Chapter 5
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He stood just a short distance away, clad in a dark indigo suit, a long coat draped over one arm as he watched me with an intensity that made my heart race.
This was the very suit I had gifted him for our ten–year anniversary, despite his claims of disliking indigo and supposedly throwing it away.
I turned my gaze away, forcing myself to focus on explaining my artwork to the guests at the exhibit.
Elias stood there, a silent observer, only approaching me hesitantly after the clients had departed.
“I bought a new one. Do you think it looks good?” he asked, revealing a ring and speaking in fluent English. “Please forgive me. I truly know I was wrong, and I want to marry you.”
As he spoke, all eyes turned toward us, curiosity and intrigue evident in the crowd.
A headache began to brew at the thought of tomorrow’s headlines: [An American Man Proposes at Berlin Art Exhibit.]
This exhibit had been a golden opportunity orchestrated by my mentor, who hoped it would elevate my public profile.
Elias gazed at me expectantly, as if to say that he had already apologized in public, and that was good enough for me to apologize to him.
Disgust surged within me. Elias had always acted selfishly, never pausing to consider the repercussions of his actions on others. I replied coldly, stating, “There’s nothing left between us. Feel free to enjoy the exhibit, but if you pull another stunt, I’ll call security.”
Anger flickered in his eyes, yet he managed to restrain himself, responding through gritted teeth, “I’ve already apologized. What more do you want? I admit that night was my fault, but I didn’t actually do anything with her. Can you stop blowing things out of proportion?”
In the past, he would never have apologized; instead, he would have resorted to the silent treatment, pressuring me into submission.
I looked at him with a sense of detachment. “Do you understand your mistake? No, you simply don’t want to lose your backup option.”
He still looked handsome, but all I felt was an overwhelming urge to distance myself.
Elias was like poison; being near him only brought pain, while staying away promised freedom and happiness.
“Don’t
say that,” he murmured, his eyes reddening.
When he reached for my hand, I instinctively stepped back. “Keep your distance.”
With that, I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving him standing there, dumbfounded. He didn’t reappear for the remainder of the exhibit.
After the event concluded, a member of the cleaning staff approached me, holding a coat. “Ma’am, the gentleman who was speaking with you earlier left this behind. He seemed upset when he stormed out and must have forgotten it.”
The coat was handed to me, and as I accepted it, a rolled–up document slipped from its
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When it unfurled on the floor, I realized it was an IVF application form.
My hands trembled as I picked up the paper, my eyes locking onto both Elias’s and Valeria’s names printed unmistakably on it.
I needed no further explanation; the meaning was crystal clear,
My expression hardened as I stuffed the paper back into his coat pocket and made my way toward the lost and found.
However, as I passed a corner, I caught Elias’s voice drifting through the air.
He sounded frustrated. “Mom, I’ve followed your wishes and chased her all the way here, but she didn’t appreciate it at all. She even turned me down in front of everyone. Are you expecting me to beg her on my knees?”
“I know she’s been good to me, but don’t pretend she’s not after anything. She’s interested in me because I’m young and successful, because my family has money. If you like her so much, why don’t you marry her yourself? Why are you forcing this on me?”
So that was it.
No wonder he had come all this way; it was all because his parents wanted him to.
Elias ended the call in frustration, dialing another number immediately.
“Honey, it’s me,” he said, his voice tinged with exasperation.
I couldn’t hear the other person’s response, but Elias’s demeanor shifted to one of resignation. “I don’t want this either, but my parents insist on my marrying. They have no fondness for you, and I can’t defy them. They’re aging, and I can’t bring them distress.“”
He continued, “I know you’re unwell and yearning for a child. I’ll arrange it, just give me some time, okay?”
It seemed he was addressing Valeria:
I recalled the IVF application. How ironic it all was. Was Elias contemplating having Valeria bear his child while secretly marrying me?
Did I truly appear so naive?
I had thought our decade–long relationship held significance, but to Elias, it was just a
burden he bore.
His intention to reconcile stemmed not from love but from parental obligation. To him, marrying without affection was a heavyweight, a farcical sacrifice.
And what about me?
Was I expected to resign myself to marrying a man who didn’t love me?
With that thought weighing heavily on my heart, I walked up and thrust the coat into his
arms.
Elias’s mouth fell open in astonishment. “How long have you been here? Were you eavesdropping?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m the one hosting this exhibit. Shouldn’t I be here?”
Averting his gaze, he appeared guilty. “How much did you hear?”
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Averting his gaze, he appeared guilty. “How much did you hear?”
His feigned ignorance only fueled my anger.
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I pulled the report from his coat pocket and held it up. “I heard everything. I know everything.”
My glare pierced through him, filled with disgust. “Elias, you really make me sick.”
He flinched, visibly shocked by my words, but I didn’t hold back. “If you like Valeria, then go be with her. I never intended to hold you back. You’re the one who can’t let go of a ‘backup
you option,‘ putting on a noble act as if you’re forced to juggle two women. Don’t realize how fake that makes you?”
Panic swept over him as he shook his head. “No, that’s not true. How could you think that about me? Don’t you think that’s hurtful?”
I laughed, a sound laced with disbelief. “You don’t want me to think this way? Then don’t act this way. If the truth hurts, it’s because it hit a nerve.”
That was it; there was nothing more to discuss.
Yet, Elias stubbornly blocked my path, clinging to me as if I were his lifeline. “Don’t leave!” I pried his hand away, resolute. “Let me say this one last time. We’re done. I won’t be a tool for you to please your parents, nor will I be a pawn in your tangled mess. Do me a favor and let me go.”
Desperate, he grabbed onto me, his grip a mix of urgency and fear. “No, it’s not like that. You’re not a tool to me, and I’m not trying to make you a fool. I can explain. This is all just a misunderstanding.”
I sighed, feeling a flicker of willingness to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Alright, then explain it to me.”
But just as he opened his mouth, his phone rang, interrupting the moment.
The caller ID flashed Valeria’s name.
Without waiting for my reaction, he blurted, “She’s sick. It’s probably the hospital calling.”
We were close enough for me to hear the nurse on the other end, her voice laced with urgency as she informed him that Valeria was critically ill and wanted to see him one last time.
Elias’s face went pale, his gaze a swirl of conflicting emotions before he looked at me, pleading, “Wait for me. I’ll be back tomorrow. Please, just wait.”
With that, he dashed off, leaving me in a haze of uncertainty.
Watching his retreating figure, bitterness welled up inside me as I texted my mentor, [I’ll be on the next flight to Italy tonight. My business here is resolved.]
Time was a fleeting thing; no one stood still forever. That had been his final opportunity, and he’d let it slip right through his fingers.
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Chapter 6
