They say finding your soulmate is supposed to be the happiest moment of your life. And for me, it was... until it all came crashing down. The man I grew up with, the man I had secretly loved since I was a teenager, turned out to be my destined mate. But what I didn't know was that his heart was torn between two women. **Derek Stanford**, heir and future CEO of the **Stanford Enterprises** financial empire, had chosen me... or so I thought. What I never imagined was that he had been secretly having an affair for years with his first love, **Clara Jameson**, a woman as ambitious as she was cunning. The night I caught them together in a luxurious hotel suite, my world came crashing down. How could Derek look me in the eye, promise me a future together, while sharing his nights with someone else? His apologies, his promises, everything rang hollow. Worse yet, he dared to beg me to stay by his side, as if my pain was worthless. And if that wasn't enough, another even darker truth awaited me: my own brother, **Evan**, had known about this betrayal from the beginning. How could he have hidden this from me? Was he Derek's accomplice or simply too cowardly to warn me? Derek claimed that his love for me was sincere, that he had made a mistake, but how could I trust him after all that? Why would he choose to unite me with him when his heart still belonged to Clara? Was it to protect his public image? To cement his position at the top? Now I find myself faced with impossible choices. Should I forgive Derek to preserve the bond I thought was sacred? Or should I turn my back on everything I've ever known and build my life away from his shadow? And the question that haunts me the most: **What if Derek chose me for reasons I don't yet understand? What if Clara had a secret that threatened everything he was trying to protect?** My heart is broken. My future is uncertain. And only one thing is certain: my life will never be the same again.
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
The sound of the waves crashed gently against the rocks as Lila stared at the horizon. The sun was setting, casting a golden light on the sparkling water. This was supposed to be a perfect evening. She had dreamed of this moment ever since she had accepted Derek Stanford's invitation, a man she thought she knew but who always seemed to hide an element of mystery.
Derek had come into her life like a storm, a mixture of charm and danger. They had first met in a crowded city cafe one day when Lila, absorbed in her work, had spilled her coffee on her laptop. Derek, sitting at the next table, had burst out laughing before handing her a tissue. What had followed seemed like something out of a novel. An invitation to dinner, late-night conversations, and a growing sense that their souls were entwined. But now, as they walked side by side on this secluded beach, Lila couldn't ignore a strange tension in the air.
"You're too quiet," she finally said, breaking the calm. Her voice was soft but betrayed a hint of worry.
Derek turned his head to her, a half-smile playing on his lips. His eyes, an icy blue, seemed elsewhere. "Sorry, I was thinking."
She raised an eyebrow. "To what?"
He hesitated, his hands shoved into the pockets of his linen pants. "Our turn."
Lila felt her heart race. Those two words should have brought her comfort, but instead, they awakened an anxiety she couldn't explain. Ever since they'd started dating, Derek had been a walking mystery. He was caring, passionate even, but there were times when he seemed absent, as if a part of him was elsewhere.
"What do you mean?" she asked, stopping, planting her bare feet in the cool sand.
Derek stopped in his turn and turned to her. His face was bathed in light, and Lila couldn't help but think how beautiful he was, almost unreal. But this perfect beauty only reinforced her feeling that he was hiding something from her.
"Lila," he began softly, "you're special to me. You know that, don't you?"
She frowned, confused by the turn of the conversation. "Of course I know. But why are you telling me like you're trying to convince me?"
He looked away, staring out at the ocean as if searching for answers in the vastness. "Sometimes things aren't as simple as you'd like them to be."
She felt a surge of frustration rise inside her. For weeks, Derek had been acting strangely, avoiding certain questions, sometimes disappearing without explanation. And now, this cryptic conversation added an extra layer of confusion.
"Derek, if you have something to tell me, say it clearly. I'm tired of innuendos." Her voice was firmer, filled with a determination she didn't know she was capable of having.
He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture she had never seen from him. Derek Stanford, the confident man, the heir to the powerful Stanford Enterprises empire, suddenly seemed vulnerable.
"It's not easy, Lila," he whispered.
"What's not easy is following you when you refuse to let me into your life. I know almost nothing about you, Derek, not really."
He stared at her, and for a moment she thought she saw a flicker of pain cross his eyes. "It's not because I don't want to. It's because... it's complicated."
She burst out laughing, but there was no joy in the sound. "Complicated? That's a convenient excuse."
Derek took a step forward, his hands reaching for hers. But Lila instinctively stepped back, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Lila..." Her voice was low, almost pleading.
"No, Derek. Not this time. You're asking me to trust you, but you're giving me nothing in return."
He sighed deeply, lowering his head. A long moment of silence passed, interrupted only by the sound of the waves.
"Very well," he said finally, his voice filled with a certain gravity. "You want to know who I really am?"
Lila didn't answer immediately. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he had to say, but she nodded slowly.
Derek took a deep breath, as if he were about to plunge into an abyss. "My father... he's not just the CEO of **Stanford Enterprises**. He controls a part of the business world like a king controls his kingdom. And I'm his heir."
She blinked, puzzled. "So what? I know all that. Why does it make you feel this way?"
"Because," he continued, his voice shaking slightly, "it means my life isn't really my own. Every decision I make is scrutinized, every relationship I have is analyzed. Nothing is left to chance."
Lila felt a shiver run down her spine. She had always known Derek was from a different world, but she had never fully realized how oppressive that world could be.
"So what you're trying to tell me is... we're being analyzed?" she asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice.
He nodded. "Yes. My father... he doesn't always approve of my choices. And sometimes, he... interferes."
She took a step back, shocked. "Interfere? What does that mean, Derek?"
He opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced quickly at the screen, and Lila noticed the slight twitch in his features.
"This is important," he said, pulling out the phone.
She crossed her arms, watching him take a few steps away to answer the call. Frustration was building inside her. She felt ignored, pushed aside, as if her concerns were secondary to her complex world.
When he returned a few minutes later, his face was closed. "I have to go."
Lila felt her heart tighten. "Leave? Like that? In the middle of a conversation?"
"I'm sorry, Lila. It's... an emergency."
She shook her head in disbelief. "An emergency. Sure. You know what, Derek? Do whatever you want. Just don't expect me to continue to accept being relegated to the background."
He tried to hold her back, but she held up a hand to stop him. "No, Derek. Go take care of your emergency. And I'm going to think about what I really want."
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away. Tears threatened to fall, but she held them back, refusing to show her vulnerability.
Behind her, Derek stood still, watching her shadow disappear into the gathering night. Part of him wanted to run after her, explain everything to her, but he knew he couldn't. Not yet. Not without risking losing her for good.
Other books by Max's Story
More