Chapter 1857


    Yulia''s lips quivered as she shook her head, her eyes widened with fear and helplessness. "What


    do you even want?" she stammered.


    Nathan looked at her with a cold detachment. "The question is, what do you want, Yulia? You


    wanted this marriage, pulled every trick in the book to get it. You called the shots in the beginning,


    but when it ends, that''s not your call. If you''re nning on going head-to-head with me, by all


    means, let''s see who''s tougher."


    "So what are you saying? That I''m stuck with you until you''re bored? I can''t ever bring up divorce?"


    "You can bring it up, and I might agree, as long as you leave Anya with me."


    "You know I''ll never give up Anya!"


    A smirk crept onto Nathan''s face. "Who knows? Maybe Ronald and his shares are worth more to


    you than Anya."d2


    Yulia bit her lip so hard that white marks formed around her teeth. "Why are you doing this, Nathan?


    Anya''s my daughter. She''s got nothing to do with you. Why are you so obsessed with her?"


    "People don''t always need reasons. I like her, and that should be enough."


    Yulia''s anger red at Nathan''s shameless reasoning, her hand itching to p some sense into him.


    "But you''ll end up hurting her. With your yboy lifestyle, you might even marry someone else.


    What can you offer Anya, except a life full of scandals and tabloid headlines? How can she grow up


    healthy in a home with a stepfather and stepmother? What are you really thinking? Is this how you


    like Anya? I will never agree. Over my dead body will I let you take her."


    Nathan''s lips curled into a sneer. "Suit yourself."


    Yulia felt her anger choking her, unable to vent.


    Over her dead body? What would happen to Anya if she died?


    How utterly cruel!


    The feeling of helplessness, of being trapped, was unbearable.


    Nathan watched as she fell into despair, then stepped back and headed for the door. But Yulia


    grabbed his shirt, pulling him back with a desperation she couldn''t hide. "What do you want from


    me, Nathan? What are you trying to do? What will it take for you to let me go?"


    "Let you go?" Nathan''s voice was like ice. "Howe you get to decide everything? When you


    were scheming to trap me, did you ever consider whether I''d let you go? Now you want to walk


    away scot-free? You think I''m just some toy you can y with until you''re done?"


    Yulia looked up at him, her expression a tangled mess of emotions. "I''ve heard enough. I admit I


    was wrong, but we can''t drag this marriage on forever, right? Give me a concrete date. When can


    we truly end this?"


    Nathan''s expression darkened. "Tell me, Yulia, why do you suddenly want to talk divorce?"


    Caught off guard, Yulia was unsure how their conversation had circled back to this topic.


    Nathan''s grip tightened on her shoulders. "What if I helped you take over thepany?"


    Yulia''s eyes flickered with shock.


    "You wouldn''t need Ronald''s shares. Would you still bring up divorce after you got what you


    wanted? Or should I ask, are you divorcing me for Ronald?"


    Yulia''s brow furrowed, and after a long moment, she shook her head. "No. I can''t forgive him. If it


    weren''t for his shares, I''d never want to see him again, even if we got divorced, I don''t love him


    anymore. I haven''t for a long time."


    "Then who do you love now?"


    Yulia paused, a struggle evident in her eyes. "I love Anya..."


    Nathan''s breath caught, his face twitching involuntarily. "I mean the love between two adults?!" He


    bellowed at her, and Yulia flinched, closing her eyes.


    Nathan took a deep breath to calm himself. "So why the hell are you in such a rush to divorce?”


    “For the shares!"


    "Cut the crap! Ronald''s been dangling those shares over you for ages. You never mentioned


    divorce before."


    Yulia felt her face numb under Nathan''s tirade.


    "Speak up!" he roared again, and Yulia''s ears rang with the force of his voice.


    Anger began to bubble up inside her. "It''s because of you. If you hadn''t been fooling around, putting


    Anya in the spotlight, I wouldn''t need to force this issue. What position have you put us in? Did you


    ever think of your wife while you were out with other women?"


    Suddenly, Yulia''s usually gentle demeanor burst forth, stunning Nathan into silence. "You remember


    you''re my wife?!"


    Yulia''s retort was sharp. "What good does it do? Did that stop you from ying around?"


    "If you acted like a wife should, would I have the chance to y?"


    Yulia couldn''t help butugh bitterly at his words. "Do you realize how awful you sound? ming


    your wife because you''re out with other women?"


    Nathan''s face was a mask of tension. He stared at her for a long moment before his expression


    softened, and he stepped closer, towering over her. "So since it''s not about Ronald, it''s about me,


    huh?"


