The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 85

Gideon looked at her, dropping his usual lofty attitude, and took the initiative to lower his head. “For that night at the banquet, and later on the street, I apologize.”

Nora completely froze.

She slowly turned her head, pulling her gaze away from the exquisite jewelry box to land on Gideon's face.

This was the first time in their three years of marriage that Gideon had spoken to her with such earnestness, and the very first time he had proactively admitted fault and apologized.

In Nora's mind, Gideon was the kind of man who stood far above everyone else, a man who would never admit he was wrong.

She couldn't believe her ears. The perpetually arrogant, unyielding Gideon Hayes was actually extending an olive branch.

Nora looked up. The streetlight outside the window perfectly illuminated the man's eyes, and the usual coldness and mockery were completely absent from his deep gaze.

His eyes were open and honest, completely unwavering. He was serious. He was apologizing for the recent cold war and his brutality at the banquet. He was explicitly telling her that he wouldn't divorce her and that he still acknowledged her as Mrs. Hayes.

“Nora, since we got married, I have no intention of replacing you,” Gideon said, looking straight into her eyes, laying down his absolute bottom line.

“This marriage was arranged by Silas, and I made a promise to him. I refuse to let him rest uneasily. From now on, just quietly fulfill your role as Mrs. Hayes. As long as you don't cross the line, half of everything the Hayes family owns is yours.”

Staring at the man in front of her, Nora felt a sharp, dense ache pierce deep into her heart.

Nora laughed bitterly to herself. She hated this softness in herself. She hated that she wasn't resolute enough, hated that she could never truly be cold and heartless in front of this man.

She looked at Gideon, the fragmented memories of the past ten years flashing through her mind like a cinematic reel.

Honestly speaking, if she stripped away all feelings of love, she couldn't say Gideon had treated her poorly.

He had given her the status of the Hayes family matriarch and the highest tier of material luxury. Throughout their three years of marriage, he had never fooled around outside or indulged in the scandalous vices typical of billionaire heirs.

Even when the Xavier family's business was on the brink of collapse, a few projects he casually handed over were enough to resurrect them from the edge of bankruptcy, preserving all of the Xavier family's dignity.