Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 285

hapter 285

“You remember,” he said again. Everything that happened. Everything I did. He swallowed hard Everything I didn t do when I should have.

Congratulations. You’ve finally figured out you’re an asshole.”

The bitterness in my voice seemed to cut him, but I didn’t case. Couldn’t care. Not when my head was pounding and my world was spinning and Id just woken up to discover that both men in my life had been manipulasing me like I was some kind of chess piece in their fucked up game.

‘I know you hate me,’ Julian said quietly. “I know you have every right to. But Elena, please-I need you to listen.”

“Why should I?”

“Because Victoria killed your mother.”

The words hit me like a physical blow.

‘She disguised herself as a nurse, he continued, his voice tight. “Tampered with the morphine drip. I’ve been trying to find her for four years, but she disappeared. Changed her identity. Went underground.” His jaw clenched. “But I will find her, Elena. And when I do-*

‘Stop.”

I couldn’t listen to this. Couldn’t process it. Not now, when I was already drowning in too many revelations.

‘I want you to leave,” I said flatly.

Julian’s face went pale. “Elena-”

‘I said leave. Get out of my room. Get away from me and my daughter.”

‘She’s our daughter.”

‘She’s mine.” I sat up despite the wave of dizziness that followed, ignoring the way my vision swam. “You gave up any right to her when you spent three

years treating me like I was disposable. When you let that psychotic bitch destroy my life. When you-

My voice broke.

I hated that. Hated showing weakness in front of him.

But God, it hurt. All of it. The memories of our marriage, the knowledge of what I’d lost, the bitter understanding that even now

some traitorous part of me still responded to the way he was looking at me.

Like I was precious.

Like I mattered.

even after everything

Like he actually gave a damn.

Im sorry.” His voice was rough, wrecked. ‘Elena, I’m so fucking sorry. For all of it. For being blind and stupid and cruel. For not protecting you when you needed me. For- He stopped, seeming to struggle for words. For making you feel like you had to die to get away from me.”

3:26 pm P M

Chapter 285

Tears burned behind my eyes; but I refused to let them fall.

“Your apologies don’t mean anything,” I told him. “They never did

“I know.” He leaned back in his chair, looking utterly defeated. “But I’m going to keep saying them anyway. Because you deserve to hear them. You deserved

better than what I gave you.”

“What I deserve,” I said coldly, is for you to respect my wishes and get the hell out.”

For a long moment, he didn’t move. Just sat there, staring at me with those dark eyes that used to make my heart race-back when I’d been stupid enough to

love him.

Then, slowly, he stood.

“I’ll go,” he said quietly. “But Elena-I’m not leaving the hospital. And I’m not leaving New York.”

“We don’t need your protection.

“Maybe not.” His smile was bitter, self-deprecating. “But you’re getting it anyway. Whether you want it or not.”

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