Chapter 22
Evelyn didn’t know how long she stood in the middle of the room like an idiot but when she wiped her eyes the final time, sunlight was already filtering into her room. She had shed enough tears over this man. He was so inconsiderate. What sort of person got rid of a car as if he was throwing away rubbish?
She threw the sheet back onto the bed before she walked to the ensuite. The room was still a little steamy from Roman’s shower and his subtle but expensive cologne still lingered in the air. She fought the urge to take in deep breaths but failed miserably. Roman always smelled so good. She would miss that warm scent with hints of sandalwood when she finally left him, even if he was such a controlling ass.
Last night she had been prepared to enjoy their last moments together as much as possible but after this conversation, she wasn’t sure she could.
She remembered the time her mother had worked to get her that second-hand car. Second-hand was putting it mildly, the old car had been through several owners before she’d got her hands on it. She and her dad had been worried sick about the long hours she had been working in all her jobs. It had been incredibly hard for her to balance her less hectic schedule working at a busy fashion retailer and then coming home to take care of her father so her mother could just rest when she got home.
And then one Saturday just before she had gone off to university, her mother had called her outside with a huge smile on her face. When she had shown her that old blue car with the shiny pink bow on the bonnet, her heart had melted. Once again her mother had put her above everyone else. That car was her pride and joy because it would always be a symbol of her mother's love for her. It was old but it was priceless.
But a man like Roman wouldn’t understand that. He didn’t have a sentimental bone in his body. Not everything was about money. Not everything could be bought.
By the time she’d showered and washed her hair she’d thought of a million different things she would do to him if he really had got rid of her car, and quickly dismissed all of them.
What could she do to him? He was filthy rich and could shut her up instantly the moment she caused any trouble. And that was the reason it had been foolish to fall in love with him in the first place. They were from two different worlds, and she would never survive a day in his.
Once she had wrapped a towel around her hair and put some fresh clothes on, she walked out of the bedroom. She was curious to see what Roman had left for her but she was dreading it, too. Though Roman had filled this house and her closet with expensive things, he never gave her presents because it was against his rules. This envelope probably contained all the money and bank cards that he had told her he would bring back. She would return it as it was the day she left.
The big envelope was on the sideboard in the entranceway, so she picked it up and headed to the kitchen to put the coffee maker on. While she waited for it to brew and decided what to make for breakfast, she looked at the envelope with her full name on the front in his bold handwriting. Miss Evelyn Bright. How did someone sleep with someone every week for over a year and still remain so formal? Like with his rules, he always showed his boundaries with his actions and words.
It was only when she had eaten and was on her second cup of coffee that she finally opened it. It wasn’t money. She frowned as she emptied the paperwork onto the kitchen island. It was all information about her nursing degree and schedules. Why would Roman have the details of her course? Nothing made sense until she saw the letter from the university admissions. The rest of her degree had been paid for anonymously. She didn’t need to apply for student loans.
She didn’t read anything else as the letter dropped from her fingers.
Roman had gone ahead and arranged her life anyway after she had asked him not to. This was asserting his control on a whole different level. It was one thing to do that in this house but out there? In the real world?
Her mind was numb when she pushed herself away from the kitchen island and took a step back from the offending paperwork.
Anyone else would have been ecstatic to not have to pay back any student loans, and maybe after the shock wore off, she would be grateful. But Roman had just shown her that he didn’t value her opinion at all. He had shown her that he could do whatever he wanted whether she liked it or not.
He was tangling himself in the part of her life that was not supposed to include him. How would she ever explain this to her parents?
What if someone from the admissions office put two and two together? She would be paranoid for the next few years that someone would guess who had paid her tuition. Roman was the one who insisted on keeping their arrangement a secret but she didn’t want anyone to find out and judge her, either.
The man wouldn’t even be seen in public with her, for fuck’s sake! He kept her hidden because he was ashamed of her so why had he done this?
She left the papers where they were and started to head back to her room. She couldn’t accept what he had done.
Before she had even taken a step up the stairs, her doorbell rang, reminding her of the other thing he had done. And sure enough, a man with another big envelope stood on the other side of the door.
“Miss Bright?” he asked.
She couldn’t answer him. On the driveway behind him was the latest SUV model of a car she would never own in her lifetime. It was big and beautiful. Her fingers tingled with the need to touch it to see if it was real. A dream car that was supposed to remain a dream.
Where the hell was she supposed to drive that? Was he crazy? Now that car would give everything away the moment anyone she knew saw her driving it.
“Miss Bright?” the man repeated.
She pulled her attention back to the man with great difficulty. But she knew what she had to do.
“No, sorry. You have the wrong house.”
She closed the door in his face and stood there for a few minutes before she turned towards the stairs. Brendan was picking her up soon so at least she would be among her own people. Not this weird dream world where she drove an expensive car and didn’t have student loans. Thursday couldn’t come quick enough because she really needed to sign that contract so she could give her notice and leave Roman in his big, expensive world.