Love Me The Way I Did

Chapter 11 

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“Were you even pregnant to begin with?” The mention of the unborn child enraged Gideon. When he learned of Kenneth’s passing, he had considered asking Margaret to keep the baby. 

At the time, he figured having a baby would help Margaret with her grief and give her purpose in life. On a more selfish note, he had hoped that the baby would let Margaret see that she was shackled to him for good. 

Gideon did not consider the baby to be of any importance. It would be an illegitimate child, much like Gideon himself, but as long as the child had grit and talent, then the child would come to inherit his empire. If not, Gideon could still bankroll the child’s life forever 

However, Gideon’s investigation revealed that Margaret had never been pregnant. 

In hindsight, that made sense. Gideon had been careful, and the chances of Margaret getting pregnant were slim to none. The realization made him feel like a fool for having compromised for her sake. 

“You… know?” Margaret asked shakily. 

“Didn’t I have a right to know?” Gideon countered. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

They held each other’s gaze in the dimness of the room, with Gideon on the couch and Margaret by the door. Time seemed to have frozen. 

A long pause later, Margaret said, “Yes, I lied to you, but it gave me a reason to leave. If those four years meant anything to you at all, Gideon, just let me go now.” She abandoned her pride and allowed herself to plead. 

Nonetheless, her own words left her feeling empty and sheartened. Five years had passed, and still, Gideon held more leverage over her. It seemed like she could never hold her head up high in front of him.. 

“Have you grown delusional in the past five years?” Gideon asked snidely. 

“What else do you want from me?” Margaret was regretting her decision to return. She had overestimated herself. Surrendering was the only thing she could do when facing Gideon. 

“I don’t know.” Gideon did not leave much room for negotiation as he drawled, “But we’re not through unless I say we are, and let you know when that day comes. So until then, you’ll stay by my side.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Gideon. There’s no way I’ll start over with you after we ended things five years ago,” Margaret snapped. 

“In that case, we’ll just have to see if we’ll get back together or if we’re through for good.” With that, Gideon knocked back the rest of his 

wine. 

Margaret turned around and shot him a dark look, then hurried out the door. 

Gideon said nothing and did not stop her from leaving. As far as he was concerned, he and Margaret were far from over. 

He was an excellent hunter, knowing good things came to those who waited, and what awaited him was the best prize of all. 

Margaret was slow on the way back. She had lost count of the 

nights she had taken this route home after leaving Gideon’s place. 

After nights of wild abandonment, it seemed this lonely silence was what awaited her. 

Gideon had his principles. He’d never spend the night with Margaret. She knew this and did not push his boundaries. 

But gradually, this road she took started to feel like a walk of shame paved with nails, and every step hurt her. 

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Old memories, the pains, grief, and happiness of the past welled up in her. She sniffled and looked up at the sky. 

Years of living in war–stricken lands and studying alone had made Margaret stronger as well as independent. And yet, it took Gideon only a day to make her shrink back into her old self. 

he always had. 

She had to admit that Gideon still held an undeniable sway over her emotions, just as he a 

Once Margaret got home, she drew a bath and soaked herself in the tub, holding her breath as she went under. The fear of dying she experienced in the war zone washed over her once more, but it steeled her all the same. 

The weak would never survive the battlefield. 

She did not emerge from the tub even after the water went cold. Today, she knew Gideon had as good as challenged her. In his own way, he had declared her his new plaything 

Gideon’s tricks of torment and antagonization troubled Margaret. Knowing she had to distance herself from him, she wondered if leaving was 

the best option. 

Because of Gideon, Margaret considered seeing a psychiatrist. 

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