Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 575

SCARLETT

"I cannot afford the luxury of falling in love with you, Sparrow. I am sorry."

Sparrow stared at me, a flicker of raw hurt crossing his features before it was masked by a bitter, jagged smile.

"You cannot afford to love me, Scarlett? And why is that?"

His gaze was so intense that I felt exposed, as if he were reading the very thoughts I tried to hide. I turned my face away, unable to meet his eyes. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me." His voice had dropped to a low, vibrating whisper. When I finally risked a glance back at him, the pain etched into his expression made a knot tighten in my chest, stealing the air from my lungs.

I stayed silent, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. He waited, the silence stretching between us until he finally spoke. "Do you find me so unworthy that you think I don't even deserve the courtesy of an explanation?"

I shook my head immediately. "No, no, that's not it, Sparrow."

"Then out with it!" He snapped, his temper flaring suddenly. "My patience is running dangerously thin, Scarlett. Tell me the truth right now, otherwise, I will walk out of this office and nothing you ever say to me again will be worth my attention. Even if you are dying."

I swallowed hard, lowering my head as I struggled to find the words. "I... I... Umm..."

"Look at me when you speak." His voice shifted again, turning low and commanding, as though the angry man from a moment ago had vanished.

I forced myself to meet his eyes. "There are many reasons why I cannot afford to fall in love with you."

"Then start with the first. I have all the time in the world," he urged.

I nodded slowly. "Okay. It might not make any sense to you, but there is something... or rather, someone who takes priority in my heart. Until I fulfill my obligations to her, how can I claim to be in love with someone else? It wouldn't be fair to you, would it? To know that while I am with you, someone else is a priority in my heart?"

"This someone else," Sparrow's voice took on a sharp, possessive edge. "Is it Tasha?"

"What if I make it my obligation then?" He cut me off, his voice ringing with absolute authority.

I furrowed my brows. "What do you mean by that?"

"From this moment on, Tasha becomes my responsibility."

I shook my head. "No, you don't have to do that..."

"Listen to me." He stepped closer, his presence a warm weight. "Dominic's wedding is in two weeks. I have intense preparations to handle. But the second that wedding is over, I will hunt Bryan down. I do not care where he is hiding or how deep his hole is. I will hunt him to the ends of the earth, and I will kill him with my own hands."

I stared at him, the sheer certainty in his voice leaving me breathless.

"Then, I will end the contract that binds us all together. Tasha will be free. I will give her any amount of money she needs. No matter which country she chooses to live in, or what she decides to do with her life, as long as you approve of it, I will support her. I will provide her with the best security in the world to ensure she is protected and happy. Even if she wants to find a good man and start a real family, I will make it happen. I will take your burden and make it my own, and I will see to it that every single wish you have for her is granted."