The Otherside Of Love || Sadistic Billionaire

Natalie’s POV

I felt like I had difficulty understanding right now.

With a frown, I stammered, “Wh… What do you mean?”

He smiled patiently and replied apologetically, “I’m sorry, Natalie. I should have told you earlier.”

“My father is alive? Where is he? Where does he live?” Questions flooded my mind like a rushing river, as I knew nothing about him. Mum never mentioned him, and on the rare occasions she did, it was only after I insisted and cried for her to tell me. All she would say was that he wasn’t a good man, not someone I should be proud to know, and that he didn’t deserve me. He didn’t even know I existed!

“Yes, he is. But he’s living in an addiction treatment clinic. He married once after your mother left him, but his second wife dumped him for the same reason-his addiction,” he mumbled, sadness all over his face.

I opened my mouth slightly, trying to digest the heavy information I had just learned.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Maya patting Daniel’s shoulder, as if she was encouraging him.

“And how do you know all of this?” I questioned him, my voice filled with suspicion.

With a sad smile and a guilty expression, he confessed, “He’s my uncle. I’m his nephew.”

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t blink. I couldn’t close my open mouth. I couldn’t hear anything else happening around us.

I read the honesty in Daniel’s eyes. He was telling the truth. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and, with a trembling voice, I countered, “You’re his nephew? You’re French? Then my father is a Frenchman?” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement as reality hit me.

“Yes!” That was all he said, locking eyes with mine.

I grabbed the glass of water and swallowed its contents in one gulp.

“I can’t believe this!” I exclaimed, slamming the glass down on the table. I was French? Had I not been who I thought I was all this time? This was hard to believe.

“I know. I really know it’s hard to believe,” he said, pulling a small box from his pocket and placing it on the table before me. “This is a hair from my uncle, Albert’s, head. You can do a DNA test. You can even go to the clinic yourself, ask for a blood sample from him, and do the test.”

I opened the small box and found three or four blond hair strands inside. My hair was blond too. My mother had always told me that I inherited nothing from my father except the color and the beautiful thickness of his hair.

I covered my face with my hands, struggling to process my emotions. Was it normal to feel nothing at a moment like this?

I felt warm, soft hands wrapping around my shoulders, and Maya’s gentle voice saying, “Take your time, dear. No one is forcing you on anything here.”

I frowned, raising my head to look at Daniel. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I inquired.

Daniel sighed. “I preferred to let you get to know me better before revealing anything to you.”

Feeling nauseous, I pressed my thumb between my brows and muttered, “I’m sorry, guys. I need to go. I’m not feeling well. I need to be alone for a while.”

“I understand this new information is overwhelming, and you need some private time to think, but I do need to know what you’ve decided regarding Debbie’s plans,” Daniel said gently.

I gazed into his eyes, a realization dawning upon me. For the first time in my life, I admitted to myself that I lacked experience. My mother, and then my stepfather, had sheltered me to the point where I had lived a sheltered life. I had never faced the kinds of challenges and hardships that most people experience.

I hadn’t suspected Daniel’s intentions towards me at all. But why had I trusted him so easily? Even though he didn’t intend to harm me, he was still approaching me with his own intentions.

I placed my hand on my abdomen beneath the table, silently promising the life growing inside me that I would change. I would become stronger to protect us both.

I smiled a small, reassuring smile, concealing the frustration and sorrow I was feeling. “I’m going to expose her scheme,” I said firmly.

“I’ll go with you,” he declared promptly, without a second thought.

I refused sharply and decisively. “Of course not! I have to make her think that I trust her. If she saw you, she wouldn’t expose her plans,” I explained firmly.

“But you can’t go into the snake pit all alone without any backup!” Daniel protested, concern evident in his voice.

I checked my phone as its screen lit up, revealing a message that popped up. “Didn’t that damn dinner end yet?”

It was from Rafael.

Maya supported Daniel’s protestation. “Let him help you, Natalie,” she urged. “The case, as Daniel told me, is very complicated and dangerous.”

The feeling of nausea intensified inside me to an unbearable level.

“Sorry, I need to use the bathroom,” I said, quickly excusing myself as I headed towards the door marked with a women’s restroom sign.

I rushed inside and emptied the contents of my stomach, the sweat covering my forehead as I leaned over the sink. A wave of sadness washed over me, and I felt the urge to cry. I wanted to cry so badly. Wiping away the tears that formed in my eyes, I managed a sad smile at my reflection in the mirror.

“Sadistic husband. Secret marriage to a stepbrother. Addicted father. Unwanted pregnancy… What else is hidden in my fate?” I whispered to myself, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of my circumstances. “I have to face all of this, starting with my marital status.”

I returned to the table where I had left Daniel and Maya. The atmosphere was still tense, heavy with unspoken emotions.

I grabbed my handbag and forced a smile. “I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” I said to Daniel. Then, turning to Maya, I mumbled, “It was nice meeting you, Maya. I hope we meet again soon.”

Daniel offered to drive me home, but I insisted on taking a cab. All the way home, I was absent-minded, lost in my thoughts. I didn’t even notice when the car stopped in front of the Merrin mansion until the driver said, “Ma’am, we’ve arrived.”

I paid the driver and stepped out of the car. The mansion was enveloped in silence, indicating that Grandma and Aunt Tobi were likely tired and had already fallen asleep.

I was walking through the dimly lit corridor between the rooms when suddenly, a large hand grabbed me and pulled me into a darkened room. Before I could react, I was engulfed in a fierce kiss.

His scent enveloped me, making me feel a sense of belonging and safety that I hadn’t realized I was craving.

It was a fierce, almost cruel kiss, and I returned it with equal intensity. I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling him closer, and gripped his head tightly. In that kiss, I poured out all my frustration and pent-up emotions.

Rafael deftly shut the door with his foot, his hands working to remove my shirt. Despite my lingering frustration with him over Debbie’s answering his phone, I couldn’t deny the overwhelming need I felt for him this night. I wanted him more than anything.

But..

I want to be the master this time, not the slave.

I wanted to be the one in control this time, not the one being controlled.

I wanted to feel like I was in control of something in my life, even if it was just a small thing like this between us.

But instead of telling him so, I said with determination, “You told me you want to announce our marriage to the world when I am ready.”

He paused in his movements, his gaze locking with mine.This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

“I want you to announce our marriage!” I declared firmly, my voice leaving no room for doubt.