Now Justin loved someone else, and he was using that same tone, that same expression, begging me with the same desperate sincerity.
"Louisa."
"Let me go."
"I just want to be with her. I'm hopelessly in love with her. She's all I want, even if it means giving up everything."
The untouchable young heir of the Simmons family,
brought to his knees by love.
Broken by it.
And now,
all I could feel was the warmth of his tears soaking through my shoulder, the sound of his voice pressing against something heavy in my chest, a tightness climbing my throat. Then a noise came from the entryway. I let out a quiet breath and said only this to Justin.
"Someone's here."
"What the hell are you two doing?!"
Odette Fox was standing in the doorway, her scream tearing through the room.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Justin went rigid against me. I looked up and met Odette's face, and I smiled.
"Can't you tell?"
"We're legally married. I don't think I need to report to you."
"Louisa!"
Justin and Odette spoke at the same time.
Odette was already charging at me, hand raised to slap me across the face. I caught her wrist and held it tight. But in that same instant, Justin's palm had already connected with my cheek. He froze, staring at his own hand in disbelief, while Odette burst out laughing.
"Slut!"
"You see that?!"
"You see that?!"
"Justin loves ME, not you!"
"That slap was a lesson for you!"
"If you ever lay eyes on my man again..."
"I'll kill you!"
Odette grabbed Justin, who was still standing there in a daze, and her eyes turned red.
"I hadn't seen you come out for so long. I was worried. I was afraid she'd pull some dirty trick on you again."
Tears spilled down Odette's cheeks, her voice cracking.
"Thank God."
"You love me."
"Thank God."
"My husband loves me. He hasn't changed."
Odette broke into a tearful smile, and Justin seemed to finally snap out of it. He rushed to wipe her tears, cooing at her softly.
"Of course I love you."
"I only love you." He turned to look at me, something complicated shifting behind his eyes. His gaze settled on my cheek, swollen and red from the slap. "Louisa, what happened today was wrong of me."
"But when it comes down to it, you brought this on yourself by being so stubborn."
"Louisa."
"I don't love you anymore."
Justin stroked Odette's belly with a gentle hand.