Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Roman’s POV

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The bar dug into my palms as I pulled myself up, letting out a rough breath. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen.

The image of Anna bent over the boardroom table invaded my thoughts again. Her skin flushed, hair falling loose, that little gasp, a perfect blend of pain and pleasure.

I drew myself up again, muscles straining. Fifteen. Sixteen.

This was not working. I had come down to my personal gym to dear my head, to burn off the restless energy that had been eating at me since she turned me down. But every rep, every breath just brought her back.

I had never wanted any woman with this kind of desperation. Women had always been easy, willing, temporary. But Anna was the first who kept rejecting me, the first who made me feel like I was chasing something just out of reach.

And God help me, I wanted her to surrender, not just physically wanted her to hand me the control, to let me in. There was something twisted in how badly I desired to break her.

My phone vibrated on the bench across the room.

I ignored it and kept pulling.

It vibrated again. The screen lit up, catching my attention.

From this angle, I could just make out the name.

Elena.

I dropped from the bar and walked over, chest heaving. I stared own at her name on the screen.

My sister. The only sibling who ever mattered.

My mother wasted no time after my father died. She married the man she had been cheating with for years. Dave. The same man whose affair had turned my father into a drunk, destroyed his health, and killed him slowly from the inside out.

I left the house the moment I turned eighteen and moved in with my uncle, who helped me settle into the company.

My mother went on to have two more children with Dave. Lucand Elena.

Luca was every bit his mother’s son. Manipulative, vindictive, always working an angle. I had kept him at arm’s length since he was old enough to talk.

Elena was different. Kind where our mother was cruel. Genuine where she was vicious.

She was the only one I loved. The only one I would do anything for.

Which made it all the harder that I barely saw her.

She had this habit of meddling, of trying to fix things that were better left broken. She kept trying to reconcile me and our mother despite my warnings. The last time she pulled that stunt she called me sobbing, said she had fallen down the stairs, broken her wrist, and was bleeding out. I ran out of an investor meeting, drove like a madman across the city, and nearly hit an old woman who switched lanes without warning.

I burst through her front door with my heart in my throat.

Only to find her sitting on the couch, perfectly fine, and our mother beside her.

1/4

O

12:31 Fri, Feb 27 AM

Chapter 122

A setup.

66%

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The fury that ripped through me then still burned when I thought about it. Not just that she lied about her health. She scared me. Made me run all the way there knowing the trauma that existed between our mother and me. She used my fear for her against me.

I had not spoken to our mother in years, not since I moved out. I shut down every attempt she made to see me and never answered her calls. Her betrayal was too deep. The way she manipulated me as a child, made me carry her secrets, forced me to watch my father love her while she destroyed him.

She was dead to me. And Elena had no right to interfere.

That was why I cut her off for four months.

The phone kept ringing in my hand.

But then my heart felt a tug. Normally she would call and I woul texts unread.

never answer. Iwould let it go to voicemail and delete her

I could not let our mother ruin the only good relationship I had left.

I reached for the phone and slid my thumb across the screen.

“Elena.”

A dramatic, high-pitched shocked sound burst through the speaker. “Oh my God. Is this actually Roman? Did someone steal your phone? Should I call the police?”

“Very funny.”

“No, I’m dead serious right now. My brilliant, successful, devastatingly handsome older brother who hasn’t spoken to me in four months just answered on the second ring. This is unprecedented. Are you dying? Did you get diagnosed with something? Because that’s literally the only explanation.”

Despite myself, a small smile tugged at my mouth. “Are you done?”

and “Not even close. I had a whole speech prepared for your voicemail. Very moving and emotional. I was going to cry everything. Now I have to improvise, and I’m terrible at improvising.” Her voice softened. “You actually picked up.”

“You kept calling.”

“I always keep calling. You just usually ignore me until I give up

She paused. “I missed you. Like a ridiculous amount. Do you know how difficult it’s been dealing with our chaotic family without you?”

Her words made me feel guilty. “Elena.”

“I know, I know. We’re not doing feelings right now. But seriously, four months? You cut me off for four months because I set up one meeting with Mom.”

The anger flared hot and immediate. “You pretended you were hurt.”

“Roman.”

“You lied. Said you had fallen down the stairs. That you had broken your wrist. That you were bleeding out.”

My voice went cold. “I left an investor meeting. Almost hit an old woman who switched lanes. I drove there thinking I’d lost you, only to find you sitting on your couch, perfectly fine, with her right next to you.”

2/4

III

O

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12:31 Fri, Feb 27

Chapter 122

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“I know. I’m sorry.” Her voice was smaller now. “I shouldn’t have led about being hurt. And I’m really sorry about the accident scare. But Roman, you’d refused every single attempt to talk to or about Mom. Every text, every call, every casual suggestion. I just wanted to reunite our family.”

“Some things should be left broken.”

“I know you’re hurt. But Mom misses you. And I think if you two could just sit down and talk, work through what happened…”

“There’s nothing to work through.”

“Roman.”

“No.” My voice came out harder than I intended. “If that’s why you called, I’m going to have to say goodbye.”

“Wait, wait, stop. Hold on.” She sounded panicked now. “That’s not why I called. I swear on my life. On that Chanel bag you got me for my birthday.”

I paused. “What happened?”

“I called because I have really good news, and you’re the number one person I want to share it with. The only person, actually.”

My brows creased. “What’s the news?”

“I’m not sharing it with you over the phone.”

“Seriously, Elena. I’m not in the mood for any of your games.

“No games. I cross my heart and all that.” She sounded excited now, almost breathless. “This is big, Roman. Life-changing big. And I need my amazing, protective, slightly terrifying older brother there when I tell you.”

“I’m busy tonight. But we can do lunch tomorrow.”

“No, it has to be tonight. Come on, please. I’m literally begging you right now.’

“Elena.”

11

“You’re my brother. My favorite person in the entire world. The only one who’s ever actually protected me from all the terrible people in our family. The one who taught me how to be strong, how to stand up for myself, how not to take anyone’s garbage.”

Her voice went softer, more pleading. “And I haven’t seen you in four months and I miss you so much it actually hurts. Like it physically hurts. Do you know what that’s like? To miss someone that much?”

I closed my eyes. She knew exactly how to work me.

“Fine. I need you to promise me no more stunts like that. No more trying to fix what she broke.”

Silence stretched between us.

“Elena. Promise me.”

“I promise.” She sounded defeated. “No more meddling. But you have to promise me something too.”

“What?”

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