CHAPTER 116.
Mirabelle’s POV.
He was here.
My Noah, my husband.
The man who I betrayed but still protected me like I didn’t, even though he denied it to himself. He looked panicked when he came in here, but now, his gaze was suddenly cold. His expression was unreadable and it scared me, like the calm before the storm.
I knew Noah was going to save me, he wasn’t going to leave me to die because of what I did to him, right?
I wasn’t even sure anymore, I was on the brink of death and thinking stupid things. At least if he didn’t save me, I was sure that he would save our kids.
“Noah…” my voice broke, but he didn’t look at me. His eyes was fixed on Natasha, who stood with that wicked smile on her face, holding all the power. Her eyes gleamed like she was enjoying every moment of this. Of course she was.
“You’ll regret this.” Noah said, his voice sharp like a blade, cutting through the tension.
Natasha just laughed, her head tilting back slightly as those he had told her a joke.
“Oh, Noah. You know me better than that. Regret isn’t really my thing. But since you’re here…” she stepped closer to him, her movements slow and deliberate, like a predator circling his prey.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
My stomach churned as she spoke, I could feel the dread building inside me, thick and suffocating.
“Did you bring the money?” She asked him, clapping her hands together.
“Yes.” Noah replied in that cold tone.
“Good, now….”she raised her hands, counting her fingers as she spoke.
“You have three choices, Noah. Number one, save your wife…” she glanced at me with mock sympathy. “…. and your children die. Number two, save your children….” Her smile widened as she paused. “…. and your wife dies. And finally, number three.” She leaned in, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “Save them both, but you elope with me.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath caught in my throat, and I shook my head. Desperate for Noah to see my silent plea. Don’t do it. Please don’t do it.
Noah’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing at Natasha.
“Why couldn’t you just leave them out of it and come to me directly?” He asked her.
“And where would the fun be in that?” She asked.
Tears burned in my eyes as I looked at Noah. He was silent, his expression unreadable as usual, he stared at the ground, lost in thought. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the seconds stretching into an eternity.
Finally, he looked up, his eyes locking into Natasha. “I’ll take the third option.” he said, his voice steady but cold.
My world shattered in an instant.
“No.” The word came out as a whisper, but the pain behind it was deafening. The tears came out hard and fast, my chest heaving with every sob.
“Noah please…”I cried, my voice breaking. “Don’t do this Noah, she’s just being tricky. We can find a way to be together at the end please. Don’t leave us.”
But he didn’t even look at me. He kept his eyes on Natasha, who was smiling as though she had just won a prize.
“Why the third option, Noah?” She asked, her voice dripping with curiousity.”
“I’m genuinely curious.” She added.
I was dreading his response, I didn’t know what Noah was playing at, but I was guessing that he was out to hurt me the way I hurt him too. Was this really going to be our end? I would just prefer to die you know, rather than living in the same world where Noah wasn’t mine.
It would kill me because I knew that there’s nothing I could do about it, it’s all me. I was the one that fucked up, I was the one that ruined the one good thing that I had going on for me, so I couldn’t really blame him, but myself.
Noah’s gaze was hard, his tone even colder as he replied. “Because she cheated on me and there’s no point in staying with someone who broke your trust and their vows.”
The words were a knife to my heart. I gasped, shaking my head.
“Noah, I’m sorry…I’m…” the words caught in my throat, as my heartbeat increased rapidly. I was choked by the raw agony that consumed me.
There was evidence, and I did it so he was right. But I was going to continue apologising to him for the rest of my life. I couldn’t take my eyes away from him, he was so beautiful, even with his face set into hard lines. But I broke him, I broke his trust and it was understandable that he didn’t want to be with someone who broke his trust.
I could barely see through my tears as Noah stepped closer to Natasha. My heart screamed at him to stop, but my mouth couldn’t say the words. I watched as he reached out, brushing her hair behind her ear with a gentleness that used to be mine.
Natasha’s smile widened, her eyes shinning with triumph. “Finally.” she said, her voice like poison wrapped in silk.
I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“Let’s get out of here, I’ve missed you. Follow your promise.” Noah said to her, some certain gentleness in his eyes towards her.
It was almost like he was coaxing her into doing it.
Natasha hesitated for a moment, studying him with a sly smile. Then, with a theatrical flourish, she pressed a button and I felt the vibrations as the bombs were disarmed. She stepped over to my children, removing the device from their small, unconscious bodies. Relief surged through me, but it was quickly overshadowed by the pain of Noah’s betrayal.
I couldn’t call it a betrayal though, seeing as I was the first person who betrayed him.
Natasha turned to Noah, her smile never faltering.
“There. It’s done, now we can go.”
But suddenly, Noah’s expression changed. He straightened, and he pulled his hands from behind her, and he had the small detonator in his hands. And he waved it in the air. “You didn’t think I was going to just go with you now, did you?” he asked her. “You’ve lost Natasha.”
Natasha’s smile faltered, for the first time, and then she laughed. A sharp, bitter laugh that sent chills down my spine.
“I just knew it wouldn’t be that easy, I mean I see the way you look at her Noah. You’re obsessed with her, you can’t even hide it. I bet you thought I didn’t see this coming.”
Before I could register what was going on, she reached into her coat, swiftly and pulled out a gun. It happened so fast that I couldn’t register what was happening.
The shot rang out.
And then….. nothing.