The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 1852

Chapter 1852

"I can get a PR firm to sweep this under the rug. I could have handled it myself."

Ronald listened until I finished speaking. "Yulia, is Anya really your sister?"

His unexpected question made Yulia’s heart skip a beat. Without thinking, she shot back, "Of course she is my sister."

"I'm just curious. What exactly were you doing during those months you disappeared? It's one thing to have a tight grip on the company shares, but doesn't the sudden appearance of a sister strike you as odd?"

Yulia pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. "What's so odd about it? Only someone with a dark mind would find everything peculiar."

"And why are you so nervous then?" Ronald pressed.d2

Yulia swallowed hard, her hand on her chest curling into a fist. "I'm not."

"Yulia, I really hope Anya is your sister."

Yulia bit her lip and stayed silent.

But Ronald persisted, "So, is she really your sister?"

That question had been eating at him for a while. Yulia's disappearance and the sudden appearance of a sister upon her return were too closely linked. He knew her parents were a solid couple. It was unthinkable that her father would have a child with another woman so soon after her mother's death.

And if it were true, why couldn't he find any information about Anya's mother? There should be some trace of her after her father passed away.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"As long as Anya isn't involved with Nathan, it doesn't matter if you're hiding something about her."

"It's none of your business, and you don't need to know."

"Yulia." Ronald called her name, halting her. "Have you considered what would happen if the media shifted their focus to Anya? Even if they don't find anything, what about Nathan then? Can you be sure he doesn't care or won't do his own digging?"

Yulia trembled slightly, "What's there to investigate? Anya is my sister."

"Yulia, I said it before, you're nervous. Why?"

Caught off guard again, her heart clenched, and she had no idea what to say. Instinctively, she ended the call. Anya looked up at her with big, puzzled eyes. "Yulipop, are you scared? Is Mister Ronald bullying you?"

She stared at Anya for a long moment before shaking her head. "No."

Anya still looked concerned and gently patted Yulia's stomach. "Don't be scared, I'll protect you."

Yulia's eyes filled with a tender light as she tousled Anya's hair.

"I'll always protect you, Anya."

Yulia's phone buzzed with a message from Ronald. [We need to meet. I'll pick you up in a bit.]

[No need.]

Replying curtly, she put her phone away.

Forty minutes later, Yulia was in the kitchen, managing only a few simple dishes. Carly had tried to kick Yulia out a couple of times, but only when Anya started complaining of hunger did Yulia reluctantly abandon her culinary experiments and leave the dining room.

But then, the doorbell rang. It was Ronald, standing at the doorway.

Yulia frowned, "Didn't you get my message?"

"I think it's necessary. For the company, for Anya, and for you."

"Don't say it was for me." Yulia cut him off coldly. "What do you know? What are you trying to prove? What do you think I can't handle now?

"The only thing that nearly broke me in this life is behind me. I've survived betrayal by the one person I trusted most, the only one I thought I could turn to. What's left that I can't handle?"

Ronald pursed his lips, "Yulia, you know I've never meant to hurt you. Never."

Yulia knew her emotions were out of control. She took a deep breath and realized Anya was watching them, confused.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Ronald asked.

Yulia knew refusing him would just send him away for the moment, but...

She glanced towards the second floor, then grabbed her coat and told Anya, "Stay home and play with Carly for a bit, okay? I'll be right back."

Anya hugged her leg. "Will anyone bully you?"

Yulia smiled softly. "Ask Mister Ronald."

Anya looked up at Ronald with curiosity.

He offered a faint smile. "I like her too much to bully her."

Anya beamed. "You like Yulipop?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"But you can only like her a little bit. Yulipop belongs to Nathan, so you can't like her too much."

Ronald's smile stiffened for just a moment. He smiled without speaking further, and Yulia stroked Anya's head. Then Yulia put on her coat and stepped out.

_

"You won't even let me into your house?"

She walked briskly toward the elevator. "It's not convenient at home."

Ronald chuckled lightly. "To avoid suspicion? Or is Nathan there?"

