67

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

GABRIELLE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't see Lucian the next day, and the day after that, and also the day after that until a week went past, He also wasn't receiving any of my calls which was why I had been shocked when I asked Fred about his whereabouts only for him to tell me that Lucian was on a business trip. He had returned only for a short while but was gone even before I could meet him.

It hurt so much, I wouldn't lie about that. I felt as though he didn't care anymore, I wondered if he was even thinking about me as often as I did him or maybe all he could remember was "my betrayal" and he had chosen to forget that I exist.

I have always remained inside the room, feeling too depressed to do anything but cry and feel sorry for myself. I've been trying to eat despite my complete loss of appetite only for the baby's sake but it seemed to me that I had lost some weight. I heaved out a sigh and stared at my reflection, my breasts felt swollen and tender and if I looked closely, I could see a slight curve around my stomach, or maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks on me.

I was starting to brush my hair and getting prepared to go to sleep as usual when I heard the faint sound of voices, the brush nearly slipped from my hand as I practically raced out of the room. I couldn't hold back my disappointment as I reached the study room to discover that it was Devin, Lucian was nowhere in sight, still, I couldn't keep myself from asking.

"Where is he? Didn't he return with you?" He met my gaze briefly as he snatched a file from the desk.

"No." He responded gruffly while my insides were burning for all the details.

"Where is he? I...I mean, how is he? I'm quite worried." I whispered.

"You are? I didn't think you would be. " I didn't expect him to be sarcastic, giving him a good look I noticed the stress lines on his face, he looked like he'd barely gotten a wink of sleep for at least two days.

"Why wouldn't I be? I care about him so of course, I'm worried." I spoke, feeling quite offended, how could he say a thing like that? I decided to push off the feeling, arguing with him was the least important thing right now.

"I want to see Lucian, can you take me to him?"

"He doesn't want to meet you..." He started to say, seeing the way my expression fell, his eyes warmed up a bit. "Or anyone else." He averted.

"I still want to meet him, it's very important. Where is he exactly?"

His eyes were filled with uncertainty. " Honestly, I think it's better if you don't right now that he's upset he made it very clear. " He paused, then added. "Seeing you might trigger him, I don't want you to be hurt and he won't forgive me if you are harmed either."

I huffed a frustrated sigh, I disliked how he talked about Lucian like he was some wild creature on the loose, If Lucian would truly hurt me, he would have done so back then.

"What exactly is wrong with him?" I knew Devin understood exactly what I meant. It was a question that I'd never quite gotten the answer to.

I already made the guess earlier that if anyone would be able to tell me then it was Devin.

"Please tell me, I have the right to know so that I can fully understand him."

A moment passed between us in silence before Devin spoke.

"He was diagnosed with a mild case of Paranoid personality disorder when he was a child, according to his doctors back then, Emotional and physical abuse during his childhood contributed to the development of the disorder especially after the death of his mother, it's been years since he has had an attack, but these days, he seemed to be getting them quite often." I knew that he wasn't intentionally blaming me but I still couldn't control the flood of guilt that clogged my throat. It seemed I was the only person who had hurt and betrayed him times without number.

I have read little about paranoid personality disorder but at least I understood everything much better, like why he had so much mistrust and skepticism and also why he believed I would intentionally want to hurt him. It was all the more reason to meet him, I couldn't allow him to hold on to that belief for any longer.

~~~~~

LUCIAN

I buried myself in work like I've been doing every other day, trying hard to concentrate knowing Devin was standing opposite to me. I had questions to ask him, he returned to the mansion to get some important blueprint I had ordered, he probably saw Brie and I had to refrain from asking about her. Irrational jealousy struck at the thought that he had seen my wife when I had not gotten to. Did they talk to each other? What did they speak about? Did she ask about me?

Why would she? She probably was getting the best moments of her life without me, the wicked voice in my head taunted loudly.

Her betrayal still stung at my heart, even worse, I was grieving that the baby and that connection I thought we had did not exist in the first place. I had felt like the luckiest man on earth when she had confessed that she loved me, who knew that it was all lies that spouted from her mouth?

I closed the documents in my hand and snatched another from the desk.

"How's Loretta? She's not lacking anything, is she?" I read through the document even though I was not understanding a damn thing.

"She wanted to know when you will return since you're not receiving any call from home, As for your wife, she is..."

"I don't remember asking you about her!" My eyes narrowed deeply in a scowl. He nodded and didn't say anything else and I found that made me angrier. He could have at least finished what he had started, now I would have to wonder what he had been about to say, or maybe not.

"Since you already brought her up, what exactly did she say?" I tried to feign disinterested while it took me everything not to force the answers right out of him. I least expected his next words.

"I wanted to tell you that she insisted on coming with me, she's waiting outside the door."

*

*

Thoughts???