A Love to Die For (Nathaly) novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The usual cold edge in Elijah’s eyes had melted away, leaving only tenderness as he held Nicole and soothed her soft- ly.

“If Nathy weren’t so hard to get pregnant, you wouldn’t have had to donate your eggs and go through IVF with me just to help me keep her around. The Tuckett family owes you a favor.

“As for Brenda, I already arranged for the best doctors. Don’t worry, today I’m all yours.”

Nicole squealed with delight, throwing herself into his arms, pouting playfully.

But outside the hospital room, Nathaly felt like she’d fallen into an icy abyss, her whole body trembling uncontrol- lably.

So… the child she’d cherished for four months was actually Elijah’s and Nicole’s?

All of Elijah’s efforts to keep her had been only so she could carry a child with no blood ties to her at all.

“Elijah, how could you be so cruel?” she thought, her heart splintering with every beat. Staggering, Nathaly forced herself to leave.

As she followed the nurse escorting Brenda’s shrouded body to the morgue, she brushed past Elijah, who was whis- pering into Nicole’s ear.

Nicole instinctively tried to glance her way, but Elijah didn’t even turn his head. He gently covered Nicole’s eyes, his voice cold and dismissive.

“Dead people are filthy.”

Those words stabbed straight through Nathaly’s heart.

She didn’t even have the strength left to question him. It felt as if her heart had stopped the moment she learned the truth.

She never wanted to feel love for Elijah again.

When the elevator reached the first floor, the alert for eight billion dollars hitting her account jolted Nathaly from her

memories.

She wiped away her tears and stepped outside.

But before she could steady herself, the cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of her head.

Elijah’s voice, rough and dark, sounded behind her. “Honey, you went behind my back to meet my most hated rival. I think you owe me an explanation.”

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Nathaly lowered her gaze, a bitter mix of resentment and irony welling up inside her.

So, he hates being betrayed, too?

But he knows everything.

Back in her senior year of high school, Nicole’s brother, drunk behind the wheel, killed Nathaly’s father. The Fridley family used their influence to keep him out of prison.

Nicole herself, relying on her family’s power, spread rumors about Nathaly at school, accused her of sleeping around, targeted her at every turn, and even threatened to run Brenda over.

In the end, Nathaly was forced to give up her stellar grades and drop out.

And yet Elijah still chose Nicole.

After the anger faded, a deep sense of helplessness took over. She lifted her eyes to him, her voice numb and flat.

“There’s nothing to explain.”

Elijah froze, her pale face and reddened eyes reflected in his dark pupils.

Suddenly, his expression softened. He tossed the gun to a nearby bodyguard.

“I was kidding.”

He pulled her into his arms, his voice dripping with honeyed affection.

“I know my honey loves me most. You went to the Keeton Group today just to get back at me for not being there when Brenda had her accident, right?

“It’s all my fault, babe. To make it up to you, I’ve arranged a grand funeral for Brenda. I’ll take you there now.”

Her gaze lingered on the love bites along his neck, and Nathaly’s heart turned cold.

She wanted to spit out that he didn’t deserve forgiveness, but in the end, she didn’t cry or argue. She just got into the car with him.

She only wanted to say goodbye to Brenda in peace.

As for Elijah, she was done with him forever.