Death Wish

23 | New Beginnings

Chapter 23

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Roux Addington had always prided himself on being a pragmatic man. As a father raising his two children, Ethan and Emma, alongside Thea Addington, he had learned to prioritize responsibility and practicality above all else. But as he sat on the couch in the cozy living room of his villa, his mind was a whirlwind of emotions, and he could not deny the turmoil within.

Raina had moved in with them a few months ago, and since then, their lives had become intertwined. What had started as a hatred had evolved into something deeper, something that Roux had been grappling with. As he watched Raina quietly playing a board game with Ethan and Emma, her occasional glances in his direction filled him with both longing and trepidation.

He had always been cautious about revealing his emotions, especially after the painful circumstance with the mother of his children, but Raina filled the gap so well, he never heard his children lay a complaint. Once in a while, they would ask how Thea Addington was doing and he would tell them she was getting better, even if he was not so sure himself.

Raina had an endearing shyness about her, a hesitance in her actions, that made him second-guess himself. He had been falling for her and falling hard, and he knew he needed to confess his feelings, but how?

Raina's gaze met his briefly once again and she smiled before returning her attention to the game. Roux took a deep breath, trying to find the words that had eluded him for so long.

"Raina," he began, his voice soft and hesitant, "there is something I need to talk to you about."

His monotone command caused her to worry. Raina glanced at him again, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of apprehension as she gets up, following him to a safe distance with the children in their view. "What is it, Roux?"

Roux swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. "I...I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, about us. About what has been happening between us."

Raina tilted her head, her shyness giving way to a gentle encouragement. "Go on."

She appeared calm, albeit, her heart was beating frantically and her palms had started turning sweaty. She could not deny she felt attracted to Roux Addington and cared for him so deeply, she feared it had nothing to do with their claimed friendship.

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze fixed on his hands. "Raina, I..." He paused, gathering his courage. He was a prominent man, he had given speeches before thousands of people, yet here he was, unable to utter a short sentence. "I think I am falling in love you."

The words hung in the air, heavy with vulnerability and uncertainty. Raina's eyes widened in surprise, and her cheeks flushed as she blinked at him. His courage was unexpected, catching her off guard.

"I..." she trailed, her voice barely above a whisper. She was unsure of what to say.

"You do not have to say anything— not now. I am falling in love with you and it scares me. I have been hesitant to say it, to admit it to myself, because I didn't want to rush into anything, especially with Ethan and Emma. But it's more than just friendship, and it's been there for a while now."

Raina's shyness melted into a warm, genuine smile. "Roux, I...I think I am falling in love with you too."

Relief washed over him as he met her gaze, their eyes locked in a shared moment of vulnerability. "You are?"