The Duke's Forbidden Lover (Forbidden #1)

Chapter 29.

Elinor had been talking to him but he was not listening.

He was too busy glaring at the figure that had arrived and began talking to Nalini, the irritating woman who had made it her goal to avoid him.

Alastair watched as Nalini hurried away with Nora, Richard by the latter's side. His hands balled into fists as he watched Landon chuckle, watching their retreating backs. He wanted nothing more than to punch the bastard's face in, and for but a few seconds, his vision was red with fury.

Alastair had the intense urge to go after Nalini to yell at her to stay away from Landon. But almost immediately he was brought back to reality by Elinor.

"Alastair?" she said softly.

He snapped his head back to her. She looked at him as if she was waiting for his answer, but he didn't care enough about what she had to say to ask her to repeat it.

He clenched his jaw, irritation swirling within him. "You lost the right to call me by my name years ago," he said, through gritted teeth.

A soft gasp left her lips as her large brown eyes filled with unshed tears. He sucked in a sharp breath as he looked at her, his eyes narrowing.

Tears were his weakness.

But this time, this time, he would not allow it to be.

Elinor sniffled softly. "I wanted to apologise. I know you forbid me from ever coming to see you again, but I—"

Alastair let out a disbelieving, humourless laugh, looking into the distance. "Why do you people insist on coming back into my life now?"

Elinor stuttered, fumbling with her white, lace gloves. "I have thought about you for many years. I have not forgotten us. What I did was unforgivable but, Alastair, you—"

"I will not have the past be brought up again. I have put those years where an 'us' existed, behind me."

"That is nothing but a lie, Alastair, and you know it."

He ground his teeth at her mentioning his name again. He was getting furious by the minute that the woman insisted on a love that was no longer there. He had once hoped she would come back and that things could be reconciled. However, it had been years since the incident and he was intent on keeping the past in the past.

Instead, Alastair stepped forward and leaned down, menacingly, his eyes dark and full of fury.

"What is a lie, is your apology. I have accepted the past as it is and I believe so should you."

Even as tears left her eyes and rolled down her pink cheeks leaving white streaks behind, he continued without blinking and with no emotion. "And Ms Elinor, I do not want anything to do with a woman like you. So kindly leave me and my son alone."

He went to leave when Elinor stopped him with a loud yell.

"I have only ever loved you and no one else!" Her chest heaved with the heavy breaths that left her red lips. Her eyes were wide and frantic with desperation.

Alastair narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his arms, tilting his head in a mocking manner. He was less than amused by the woman he had once contemplated spending his entire life with.

He did miss her; he missed her like mad. He missed the way she made him feel and the way she made him smile.

But she had also broken his heart and trampled on it like it had meant nothing. Mulling it over now, years later, he realised there was no love left in him for her. It was as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. The truth had finally reached him. He was no more in love with Elinor.