Chapter 240

Julian

She didn't log back on at ten am, not the next day or any day that week. In fact she didn't sign back into that account at all. Which if I was honest with myself served me right.

I had no right to ask her to listen to me and it was selfish of me to think I deserved her time.

I didn't deserve anything but what was happening to me. And everything happening to me was bad. My popularity had plummeted since Megan's pregnancy had become public knowledge. It didn't seem to matter about the rumours about Cassie. No one in their right mind believed them.

They saw Cassie as the victim in all of this and of course that's what she had always been.

I would do anything to get her back, anything at all. And that's why I kept myself logged in to that damned doctors app twenty four hours a day in hope that she would show up.

Because even just seeing her name made me feel better. At least that way I knew she was ok. And I left money every day. So she could have something to treat the boys with. She didn't touch that money and neither did she touch the money in her accounts.

She had disappeared and was now little more than a name on a screen that gave me butterflies in my belly.

On the Thursday after I had last spoken to her , almost seven days later my phone buzzed from my nightstand. Sleep had almost taken me when it had happened so at first I was slow to realise what it meant.

Laying in there in the dark I listened to the sound of the alert going off for five whole seconds before I reached for my phone and my heart pounded in my chest the entire time.

Finally I pulled it towards me.

"We can't do this anymore."

Those five words were all she had typed. Nothing more , not even a hello.

Heaving myself into a sitting position I typed my reply quickly.

"You didn't show up the other day? I waited."

A pause and then. "And stop sending me money Julian."

"No."

Nothing.and then more nothing. If I'd been hoping it would cause her to argue back then I was sadly mistaken and maybe it was the wrong thing to do but I knew that if Cassie fought me she still cared.

"The money is there for the boys if they need anything. If they don't then you don't need to touch it. I just wanted to you have it."

"They aren't your sons."

I sighed. "Yes they are." My fingers flew over the touchpad. "I know why you said they weren't Cassie. Because you wanted to give me grounds to divorce you without losing my kingdom."

Silence.

The quiet killed me more than anything else. The waking up in bed to quiet when I should have been able to hear her soft breaths next to me.

"I miss you." My fingers moved on their own accord. "I love you. Please."

"You can't do this to us anymore Julian." She answered quickly. "I've given you your freedom. Please give us ours."

Freedom? I frowned. Was that what she called this misery? Because I didn't feel free. I felt trapped but I had no words to tell her that.

"Megan's baby isn't mine."

More silence. But then I had been expecting that. Cassie had no reason to believe me.

"And I'm going to make this up to you."

"You can't. It's too late." There was a long pause between every word almost like Cassie was struggling to type through her tears.

"I reject you Julian."

My heart stammered in my chest as pain lanced through me. "No Cassie, I do not accept that."

And I didn't. I would never accept it. Cassie might reject me but she would always be my heart and soul.

"You don't have a choice now. Leave us alone and be happy. That's all I want Julian. For you to be happy."

"I am happy with you. Only you. Please just let me talk to you and explain. I know I can make you see the truth if you just give me a chance."

There was nothing for so long that I thought she had signed off and then those three little dots appeared again and I let out a sigh of relief.

"I've given you a thousand chances Julian. And every single time you have broken me in new and painful ways."

My heart stopped altogether as I read her words. Tears stung and pricked my eyes as I forced myself not to cry. The pain in her message was clear. So clear that I could almost taste it.

I had done that to her. Hurt her so badly that she felt there was no way back.

And it killed me.

"I just want to hear your voice." I tried again. "I just want to speak to you now and then. I won't ask where you are. I promise I'll leave you alone if you just give me the chance to explain myself. Let me show you how much I've changed."

"Ok."

One word and it felt like fresh life was breathed back into my body. I took a deep breath and a contentedness flowed through me. My shoulders relaxed.

"I can't talk now because Ian has just come in but-"

The screen went dead. Cassie had ended to chat because my best friend and second in command had just turned up.

Glancing at the clock I frowned. It was almost midnight. What was he doing out so late when he should have been protecting my family?

Not that I had any right to be jealous. At least he was there and protecting them , which was a damn sight more than what I was doing though.

That would change soon though.

All the pieces of my plans were slotting into place.