The Godfather Who Never Lost Begged Me Not to Leave Him Chapter 05

The Godfather Who Never Lost Begged Me Not to Leave Him Chapter 05

“What’s wrong?”

I looked up at him and spoke quietly.

“Leander, I want a divorce.”

Leander went silent for a long time.

His fingers tightened around the decanter, then slowly eased before he set it down.

“What I said outside the restaurant… I only said it because I was angry.”

There it was again.

“But I’m not angry.” I met his eyes, exhausted, and spoke slowly so he couldn’t misunderstand me

“Leander, I mean it.”

“You once told me divorce isn’t something you throw around. In all the time we’ve been together,

aside from that one time, I’ve never asked to end this.”

I paused.

“So this time, I mean it.”

He stared at me, stunned. “Why?”

“Is this because of Cressida? Nothing ever happened between us. I really do see her as only a

friend.”

“If… if you still can’t accept that, tell me what you want me to do.”

His voice dropped. “Don’t joke about divorce.”

I was quiet for a beat. “I’m not joking.”

“I’ve already contacted my attorney. Are you free tomorrow? I can have her come to your

headquarters.”

He drew a deep breath. “I’m not free.”

“Then tell me when you are. I’ll schedule it.”

Anger flashed across his face.

“Why are you doing this?” he demanded. “Because of Cressida, or because of the… baby?”

i didn’t want to talk about the baby.

His eyes reddened.

“really didn’t know you were pregnant.” His voice was taut. “If I’d known, I never would’ve left you alone in that snowstorm. I never would’ve abandoned you outside the restaurant.”

“Rissa… I regret it. I regret it so much.”

Tears blurred my lowered gaze. After a moment, I asked, “If there hadn’t been a baby would you still regret what you did?”

He froze. “That’s not what I mean.”

He reached for my wrist.

I pulled away.

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life comparing myself to another woman. I don’t want to live on edge. And I don’t want to keep loving someone who doesn’t love me nearly as much as I love

him.” s

“I’m not that generous. I’m not a saint.”

His voice dropped, urgent and raw. “But I love you!”

“I love you so much… You’re the only one I love.”

“Cressida and I are over.”

I shook my head. “Your love was never wholehearted.”

“You love me, but you still can’t let Cressida go. What I want is a love that’s completely mine. A love

that chooses me first, every time.”

He opened his mouth to argue.

I cut him off.

“When are you free? Our attorneys need to sit down.”

Then I left the estate.

Before I left, I told Leander I wouldn’t be back until the divorce was settled and that someone would

come in a couple of days to collect my things.

He didn’t answer, and he didn’t try to stop me.

I owned plenty of properties my parents had given me, so I had no shortage of places to stay.

I handed Leander’s upcoming inspection of our family’s operation off to someone else.

My colleague called and said, “Don Leander only brought his second-in-command. Cressida isn’t with him, and he even asked why you weren’t here.”

“I told him you’d handed the assignment over. He didn’t look too happy about it.”

“What do you think that means?”

I said, “Who knows? Good luck with the visit.”

A week later, my attorney called. Leander had refused to negotiate with her and insisted I be there so he could speak to me face-to-face.

I had no choice but to go to his headquarters.

After a week apart, he looked a little thinner.

But he still carried himself like a man who could handle anything, his spine straight, his expression composed, like a wall of steel with no visible weakness.

I suddenly thought of the photos of him chasing Cressida to Europe and begging her to take him

back.

Maybe Cressida was the only person who’d ever been allowed to see him break.

The first thing he said after we sat down was, “I told Cressida to leave.”