Craved by the Wrong Volkov-Chapter 203: Don’t say you love me

Braelyn’s POV

"Fine Lynn." He accepted.

"You won...happy." he laughed out. "I am jealous. I can’t stand it. So, please, I am begging you: let’s end this madness. I don’t want to share you with anyone. "

My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him in disbelief.

The words hung in the air like smoke after a gunshot.

"I don’t want this open marriage again."

Raphael’s voice cracked on the last word, raw and ragged, like he’d been holding it in for too long. His chest rose and fell hard, blood still smeared at the corner of his mouth from my slap. His eyes locked on mine like I was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

I couldn’t breathe.

"I can’t Braelyn. You freaking won. You wanted me to lose my mind, I have." He admitted reaching forward to touch me. "I have lost it. I don’t care about the open marriage or the inheritance, I just want my wife back." He said like a man who lost everything and is trying desperately to get it back

Maybe that was the truth.

"You don’t get to.." Lucien was about to retort. I knew whatever he was about to say would add more heat to this mess.

I raised my hand, stopping him halfway. "Lucien.." I calmly said, and he clamped his mouth.

Lucien went still beside me. I turned back to Raphael, unable to process this. I remembered how many days I dreamed and wished he would say those words. Say he chooses me, but now it feels more like a trap than a reward.

"You don’t get to say that." I said quietly, "You don’t toss me and get to have me as you please." I said, my words came out weaker than intended.

"I know," he quietly admitted. " I fucked up." Raphael said slowly, I could feel Lucien tense up more. He was itching to hit Raphael.

Raphael took a step closer, his hands were shaking at his sides. "I thought I could handle it," he said, quieter now. "Thought I could watch you with him, thought I could pretend it didn’t kill me every time you smiled at him the way you used to smile at me. But I can’t."

His gaze dropped to the floor for a second, then came back up, burning. "I hate him. I hate that he touches you. I hate that you let him. I hate that I stood there and watched like some pathetic coward because I thought... I hate myself more for letting this all happen."

"Don’t let him fool you, Braelyn," Raphael said quietly.

A bitter laugh escaped him. "Don’t let him fool me.." I repeated

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My heart was slamming against my ribs so hard I thought it might break them.

Lucien shifted, he could not hold it in again. His voice was low and dangerous. "You don’t get to rewrite history now, Raphael. You opened the door. You told her to do whatever she wanted."

Raphael’s eyes flicked to him, venom in the look. "And you took it. Every damn inch of it."

I stepped between them before fists could fly again. "Enough."

Both of them looked at me, Lucien tense, ready to lunge, Raphael breathing like he’d run a marathon.

"Lynn, please let him leave. This is between the two of us. Let’s talk. " he pleaded.

"Don’t let him brainwash you. " Lucien immediately interjected feeling threatened.

I shook my head and my entire body was trembling. My voice was quiet, almost like a whisper, as I spoke. "I need to talk to him. Alone."

His jaw clenched. "Viper.." he called..

I shook my head, standing my ground." Please leave. I will be fine." I said despite not believing my own words.

For a second I thought he’d refuse. Then he gave a sharp nod, eyes never leaving Raphael. "Fine..if things go sideways, call me," he says.

He walked past, shoulder brushing Raphael’s deliberately. The air crackled. Lucien walked towards his car, his gaze lingered on me. His hesitation was apparent. He kicked his tyre before stepping into the car and angrily driving off.

He left the villa, but I was certain he didn’t go far.

Then it was just us. The air suddenly felt heavier than it should.

Raphael looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time in years. "Lynn..."

"Don’t," I said, voice shaking. "Don’t call me that."

He flinched.

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly freezing. "You don’t get to do this now. Not after everything. You don’t get to decide you want me back because you hate seeing me with him."

"I never stopped wanting you," he said, hoarse. "I just... I thought..." he stopped then laughed.

"I thought I could protect you from this mess." He said again. The same thing he had been saying over and over again. Protect me.

He hurt me too much to say those words. You don’t hurt those you want to protect. Tears burned behind my eyes. I hated them. Hated him. I hated how much it still hurt.

"You broke me, Raphael. You let Amelia walk all over me. You watched. You let her humiliate me in front of everyone. You let her make me feel like I was nothing."

His face crumpled. "I know."

"You let her sleep in our bed. You let her wear my clothes. You let her act like she was the wife and I was the mistake."

Each word felt like tearing open a wound that had barely scabbed.

"I am sorry. I am really sorry" he repeated. "I thought I could protect you."

"Protect me? from what, Rapheal?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The security lingering around gave us space the moment Lucien left.

"Protect you from them...protect you from him and the rest." He burst out leaving me more confused.

"You thought wrong." I snapped. "What you are saying doesn’t make sense.."

"What exactly are you protecting me from?"

"Why can’t we really get divorced?" I asked Raphael and something flickered across his gaze. He said he could never marry Amelia. Both Dominic’s and Gregor’s will tried everything to keep up together.

Raphael knew something he wasn’t telling me.

"Don’t bloody tell me it is just because of the will, I know it is something else." I stared him down.

"It was to protect you, but I failed." He said quietly. I was right but he still wasn’t willing to tell me.

Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

"Then make me understand..." I took a shaky breath. " Although I don’t know if I can ever forgive you, I am tired of staying in the dark."

He nodded once like he already knew. "It’s complicated, Lynn, and better you don’t know," he said. After everything he still wasn’t ready to tell me.

I laughed at this infuriating man I hated with all my guts but my heart truly couldn’t forget him.

"Then we have nothing to say until you are ready to make things less complicated. " His head bobbed up, complex emotions danced across his gaze.

"I need time."

"I don’t have time Rapheal. " I spat back, trying my best not to crumble. "The car keys. " I demanded.

He was stunned but hesitantly released the keys. I grip it tightly. "I hate you Raphael. " I said.

His eyes closed, as if the words physically hurt.

I stepped back, putting space between us. "This means nothing, Raphael, until you are ready to speak, and don’t you dare touch Lucien again."

I turned away, walking towards the car he drove in

"Braelyn."

I paused.

"I love you," he said, quiet and broken. "I never stopped."

I didn’t answer. I just walked toward the car and drove off