When They Beg I Rise (Lemira) novel Chapter 963

Lemira glared at him, trembling with so much rage she wanted to rip him to shreds.

Orion’s expression was agonizingly tight. "Yes. I was that greedy."

If he hadn't been so selfish, if he hadn't been paralyzed by the terrifying thought of losing her, he would have told her the truth ages ago.

But he couldn't find the courage, dragging the lie out until it shattered in his face.

He had waited until the choice was violently ripped away from him.

Lemira slapped him again. Just like before, he took the hit without flinching.

Orion gently caught her stinging hand. "If hitting me makes you feel better, do whatever you want. I'd give you my life if you asked for it."

Looking at his strikingly handsome face so close to hers, she wrenched her gaze away. "I don't want your life. It means nothing to me. You stood there and watched my parents die, didn't you?"

The words tore from Orion's throat, thick with agony. "I'm so sorry."

"If apologies actually fixed anything, we wouldn't need the police. Did you orchestrate this whole relationship just to earn my forgiveness so the Everhart family would get off the hook?"

She stared at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

Every tear, every venomous word was a blade twisting brutally in his chest.

Seeing her on the verge of breaking, whatever possessive anger he had felt completely evaporated.

He gripped her shoulders, his touch utterly defeated. "I know how angry you are. But I didn't get close to you just to secure your forgiveness. I only ever wanted to make things right for you."

"That's because you planned on keeping the truth buried forever! You never expected me to dig it up on my own!"

Lemira was lashing out, weaponizing every ounce of her pain to keep him at a distance.

A spark of hurt flashed in Orion's eyes. "Is that really what you think of me?"

"You committed the crime, but you can't handle the accusation?"

She threw the words like daggers. "You watched me desperately search for the truth. You knew I was hunting for the people in that car, and you stood by and said absolutely nothing. Why did you even pull me out of the wreckage in the first place?"

Orion froze, his breath hitching. "You remember what happened?"

A bitter, mocking laugh escaped her lips. "Are you scared?"

Until that horrific night. Watching innocent people die while a little girl sobbed hysterically in his arms had scarred him completely, plunging him into years of inescapable nightmares.

She had lived in his heart ever since. He could never let her go.

That was why he had finally sought her out when she grew up—just to see if she was okay, to see if there was any way he could protect her.

But the moment he got close to her, he lost complete control of his own heart.

Lemira slowly reached up, her fingertips grazing his jaw. "If I had the choice, I wish I had never met you. I wish you had never saved my life."

Desperate for her touch, Orion leaned into her palm, but she coldly snatched her hand away.

His chest went entirely hollow.

She angrily swiped at her tears. "The second I found out you were in that car, Orion, you should have known this was over."

"You know what my mother is like, Lemira. Mrs. Amelia manipulated her. Amanda had no idea what she was doing."

"But the Everhart family was happy to help cover it up, weren't they? They erased your involvement. And they certainly enjoyed the massive profits from the Sinclair family's projects afterward, didn't they?"