Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 126

Chapter 126

Roman’s POV

The elevator doors slid open.

I stepped out first. She followed.

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The penthouse was dark, lit only by the city spilling through the glass walls. I did not bother with the lights.

I headed straight for the bar.

Her footsteps trailed behind me, then stopped somewhere in the middle of the living room.

I pulled out a glass and reached for the whiskey. I could feel her watching me. I had not looked at her since the car. I had not said a word either.

The bottle touched the rim as I poured. My hand did not shake.

I threw back the entire glass in one swallow and welcomed the burn as it worked its way down, then poured another.

My phone buzzed against the counter. The screen lit up.

Elena: Where are you???

Shit.

I had completely forgotten about Elena. Forgotten why I had gone to that damn restaurant in the first place.

She had said she would be late. Traffic. I was supposed to wait for her at the bar.

Then I saw Anna and everything went dark.

She had told me she was with Zoe. Instead, she was having dinner with Laurent Beaumont.

The image still sat wrong in my mind.

I hated how easily she got to me. How she made me act without thinking.

She had the audacity to lie to me. What bothered me most was that I still cared enough to bring her home instead of letting her walk away with Laurent.

I finished the second drink.

Anna was still standing there. She drew in a breath like she was about to speak, but I was not in the mood for

arguments or excuses.

I had something else to handle first.

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Chapter 126

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I turned away from her, grabbed my phone, and dialed Elena’s number.

She answered on the first ring.

“Roman Blackwood, where the hell are you?”

She was using my

full name.

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She was furious. And she had every right to be.

I walked toward the windows, putting distance between Anna and me.

“Elena…”

“Do not ‘Elena’ me. I have been sitting here for thirty minutes, Roman. Thirty minutes. Do you know how embarrassing that is? Sitting alone at a table, checking my phone like some desperate idiot?”

“I know. I am sorry.”

“You are sorry?” She let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “That is it? You are sorry?”

“Something came up.”

“Something came up,” she repeated, slower this time. “Of course it did. Something always comes up with you.”

“Elena…”

“No. You know what? I am done. I am actually done this time.”

“I will make it up to you.”

“Make it up to me? How? By canceling again next month? By disappearing for three months like you usually do?”

I dragged a hand through my hair. “That is not fair.”

“Not fair?” Her voice wavered. “You were the first person I wanted to tell about something good that happened to me, and you did not even show up.”

Guilt washed over me.

“Elena, I am sorry I stood you up. Tell me what it will take to fix this.”

There was a pause.

“Tell me what was so important that you could not show up.” She stopped suddenly. “Oh my God. Is it a

woman?”

I did not answer.

17:32 Mon, Mar 2

Chapter 126

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“It is.” She laughed again, but it sounded thinner now. “I refuse to believe you ditched me for one of your meaningless…”

“Elena.”

“Whatever. Just know this, you owed me. Big time. And I will collect.”

“Fine. Whatever you want.”

There was a brief silence.

“Whatever I want?” she repeated.

I already knew how far her mind could run with that. My sister had always had a talent for dramatic revenge.

“Elena, it cannot involve Mom.”

She exhaled slowly. “You got me there. Do not worry. I will think of something else. But you owe me, Roman. And I am not letting you forget it.”

“I will not.”

“You better not.”

I ended the call and stood there with the phone still in my hand.

I turned around and was surprised to see Anna behind me. I had not heard her come up.

I brushed past her and went to the bar. She followed, stopping at the other end, arms crossed.

I had not really looked at her all night. Anger had been doing the seeing for me, until now.

Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders. The wrap dress hugged her frame, cinched at her small waist. I forced myself to look away.

Her eyes found mine.

“You have not said a word to me since the ride back to your home.”

I reached for the bottle. Her voice stopped me mid-motion. My hand stilled, wrapped around the neck of it.

“Aren’t you going to scold me? Yell?” Her voice had an edge now. “Isn’t that why you brought me here?”

I poured the whiskey and watched the amber liquid splash into the glass.

“I do not know why I brought you here.”

Her face twisted in disbelief.

“Do not play that game,” she shot back at me.

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Chapter 126

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“You know exactly why. You wanted to prove you could drag me out of there. That you could control me.”

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