    Yulia opened her mouth, but no words came out.


    "Because I''ve found other women, and you''re jealous? Can''t handle it? You''re hurt and sad, so you


    want a divorce?"


    Caught off guard by Nathan''s blunt question, Yulia blushed crimson.


    "Who''s jealous?! It''s because you''re affecting Anya."


    "Just Anya?" Nathan frowned.


    "I..."


    "Yulia," Nathan interrupted, his voice threatening. "You better think carefully before you speak."


    Yulia fell silent for a moment before looking up at him with a mixture of defiance and vulnerability in


    her eyes. "What do you want me to say?"


    "Just tell me what you really feel." he urged.


    She pressed her lips together, then threw the question back at him. "How much do you hate me?"


    Nathan frowned. "I''m the one asking the questions here."


    "What if I said I like you? Would that make you happy?"


    His gaze suddenly sharpened, locking onto her. "It''s always nice to be liked."


    "Is that enough for you?"


    He scrunched his brow, clearly not satisfied with where this was going.


    Yulia continued, "What if it''s not just ''like'' that I feel for you?"


    The hand gripping her shoulder suddenly loosened.


    God knows it took everything in Yulia to say these words. If it hadn''t been for the tension between


    them, that feeling of everything falling apart, or Nathan''s probing questions leading her to this


    moment, she might never have spoken her truth.


    With things as they were, the worst-case scenario was a divorce – a clean break. She braced


    herself for his reaction, but when she felt it, her heart contracted. Not from disappointment, but from


    despair.


    She knew it.


    She convinced herself not to show too much, mustering a nonchnt smile. "Don''t worry. It''s just


    talk."


    "But it''s more than ''like,'' so you mean you love me?" Nathan pressed, his voice deep and heavy.


    Yulia didn''t answer.


    "I don''t believe you," he said tly.


    She exhaled a sigh of relief. "Then don''t." She reached out to push his hand away, ready to let this


    argument fade into nothing, but instead, she found herself suddenly lifted and tossed onto the bed,


    her head spinning.


    Nathan loomed over her, his voice stern. "Don''t give me half-answers, and don''t dodge the


    question. Do you love me or not?"


    Yulia steadied herself. "Would you believe it if I told you?"


    "Say it until I believe it."


    She turned her head away. "Fine. Then why don''t you believe me?"


    "I''ve been surrounded by women trying to pin their hopes on me, and you didn''t bat an eye. I got


    into trouble over another girl, and you just bailed me out without a question. The rumors about me


    and that girl were all over the ce yesterday, and you haven''t mentioned her once today. Is this


    how you love someone? When I''m with other women, how could I tell you even care?"


    Her eyes shed. "Do I need to make a scene to show I care? What right do I have to make


    demands on you? You''ve loathed me for as long as I can remember. If I get jealous, how do I know


    you''re not just waiting tough at me?"


    His frown deepened. "Say it again. Do you love me?"


    "I can''t love you. I''m too calcting, too burdened with baggage. I''m not worthy of loving you."


    He suddenly ced a hand on her neck, his expression fierce, as if he might start squeezing at any


    moment. "Say you love me, or I''ll make you regret it."


    She was taken aback. "Are you threatening me?"


    His grip tightened. "Yes, I''m threatening you. Say you love me."


    She looked at him with a bewildered expression. "Are you serious? This is your tactic?"


    She could still speak. Clearly, the threat wasn''t working. Herpliance came only when the


    pressure became too much. "Stop, I love you, okay? I love you. Is that what you want to hear?"


    His expression eased a bit, and he let out a snort. "How reluctant can you be? It''s as if I forced the


    words out of you."


    Yulia replied quietly, "Isn''t this exactly what you''re doing?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    His eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you say?"


    She shook her head quickly. "Nothing, I mean it. I''m saying it willingly. I love you."


    He studied her for a moment before leaning in close. "You know, as frustrating as you are, I don''t


    hate you that much. Nobody''s perfect. We''ve had our ups and downs, but we''ve made it through.


    My family thinks you''re alright, and starting over with someone new would be a hassle. I have a soft


    spot for Anya, too. Better to be with someone who loves you than someone you love. Lucky us, you


    love me, and I suppose I can make do with that."


    Yulia''s face crumpled into a frown, then rxed into a wry smile. "How magnanimous of you. After


    all these years of putting up with me, I''d hate to be ungrateful and make you settle. Maybe we


    should just call it quits."


    "Say that one more time, I dare you!" Nathan challenged, a fierce edge to his voice.