The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 1857

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 planning 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 flared at Nathan's shameless reasoning, her hand itching to slap some sense into him. "But you'll end up hurting her. With your playboy 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. "How come 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 play 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 the company?"

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 playing around?"

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

Yulia couldn't help but laugh bitterly at his words. "Do you realize how awful you sound? Blaming 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 nonchalant 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 flatly.

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 place 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 flashed. "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 to laugh at me?"

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

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

He suddenly placed 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. Her compliance 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?"

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 relaxed 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.

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