stared at me in shock. She brushed her hand across my cheek, a look of awe on her face.

the gardens? I

every day. You were the light that gave me a reason to keep moving forward. I’m sorry for

with shiny eyes. More

to her palm and waiting patiently

to wait so long for me,”

met with no other words spoken between us. We didn’t need them. There

twenty years of being in love with her one-sidedly, I finally knew

broke apart,

do about Corinna and…” she shuddered before saying, “Ashton? This

I knew she

will speak to my father in the morning to see what can be