CHAPTER 32

Lucius’s POV.

I stepped out of the car and slammed the door to the passenger's seat harder than I thought I could, leaving Dominick behind as I marched into the hotel building. I tried my best to calm my burning rage, but it felt so hard. Extremely hard now that I'd begun to experience the emotional side of me.

All because of Anna. Since she came, I'd barely been able to get myself well and control my emotions. Somehow, it felt like she was bad for me. I was losing the side of me that I needed most to stay sane.

A few people turned my way while I headed into the elevator with a face the opposite of friendly and I didn't bother acknowledging their looks. I wasn't feeling enthusiastic about the honeymoon any longer and inwardly, I scolded myself about bothering to plan it in the first place.

Everything was suddenly not heading in the direction I planned it, anymore, but what I hated the most was losing. Matias was starting a war. I could feel it and I was very much prepared for it. It wasn't the first or last time he would be trying such stunts. I was already used to such schemes of his.

My phone pinged in my pocket, but I didn't pick it up. Currently, I was more concerned about other things. I scanned my card to unlock the door and entered the hotel room. Everywhere was quiet except for a particular noise coming from the direction of the bedroom. Which I followed. And there she was sitting on the bed in front of the TV.

I tried to observe her face for any expression to show that she cared about my arrival, but there was none. Her face looked bland. As if she'd forgotten totally about the honeymoon and she wanted nothing more than for me to leave her side. Which was disappointing to think about.

Deliberately, I went ahead and stood in between her view and the television to catch her attention and draw it fully to myself. Which I successfully did. She looked at me and finally, she spoke words that were directed at me.

"Bad meeting, I suppose. Why? They found out you have a wife at home?" She said, her voice tainted with a little bit of spite and mockery.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

I could get that she was annoyed about something, which I just couldn't tell what it was but I certainly wasn't expecting that and I began to reason in a different direction rather than choosing not to reason at all.

"What I mean, Lucius, is that I know you weren't out on any meeting. I just happened to see a message from the slut you've been fooling around with, while you have a wife."

Then it clicked, she must have read my conversation with Juliana and of course she couldn't see past the fact that I had sex with her. I didn't blame her, who would understand at first glance why I did such a thing, on our honeymoon?

The thought that I even allowed myself to be in such a situation, allowing a girl like Juliana to trick me into doing something so cruel to her made my blood boil. I had no one but myself to blame. Every time, I allowed somebody to rope me into doing something completely against my will. Furstenberg my parents, my uncle, and literally everyone else who thought they had some hold on me. And I was their puppet.

All the built-up anger I spent years trying to detain, rose up again and I knew the more I stayed, the more things could get worse than it already was for me.

Rather than answering her question, I turned around and walked out of the bedroom. All I could think of was finding a way to hold myself back, again and regain my sanity.

Zzzzzzzzzz.

I strode back into the room, the lights were off.  No sound of the TV, was she sleeping? I wondered. I made my way to the room, while turning on some lights along the way. I got to the room and realized she wasn't there. I searched everywhere and couldn't find her. Had she run away? Did she decide she was fed up with me and decided to leave? But where would she go? It's so dangerous out there.

I began to pace around the room, my hands were shaking as the rush of worry washed over me.

I thought about calling the front desk to ask if they knew where she was, but then on second thoughts, I decided to go down myself.

I stood in front of the door, ready to open it, but it opened from the other side.  Her eyes grew wide in shock as she saw me. Then quickly, her anger was shown clearly on her face. She was mad at me. But I was more mad that she wandered off without letting me know. I was so worried.

I looked down at her hands and saw that she was carrying shopping bags. I smiled inwardly. So she went shopping.

I moved my hands in a bid to help her carry her bags but she sidestepped me and entered the room. I took in a deep breath. Of course she wouldn't let me help her. I didn't want to force anything on her.

I thought about the date I arranged, but she looked so tired, jt would be cruel to drag her out on a date.

I closed the door and followed her in. She strode lazily into the bathroom, and after a while, I heard the sound of water. I looked around the room with nothing else to do.  I decided to sit on the bed and wait for her to finish taking her bath.

After a while, she stepped out, while tying a towel around her petite frame. Looking at her reminded me of the time we had sex, her petite body writhing under me, it caused me to salivate. I had to calm down, this was no time to even think about that.

"Anna. Come here." I ordered. But I was careful to lower my voice when I did, it wouldn't go so well if I was controlling her while trying to apologize.

She stood and watched me for a while, contemplating ig she should even come near me. She finally made up her mind and moved closer to me.

"I apologize for leaving the room earlier without offering you a word of explanation. I actually had a date planned, to explain myself and what you saw. But I can tell you're really tired. Would still go out with me?"

"No. You are right, I am tired. Touring through Paris alone is exhausting. Whatever it is you have to say, feel free to say it here."

I swallowed, this was going to be hard.

"I know what you saw and I'm not going to deny it. I apologize for what I did. I won't give you any excuses, but it was never my intention to hurt you. It was a situation that led me to think I was the what was best and I allowed myself to be lured into a trap. I am sincerely sorry Anna."

"And for the time I left the room, it was because I had an urgent matter to attend to, which had absolutely nothing to do with her. I can't disclose the situation to you just yet, but I promise it is under control. I promise to make it up to you,"

There was my half-assed apology. I was never good with that stuff. I was trained to take whatever I wanted whenever I wanted never feeling the need to be sorry for anything. But she was different, she was special to me, at this point, I'd do anything to gain her forgiveness no matter how long it may take. I only wished I had not completely broken something I'd been working hard to earn. I looked into her eyes, hoping to see a familiar expression, a warm smile or something but there was none.

I waited for her. I watched as she looked at me, searching my eyes to see if I was being honest. Her face held many expressions, but the distinctive one was hurt. She was clearly hurt by my actions, I hated myself. Right there I could feel how horrible I was to her.

She stood there for a while and as if she made a decision, she turned away from me. Like earlier, she didn't say anything to me. She simply walked over to her side of the bed and lay down.

I stared at her, hoping she would turn around to look at me one more time. After a while, it was clear she had nothing o say to me. I stood up, unable to bear seeing her that way.

I picked up a pillow and left the room. Maybe giving her some space was the better idea.