Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss

Chapter 128 The rain had begun to fall in soft, steady sheets when Katrina sat down at the old wooden table in the kitchen, her fingers tracing the chipped edge of her father's coffee mug. The house felt quieter than usual, the stillness pressing against her chest like a weight she couldn't quite lift. Her father had been patient, giving her tto cto terms with what he had said, with what he had tried to convince her was the truth.

The truth. It was a word she couldn't seem to hold onto anymore, not with the way everything had shattered. How could she trust her own judgment when the man she loved had seemingly betrayed her in the cruelest way possible? But Alois was right... if she didn't at least hear Kylan out, she would always be left with the shadow of doubt, a story half-told and a heart half-healed. So, here she was, sitting in the quiet of the kitchen, waiting for him to arrive.

Kylan had called earlier, his voice shaky through the receiver, pleading with her to meet him, to let him explain. "I need you to understand," he had said, his words urgent, desperate. "Katrina, I love you, and I love Clarence. I swear on everything that I never cheated. Please, just givea chance to tell you." She had agreed to meet him. The decision had cslowly, almost painfully, as if her heart were dragging its feet, unwilling to forgive, unwilling to believe. But a small part of her, buried deep under the layers of hurt, wanted to trust him, wanted to believe that this wasn't the end of everything they had built together.

And so, when the knock cat the door, Katrina's pulse quickened.

She opened it to find Kylan standing there, drenched from the rain, his clothes clinging to his frame, his face drawn with exhaustion and fear. His eyes met hers, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. There was so much unspoken between them, so many months of pain, of silence, of brokenness. But there was also the familiarity in the way he stood, his posture just a little slouched, as though the weight of this conversation had already begun to bend him.

"Katrina," he said softly, his voice hoarse. "I... thank you for lettingcome. I know this is hard for you. It's hard fortoo." She stepped back, silently inviting him in, though her heart was still guarded, her emotions in turmoil. He didn't move right away, as if he were waiting for her to say something, to offer ssign that this wasn't a complete mistake. But Katrina could only stare at him, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened. Finally, he stepped inside, his boots leaving muddy prints on the wooden floor. She didn't know why, but the sight of him in her father's home, the place she had cto for safety, felt like a violation. She had once imagined their has a sanctuary, a place where love and trust had no bounds. But now, standing there, all she could see was the wreckage.

Kylan took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as if he were trying to steady himself before diving into the deep end of their conversation. He ran a hand through his wet hair and met her eyes.

"I never cheated on you, Katrina. I swear on everything I have. I never touched Isabella. What you heard on the phone. Please, just listen to me. You have to understand how this all happened." Katrina's heart stung at the mention of Isabella's name, the woman who had sent her world spiraling. She crossed her arms tightly, unwilling to let him see how much her walls were beginning to crumble. "Then tell me," she said, her voice barely a whisper, "tellhow it happened, because all I heard was her voice on the other end of the line. And you sounded... you sounded guilty, Kylan. How do you explain that?" Kylan stepped closer, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "It was a misunderstanding, Katrina. I never wanted to hurt you, never wanted you to think for a second that I wasn't loyal to you." His hands flexed at his sides, his body rigid with emotion. "That day, Isabella was drunk. I was telling her to go to bed. I have a lot of work waiting and she wanted to drink more. It got to a point where she was touchingand I wasn't comfortable. When I was asleep, I didn't notice that she cto my side to sleep. When you called and she answered, I didn't know it was you." He paused and took a deep breath, trying to hold back his tears. "Letting her answer the call and prioritizing on washing my face first do I could wake up was the biggest mistake in my life." Katrina blinked, trying to make sense of his words. "But why didn't you tellthat? Why didn't you tellwhat was going on when I called? You didn't even try to explain. Instead, you acted like I was the one who was crazy for questioning you." "I should have, I know. But Katrina... you didn't givea chance to explain, and I didn't want to add fuel to the fire by trying to get to you.I thought, maybe, if I waited, you would cool off and see that it was all a mistake." His voice cracked, the emotion raw. "But when I didn't hear from you, I realized how badly I had messed up. I knew that I had to cto you, to beg you to hearout." Katrina stared at him, her emotions swirling. There was something in his voice now, something that felt real, something that sounded like the man she had loved. But how could she be sure? How could she be certain that she wasn't being deceived again? "I never wanted to lose you, Kate," Kylan continued, his eyes desperate. "I love you. And I love Clarence. I swear, I never cheated. That was never... never a part of our story. I made a mistake by not being honest with you from the start. But I was scared... scared of losing you, scared of you thinking the worst of me. I should have been braver. I should have told you everything." Katrina felt her breath catch in her throat. For the first time, she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the weight of his own regret. She had always known Kylan to be confident, self-assured-but here, now, he seemed like a man on the edge of losing everything. "I don't know if I can believe you," she said quietly, the words tasting like a confession. "I want to... I want to trust you again, but it feels like... like I've been betrayed in ways I can't even understand. How do I let that go? How do I let the doubt leave?" Kylan stepped closer, reaching out to her, his hand hovering as if uncertain whether she would allow him the closeness. "I'll do whatever it takes, Katrina. I'll be patient. I'll wait. I'll prove to you, every day, that I love you. That I am your Kylan. That I am the man who will never hurt you again." Katrina's heart twisted in her chest, torn between the love she still felt for him and the fear that, if she let him back in, she would be risking everything once more.

She closed her eyes, her hands trembling as she tried to find the strength to make a choice.

It was in that moment-standing there, on the precipice of forgiveness, on the edge of what could be the most painful decision of her life-that Katrina realized one thing: she wasn't just fighting to save her marriage, she was fighting to save herself.

And maybe, just maybe, if she allowed herself the courage to listen-if she gave Kylan the chance to explain-she could begin to rebuild what had been broken.

Katrina launched herself at Kylan and held him tightly, causing him to stumble back.

Kylan hesitated before he wrapped his arms around Katrina just as tight. He inhaled her hair and exhaled contentedly. This is what it should be. Him and her.

"Daddy!" Both of them broke apart and turned to Clarence who ran from the kitchen door to them with a large smile on her face. Katrina couldn't help letting out a small laugh as she looked at her daughter launching herself at her father. Kylan buried his face on Clarence's shoulder as he picked her up, tears starting to fall. "God, I missed you, princess." "Miss daddy!" Kylan looked at her and beckoned her over. Katrina smiled and complied, letting Kylan wrap his arm around her.

He buried his face on her neck.

"Don't divorce me, please. I will understand if you sleep at the spare room. Or if you are still mad. Just don't divorce me. I can't lose you." love you so much and if you leftfor good, I don't know what to do. You and Clarence are my life, Kate." Katrina let her tears flow as she wrapped her arms around him and Clarence. She saw her father standing by the main door, smiling at her. She smiled back. Listening to his advice was worth it.

~0~0~0~ Since Katrina and Kylan reconciled, Kylan decided to stay for one week in Portland to be with his family.

"What about work?" Katrina asked when he told her his decision.

"Work can wait. I want to be with you and Clarence more this time." One evening, the three of them sat on the couch together, Katrina, Kylan, and fittle Clarence nestled between them, her head resting on her mother's shoulder. It felt like the first moment of peace they'd had in weeks. Kylan wrapped an arm around Katrina, pulling her close, and she didn't resist.