Free Redemption: (Dark Desires Book 3) by Kourtney King Page A

had
progressed thus far.
    “No, Vlad. I can’t,” she said.
    There were very few scenarios
that had not worked out according to Vladimir’s plans, and this was one of
them. Actually, when it came to Valerie, nothing worked out how he wanted it
to. He shouldn't have been surprised at this point. The only thing that was
surprising was how crushed he felt after she turned down his proposal. Was it
already too late? Did she no longer believe in their relationship anymore? Had
everyone in her life poisoned her against him?
    “Why not?” he asked. “I thought
you loved me.” That last part came out in a much harsher tone than he had
intended, but he was past caring.
    "That's just it Vlad. I
love you, but I have no idea if you feel the same way about me. You’ve never
said it. And then there are the twins to consider. I can’t raise them in a home
where their father figure can barely tolerate them. Unless, you’re proposing
because you’ve had a change of heart?”
    How many times were they going
to have this discussion? She knew exactly how he felt and why. "I haven't
changed my mind about this ," he said pointing at her stomach.
"You are too kind-hearted to live with the evidence of what that man did
to you. Don't you remember those first few weeks after you came back? I thought
you would kill yourself, and now you want to relive that every day for the rest
of your life? God, the woman you’re seeing, is an absolute idiot if she hasn't
said this. I don't need a doctorate to tell you about the consequences of going
through with this pregnancy.
    “You mean everything to me. I
would die for you. If anything ever happened to you, I wouldn’t have a reason
to live. I may be a lot of things, but I would never hurt a child. I won’t lie
to you and say that I’m happy with your delusional, altruistic decision to keep
them. You know my past and the fact that I’ve never had the typical family.
However,  I am willing to try to be a better husband than my adoptive
father. You are my sole focus, Valerie. I will always put you first, above
everything and everyone else.”
    His words moved her to tears.
In part because she believed everything he said and knew that he was utterly
devoted to her and in part because she had also read between the lines. He
loved her but not her children. He would be a husband to her but not a father
to them. She couldn't put her own needs above the innocent lives that bore no
fault in this mess. She pushed her chair back and stood up to leave before
things became ugly. "I'm sorry Vlad, but I can't marry you."
    Vladimir picked up the box and
threw it against the wall before storming out of the dining room. It was yet
another tough decision that Val had to make. Her feelings were no longer
relevant. She had to focus on what really mattered - the twins.
    Valerie was still rooted to the
spot, replaying the botched proposal when she heard the front door slam closed.
She had hurt him, and now he was gone. Had she made the right choice or had she
finally chased him away? She
walked over to the ring that lay on the floor and picked it up. If he had
proposed before finding out about her pregnancy, then she would have said yes
without hesitation. He was doing this out of fear.
    The sparkling gem was
beautiful. Valerie knew she shouldn't do it, she would only regret her decision
even more than she already did, but she couldn't help it. She slipped it onto
her finger, and it was a perfect fit.
    *****
    Vladimir walked down to the
office in his basement. He needed to calm down because right now all he could
see was red. Had Valerie been brainwashed? He just couldn't understand her
reasoning. He'd laid himself bare only to be rejected. Vlad stripped out of his
clothing and changed into a pair of running shoes, workout pants and a t-shirt.
He needed to get out of this house before he said or did anything he would
later regret.
    Jogging down the trail that led
to the beach, Vladimir broke out into a sprint once he