"Isn't either reason valid?"

The smile faded from Ronald's face. "If you care so much for him and your marriage seems so perfect, why did you debase yourself to come to me? With the Harper family's resources and Nathan's willingness to pay or apply a little pressure, couldn't he have easily settled your troubles? And you don’t have to cheat on him."

Ronald's voice held a tinge of anger. At first, Yulia was furious, but then, silence followed her rage. The past reared its ugly head, sending a shiver down her spine.

Handing herself over to him? Cheating on Nathan?

Her lips pressed tightly together, Yulia remained silent. No one else knew that Nathan himself had wanted her to cheat on him, and to seduce Ronald of all people.

"Why don't you say something?" Ronald's voice broke the silence.

"What is it that you want me to say?" Yulia’s voice was icy as she looked up at him. "What's the reason for your visit today?"

As the elevator doors slid open, she stepped out, with Ronald trailing behind her. Watching her cold and resolute back, Ronald suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm from behind.

"Yulia..."

Yulia struggled at first, and when she realized it was futile, she looked up at him, angered. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Do you hate me that much? Hate me for walking out on you? For not supporting you, not handing over the Shaw family shares?" he asked, pain etching his features.

"Yes! Yes!" Yulia admitted with a sudden outburst, her voice almost a roar. "Why wouldn't I hate you? You were my boyfriend, who vowed to protect me for life. I trusted you, Ronald. Do you think that is not enough for me to hate you?"

"Maybe it is."

"You could have done nothing. That would have been better. At least my hatred would have been less."

Rarely did Yulia lose control like this, her eyes now red with anger and tears. She stared at him, teetering on the edge of rage and breakdown. "But you gave the shares to my uncle. Why? If it hadn't been for you, the company wouldn't have so easily fallen into his hands. I've spent years on edge, fighting tooth and nail against him to avoid any slip-up that could get me kicked out. I'm exhausted, Ronald. Who am I to survive among these sharks? Who else was there for me? Who could have helped me?! Of course, I hate you. What have you done that's worth my forgiveness?!"

Regret and pain spread across Ronald's face. "Yulia, I just wanted to free you. I can provide a comfortable life for you, and I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you to struggle so much for the company."

Yulia scoffed, "If it wasn't for your betrayal, I wouldn't have had to fight so hard. Do you even know what I want? Can you bring back my parents?"

Ronald was silent.

"Then don't make decisions for me. Why should I hand over my father's company to someone else? You have no clue what I really want."

"So, you'd do anything for the company? Is that why you went to Nathan? Is that it?"

Yulia met his gaze, "Yes. He's the only one who could help me."

Ronald tightened his grip on her arm. "What about the child? What about Anya? How did you end up with Nathan? What did you do in those months you disappeared?"

Yulia wrenched her arm free, "I've already made it clear to you, my life is none of your business anymore, and the same goes for Anya. You'd best disappear from my sight forever."

A pang of desperation gripped Ronald, and he suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Yulia, don't be stubborn. I've made mistakes. What if I give you all my shares, would that make it right? Just come back to me, and let me make amends."

Yulia stilled at the mention of shares.

Feeling her hesitation, Ronald continued, "You don't have to get back with me right away. I'll give you time, as much as you need, just give me a chance to be with you. With the shares, you won't have to tiptoe around Nathan anymore. You won't have to endure so much. His scandalous headlines, the bar fights over women, you'll get dragged into it sooner or later. Remember, it's not just about you anymore. I can help you with the company. Why make yourself miserable?"

Yulia was silent. Indeed, why should she make herself miserable?

Nathan was fighting over other women, and there were countless scandals, but she didn't even have the right to care.

In such an unconventional marriage, a marriage that could end at any moment, she persisted day by day, living in constant fear.

What was it all for...

Pushing him away, Yulia's expression was dazed. "I need to think."

She didn't get back into the elevator but walked straight out into the neighborhood park. There, she sat on a bench, her mind replaying the events of the past.

Nathan would divorce her eventually; it was only a matter of time.

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