Chasing Love (Dark Love 1)

I’m stunned by her need to apologize. She’d never done anything wrong. She married the man of her dreams, hardly a mistake.

She fumbles with her hands as she speaks. “I knew well before the pregnancy that he loved you. I could see the way he looked at you. I made mistakes, so many, but the one thing I don’t regret is my baby girl.”

A tear falls down her cheek, catching me by surprise. I hand her a box of tissues, unsure of what to say.

“I’m sorry, too, Samantha. He was yours. I was young and stupid and shouldn’t have let it get that far.”

Like words trapped inside a vault, the release is more satisfying than I had ever anticipated. I wasn’t a victim in the games we played, I held an equal part in creating the tangled web.

“I know life would’ve been different for you if I had just let you be together,” she stumbles, sniffing.

“You made vows to each other. I had no right—”

She holds out her arms, interrupting me. “I hope you can forgive me.”

Accepting her embrace, we both hold onto each other tightly.

“Charlie, his heart never belonged to me, it always belonged to you, and it still does. Don’t let your stubbornness get in the way of true love.”

She pulls away with a smile on her face and glassy eyes, walking out of my office with a gracious wave.

I’m left dumbfounded.

For years, I envisioned what it would be like if we ran into each other. The nasty names she would call me, the way she’d pull my hair and kick me to the ground like a wrestler gone wild. Caught in my own emotions, I never once stopped and thought about her feelings or how I destroyed her marriage. And now, we’ve both forgiven each other for the mistakes we made, and the feeling of remorse is lifting from my shoulders like a cloud disappearing over the horizon.

Acting on impulse, I grab my phone and dial Adriana.

“Hey, girl. What’s up?”

“I need a favor from you. A really big favor.”

I can’t believe what I’m asking of Adriana, but I want him to know he doesn’t hold all the cards. Lex Edwards has turned into an egotistical, selfish bastard. He thrives on power, that much I know.

But underneath his powerful exterior, lies a weakness.

And I know exactly what that is.

We are both pawns in the wicked game we’re playing, but I know we are beyond being able to stop.

So now, Mr. Edwards, hold on.

I’m going to get you where it hurts the most.

LEX

It has been the day from hell.

I know the consequences of not attending the shareholder meeting at the Hilton but being here with Charlotte has definitely been worth it.

It’s three in the afternoon the following day, and I have just gotten off my final conference call, the fourth in a row to be exact.

Kate’s sitting with me, letting out a breath when the call ends. “Mr. Edwards, I know it’s none of my business, but may I ask what called you to Manhattan so urgently?”

I stand, walking toward the window. Placing my arm against the glass, I lean on it for support. “There was someone I needed to see, someone who meant a lot to me once upon a time.”

Kate glances at me, bewildered.

Yes, that’s right, Lex Edwards actually has a heart.