Her Forbidden Billionaire

Chapter 8

“Go! Out of my room!” Dean furiously yelled showing her the door. However, the woman seemed resolute not to leave. She still wore the grin on her face and it was getting only wider.

“Dean? Who is this woman?” Raina asked at the edge of her nerves. She desperately wanted to find out what was going on.

“Huh! Tell her, Dean! Tell her who I am! It seems that you have forgotten me quickly but oh, what a replacement you have found. A…”

“Don’t even think about saying a word about Raina! You have a problem with me. Leave her out of this!” Dean addressed Sally making Raina’s blood boil even more. Why wasn’t anyone telling her the truth?

“That’s where you are wrong, Dean! Now my problem is with both of you!” Sally turned to Raina then. “I am his ex-girlfriend, doll! The one he banged in his apartment only a few months back!”

As if shot right on the spot, Raina froze in her tracks. She had suspected that from the moment the woman had entered, but still hearing it in such a rude way completely tore her out of her quiet zone. “At least now it’s clear why you are the ex!” Raina knew that she was going low with her words, but that woman was going even lower with the cheap attacks she was throwing at her and Dean.

“Dear, don’t bother with her.” Dean addressed Raina in a calm tone and then returned his angry gaze to Sally. “And you! Stay away from us!”

“Give me the money and I promise I will get lost! Otherwise, everything I saw and heard here will be the gossip of the year once I publish it in every daily newspaper and magazine!” Sally said.

“No one will believe you! The words of a lunatic against the CEO of Franklin Inc.” Dean replied.

“Is that so? Oh, you have not changed a bit, Dean! Always hiding behind the company and your family name. But I have. I have proof of what I am saying. A sexy, juicy, scandalous photo of that same CEO kissing a woman no one knows about in his hotel room! Huh… What do you say about that?” Sally waved her phone before Dean’s face and he frowned.

They had made a terrible mistake and Raina knew it all too well. Maybe she truly was only trouble for Dean. Maybe their love was truly never meant to be. First his father and her mother trying to separate them and preserve the family reputation, then all the pretending and she standing all alone in the hall full of people without being able to hug her man publicly and congratulate him on the award and finally the appearance of that bloody woman threatening to expose them. Everything in a flash became too much to bear and Raina was not sure that she could stay there a second more. Without a word, she angrily grabbed her purse and stormed past Dean and Sally, leaving the hotel room.

“Raina! Raina wait!” She heard Dean shouting behind her, but it was already too late. She had already climbed in the elevator and now reached the first floor. Although she knew that Dean had no guilt. That he did everything he could to keep their love, Raina was not so sure that it would work that way anymore. It seemed that his actions were in vain and were only separating them even further. That’s why Raina decided that it was better to exit the chaos before the bomb exploded and a bunch of people got hurt. After all, without her in all that mess, Dean wouldn’t be forced to do stuff he despised such as pleasing his ex or his dad.

In no time she arrived to her own smaller apartment and locked herself in her room, ignoring Veronica’s questions and shouts. She threw herself on the bed and buried her head in the pillow. Finally, her chest began shaking in a loud sob that was so eagerly waiting to escape her body, but she held it trapped all the time since leaving Dean’s hotel. Tear after tear, every sorrow and pain poured over the white pillow case. Every word her mother had said. Every insult. Every shame for things she hadn’t done. They made her feel guilty only for loving a man unconditionally. A man that to everyone else seemed forbidden, but not to her and her sincere heart. Why was destiny so cruel to her? When she found the right person she wanted to spend her whole life with, it had to separate them.

“Raina? Girl what’s up? Let me in!” Veronica didn’t give up, shouting and knocking on the door of her bedroom. She was always there in Raina’s hardest moments, but this time it was different. This time her life completely fell apart and she had to be the one to tear the last brick down and cut away all connections to Dean Franklin. It was better for everyone, mostly for himself, if they didn’t see each other again. That’s why the decision was only Raina’s to make.

“Go away, Veronica! I need to be alone! Please…” She yelled between sobs and her best friend shut up leaving her in utter silence. She cried and cried until all her bones ached and she noticed that her phone hadn’t stopped ringing for a who-knew-how-long time. It was surely Dean and she wasn’t ready to tell him the news, yet. Not just yet.

Lifting her head a bit, she felt a sharp pain blinding her eyes. She must have spent hours lying buried in the sheets. And it was already twilight outside, so she rubbed her temples and went to close the windows. The room was cool already and she shivered under her clothes. Sniffing, she wiped her face and sat on the edge of her bed to compose herself. Life had to go on with or without her being happy in it. Just when she was about to stand up, she heard knocks on the door.

“Raina, you there?” It was Veronica’s worried voice.

“Enter, V!” She replied rising on her feet and turning the key in the hole of the door to unlock it.

A second later, she found herself in Veronica’s tight hug, but she had no more tears left to shed. “It’s over. Everything is over,” she said seriously as her best friend patted her back. It seemed that she understood what Raina was talking about.

“Come! Let’s have a drink!” Veronica said and Raina nodded, letting her friend lead her out of there and into the living room. As soon as she stepped inside, though, her whole body froze at the sight of the owner of her heart.

“Raina, honey! Why did you run away from me like that?” He worryingly asked, approaching her. However, Raina moved slightly backwards.

“I had to let him in. He was pounding on the door like crazy and yelling. I…” Veronica tried to explain while Raina nodded. “I will leave you two to talk!” Veronica added and retreated to the kitchen.

“Raina?” Dean tried again, but Raina only lowered her head.

“I… I don’t know how to tell you this, Dean… I was thinking a lot about everything. About our situation and all the people we hurt while being together, mostly ourselves and… I…” She spoke quietly observing him reaching for her chin and lifting it up so that her eyes faced his. They were dark and huge as always, only now they were glassy, too. That made her heart clench.

“Do you love me?” He asked at once.

She remained silent while tears were welling in her eyes again.

“Do you? Look at me and tell me… Do you love me?” He increased his tone taking hold of her hands.

She wanted to scream the truth as loud as her lungs could handle, but it all ended in a sigh. Without moving her gaze from his, she knew that he could see everything reflected in her eyes so she gave in and nodded. “Yes… I can’t lie to you. But sometimes…”