Chapter 22

NADIA POV

As I Squinted, Nadia recognized the person behind the phone…it was Max. She froze, unsure of what to do, and then hurriedly stepped back, leaving the scene and returning to the engagement ball.

The memory of what she saw didn’t fade. Later that night, when she spotted Max distracted, she managed to steal the broken phone from his belongings. The cracked screen didn’t matter; she was determined to find out what Max had recorded.

By the time her driver arrived, she was exhausted but triumphant. He opened the door for her, and she slid into the car without a word, clutching Max’s phone tightly.

When she got home, the grand gates of her mansion swung open, and several servants greeted her with polite bows as she stepped out. “Welcome home, Miss Nadia,” one of them said.

She nodded absentmindedly, her mind still racing. “Where’s my mother?” she asked, her tone clipped.

“Madam is in her room, Miss.”

Without waiting for further explanation, Nadia marched through the elegant halls of her home, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She pushed open her mother’s bedroom door, finding her sound asleep under the soft glow of a bedside lamp.

“Mother!” Nadia exclaimed, jumping onto the bed.

Her mother stirred groggily, reaching for her glasses on the side table. She placed them on her face and looked at Nadia with mild irritation. “Nadia, what on earth are you doing? It’s so late!”

“Did you hear about what happened to Mr. Kenneth?” Nadia asked, ignoring her mother’s annoyance.

Her mother yawned and stretched. “Yes, it’s all over the news. They said he’s out of danger now, thank God.”

Nadia shook her head impatiently. “That’s not the important part! The important part is the sudden engagement between Richard and Tamara!”

Her mother sighed deeply, sitting up straighter. “Nadia, I told you before…you need to let this go. Richard has moved on. You should do the same.”

Nadia’s eyes flashed with determination. “He hasn’t moved on. Richard still belongs to me.”

Her mother folded her arms, her expression firm. “He’s engaged to someone else now. That’s the reality. You need to accept it and stay away from him.”

“But they don’t love each other!” Nadia retorted. “I heard it with my own ears, Mother. Tamara admitted she doesn’t love Richard. It’s all for show. I’ll let the world know the truth.”

“Nadia,” her mother said sternly, “whatever you’re planning, stop it right now. Don’t let your emotions lead you into trouble.”

The sound of my mother’s voice filled the room, sharp and unrelenting. She sat across from me on the velvet couch, arms folded, her expression a mix of disappointment and frustration. I tried to focus on my nails, pretending her words didn’t bother me, but the weight of her tone was impossible to ignore.

“You know, Nadia,” she began, her voice edged with irritation, “I still don’t understand why you treated Richard the way you did. That man loved you more than anyone ever could, and yet you constantly found ways to push him away.”

I rolled my eyes, leaning back against the couch. “Mother, please. Not this again.”

“Yes, this again!” she snapped, pointing a finger in my direction.

“You think I’ll sit here and keep quiet when you’ve thrown away a man who would have moved mountains for you? Every time you hurt him, he still came running back, begging for your forgiveness. And what did you do? You humiliated him!”

“Richard isn’t perfect,” I said, shrugging. “He always knew what he was getting into with me.”

My mother’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What was he getting into? Nadia, you cheated on him multiple times!

And yet, that poor man would still come back, groveling at your feet. I don’t know what kind of spell you had on him, but he didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

I crossed my arms, refusing to let her words sink in. “Richard is weak. That’s his problem, not mine.”

“Weak?” she repeated, her voice rising. “Weak? You’re the one who caused all the pain in that relationship. Do you remember the time he caught you with someone else? That man was shattered. He went home, completely heartbroken, and do you know what happened next?”

I stayed silent, but I knew she wasn’t waiting for an answer.

“He came back to this house,” my mother continued, her tone softening slightly. “He stood outside in the rain, begging you to take him back.

He didn’t care about his pride, his dignity…he just wanted you, Nadia. And what did you do? You laughed at him and told him he wasn’t good enough.”

Her words stung, but I refused to show it. “So what? He still came back, didn’t he?”

My mother sighed deeply, shaking her head. “You don’t value what you have until you lose it. And that’s exactly what’s happening now.”

At this, I straightened up, my voice filled with defiance. “I haven’t lost Richard, and I won’t. I won’t let him marry that low-life Tamara. She doesn’t deserve him.”

“And you think you do?” my mother shot back, her gaze piercing.

“Yes, I do,” I replied firmly. “I’m a beautiful woman, Mother. I deserve love, attention, and devotion. Men should fight for me. They should beg me to stay in their lives. Richard knows that. That’s why he always comes back.”

“You’re delusional,” she said, exasperated. “Do you even hear yourself? Relationships aren’t about one person being worshipped. They’re about respect, understanding, and compromise…things you never gave Richard.”

“Stop blaming me for everything!” I snapped. “You always take his side, as if I’m the villain here.”

“I’m not taking sides, Nadia,” she replied, her voice calm but firm. “I’m telling you the truth. You need to take responsibility for your actions before it’s too late. If Richard truly moves on, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

Her words lingered in the air, heavy and uncomfortable. I didn’t want to admit it, but a part of me knew she was right. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up. Richard belonged to me, and I would do whatever it took to get him back.