The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Yulia’s lips quivered as she shook her head, her eyes widened with fear and helplessness. “What do you even want?” she stammered.

Nathan looked at her with a cold detachment. “The question is, what do you want, Yulia? You wanted this marriage, pulled every trick in the book to get it. You called the shots in the beginning, but when it ends, that’s not your call. If you’re planning on going head-to-head with me, by all means, let’s see who’s tougher.”

“So what are you saying? That I’m stuck with you until you’re bored? I can’t ever bring up divorce?”

“You can bring it up, and I might agree, as long as you leave Anya with me.”

“You know I’ll never give up Anya!”

A smirk crept onto Nathan’s face. “Who knows? Maybe Ronald and his shares are worth more to you than Anya.”d2

Yulia bit her lip so hard that white marks formed around her teeth. “Why are you doing this, Nathan? Anya’s my daughter. She’s got nothing to do with you. Why are you so obsessed with her?”

“People don’t always need reasons. I like her, and that should be enough.”

Yulia’s anger flared at Nathan’s shameless reasoning, her hand itching to slap some sense into him. “But you’ll end up hurting her. With your playboy lifestyle, you might even marry someone else. What can you offer Anya, except a life full of scandals and tabloid headlines? How can she grow up healthy in a home with a stepfather and stepmother? What are you really thinking? Is this how you like Anya? I will never agree. Over my dead body will I let you take her.”

Nathan’s lips curled into a sneer. “Suit yourself.”

Yulia felt her anger choking her, unable to vent.

Over her dead body? What would happen to Anya if she died?

How utterly cruel!

The feeling of helplessness, of being trapped, was unbearable.

Nathan watched as she fell into despair, then stepped back and headed for the door. But Yulia grabbed his shirt, pulling him back with a desperation she couldn’t hide. “What do you want from me, Nathan? What are you trying to do? What will it take for you to let me go?”

“Let you go?” Nathan’s voice was like ice. “How come you get to decide everything? When you were scheming to trap me, did you ever consider whether I’d let you go? Now you want to walk away scot-free? You think I’m just some toy you can play with until you’re done?”

Yulia looked up at him, her expression a tangled mess of emotions. “I’ve heard enough. I admit I was wrong, but we can’t drag this marriage on forever, right? Give me a concrete date. When can we truly end this?”

Nathan’s expression darkened. “Tell me, Yulia, why do you suddenly want to talk divorce?”

Caught off guard, Yulia was unsure how their conversation had circled back to this topic.

Nathan’s grip tightened on her shoulders. “What if I helped you take over the company?”

Yulia’s eyes flickered with shock.

“You wouldn’t need Ronald’s shares. Would you still bring up divorce after you got what you wanted? Or should I ask, are you divorcing me for Ronald?”

she shook her head. “No. I can’t forgive him. If it weren’t for his shares, I’d never want to see him again, even if we got

who do you

a struggle evident in her eyes. “I love

his face twitching involuntarily. “I mean the love between two adults?!” He bellowed at

calm himself. “So why the hell are you in such a

“For the shares!”

the crap! Ronald’s been dangling those shares over

her face

ears rang with the force

need to force this issue. What position have you put us in? Did

Yulia’s usually gentle demeanor burst forth, stunning Nathan into silence. “You remember you’re my

good does it do? Did that

you acted like a wife should, would

“Do you realize how awful you sound? Blaming your wife because you’re out

face was a mask of tension. He stared at her for a long moment before his expression softened, and he stepped closer, towering over her. “So

mouth, but

handle it? You’re hurt and sad, so you want

off guard by Nathan’s blunt question, Yulia blushed

because you’re affecting

“Just Anya?” Nathan frowned.

“I…”

Nathan interrupted, his voice threatening. “You better think carefully before you

mixture of defiance

what you really feel.”

question back at him. “How much

“I’m the one

like you?

sharpened, locking onto her. “It’s always nice to be

enough

scrunched his brow, clearly not satisfied with where this was

not just ‘like’ that I

gripping her shoulder

knows it took everything in Yulia to say these words. If it hadn’t been for the tension between them, that feeling of everything falling apart, or

were, the worst-case scenario was a divorce – a clean break. She braced herself for his reaction, but when she felt it, her heart contracted. Not

She knew it.

mustering a nonchalant smile. “Don’t worry. It’s just

more than ‘like,’ so you mean you

Yulia didn’t answer.