The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 238

His movements abruptly halted.

That date was Nora's birthday.

Gideon leaned back into his heavy leather chair. Staring at the number on the screen, his brow furrowed, a rare flash of frustration and hesitation crossing his dark eyes.

For the past few months, almost every single ounce of his energy had been monopolized by Giselle's upcoming birthday party, which was still three months away.

To ensure Giselle had the most spectacular, headline-dominating gala in The Metropolis, he had personally reviewed proposals from over a dozen top-tier PR firms and secured an outrageously expensive venue.

Approvals for customized fireworks, flight routes for imported European roses, and the finalized VIP guest list—every single detail required his personal signature.

He had poured every drop of favoritism and indulgence a brother could muster into a party that was still entirely in the planning stages.

He had completely forgotten that his actual wife's birthday was two months before Giselle's.

A sudden, entirely foreign wave of guilt crept up his rigid spine.

In their three years of marriage, he had never personally planned a single anniversary or birthday for Nora.

Whenever the date approached, he would simply order his assistant to pick up something expensive and beautifully wrapped from a luxury boutique, send it to the house, and cut a massive check. As far as he was concerned, that was the absolute limit of his duties as a husband.

Liam would visit the designer stores, select the newest limited-edition handbag or a wildly overpriced high-jewelry necklace, and have it delivered directly into Nora's hands.

Today, in the bedroom at her parents' house, the way she looked at him was devoid of any warmth—only coldness and defense. When he reached out to comfort her, she had yanked her arm away as if he were toxic, her eyes completely filled with raw rejection.

Gideon opened his eyes, forcing his gaze back to the schedule.

He couldn't just brush it off like previous years. The Xavier family was currently struggling, and Nora had just been humiliated by Julian.

As the head of the Hayes family and as her husband, he owed her some dignity right now. It was the least he could do to compensate her for being forced to draft that necklace.

He handed the tablet back to Liam, his voice dropping into a commanding baseline.

"Clear my schedule for tomorrow morning. I'm going to The Grand Plaza."