Craved by the Wrong Volkov-Chapter 295: Her decision

Braelyn’s POV

The man before me was unraveling. He knew things had gotten completely out of hand.

"Yes, I always wanted children. I had dreamt and imagined what it would feel like," he admitted, although the words felt heavy in his mouth.

"But you have one now," I interrupted him.

He caught me off guard. "It is not the same thing. It isn’t your child. Yes, it is something I desire, but I don’t know if I can ever bring myself to love it." His breath hitched as he gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

"I want it gone, and yet things are messed up," he clenched his fist. "Mum would do everything to protect that child, and honestly, I don’t care. They can raise it if they want. We won’t get to ever see the child," he said one thing, but I could feel his inner turmoil.

I drew in a deep breath. "We both know I might never get a child. This is your chance, Raphael," I said, still holding his gaze.

His gaze fell. "I might hate it. I hate the mother with everything in me. Yes, a small part of me feels pity for it, but that baby will..." His voice went silent.

"Forever remind me of my mistake."

A silent beat fell between us. I released a shaky breath. "Let’s just sleep on it. I am exhausted, Raphael," I said.

My fist clenched. "I will get the driver," I cut him off halfway.

"No need. I will take a taxi or Uber. I want some space," I said slowly, then turned around. My footsteps felt heavy, but I didn’t stop, not even under his sharp gaze.

I continued walking forward without sparing a glance behind. By the time I walked out of the hospital, it was almost midnight. The crisp air welcomed me. I glanced up at the moonless sky. A tired sigh left my lips once again.

I pulled out my phone to book a ride. A presence loomed behind me, and I was pulled into a hug. His cologne wrapped around me, a blend of spice and citrus with something colder.

"When are you going to stop acting tough?" Lucien’s husky voice rumbled from above me. His chin rested on my head, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"I am not acting strong, Lucien. I am just tired and want to go home," I replied. His warmth wrapped around me. It was intoxicating in a way that made me alert.

Lucien spun me around. He held onto my shoulders while he stared into my eyes like he was searching for my soul. My brows furrowed, and he spoke as blunt as ever. "Does that place qualify to be called home?" he asked, and I was left speechless.

"You are not fine, Viper. You can’t fool me," he stated, his voice softening slightly.

"What are you going to do next?" he asked me. I didn’t break eye contact.

"I said I want to rest. I need space from Raphael," my voice trailed. "And you, Lucien." His gaze dulled for a moment.

"Just let me book my ride," I pleaded with him, genuinely exhausted.

He went silent for a while but didn’t let go of me. Instead, he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a car parked close by.

"What do you think you are doing?" I hissed at him. He scoffed at me, his jaw clenched.

"I am taking you to the place you call home. Isn’t that what you requested?" He spat the words like they were a curse.

I gritted my teeth, trying to break his hold. "You don’t have to take me there. I can go myself. I need space to think," I hissed at him, but he was already at the car door. He yanked it open, then glanced at me. "Are you doing yourself the favor, or should I do it myself?" he asked, beckoning for me to go in.

I was dumbfounded by his attitude. "You are obnoxious," I stuttered. He nodded like I gave him a compliment.

"I guess I will be doing the favor then." He shoved me into the car. All my protests were for nothing. As soon as I was in, honestly, I couldn’t stand him when he acted like a jerk, so I scrambled for the other door to escape.

He slammed the door we came in through and caught my hand before I could reach for the other door. Next, I was pinned under him, glaring at his annoyed face, which looked furious.

"Don’t test me, Braelyn," he hissed, holding me in place. The driver, without a word, pulled up the privacy window and started driving.

We were glaring hard at each other. "Stop being difficult because I will be damned if you think I will let you leave on your own in this state," he deadpanned, his face twisting with annoyance.

"Who knows if you might go to a bridge and jump off?" Lucien released a rough breath. "So hell no. Be my guest and behave, baby girl. Let me take you home, or I might use any means possible, and I am damn sure you don’t want to see my other side." That was a warning, and he meant it.

"I have no intentions of killing myself," I argued. He just scoffed, then got off me.

"Then behave. If possible, I would have brought you to my place, but I am making a compromise here."

I sat up respectfully. There was no way I was getting out of a moving car, so I respected myself and stayed put. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The entire ride, not a single word was spoken. I was lost in my thoughts the entire way, and by the time we arrived, I didn’t even wish Lucien goodbye and stepped out, walking straight inside, straight to my room.

I arrived at the door, then pushed it open before shutting it behind me. My shoes were flung off, then I crashed onto my bed.

I rolled over to search for a number I had been holding onto. A lawyer with no ties to the Volkovs.

My mind was already made up from the hospital. I was going to take Genny’s advice. I dialed the number. I wasn’t expecting the person to pick up since it was midnight, but unexpectedly, he picked up on the first ring.

"Hello," a husky voice answered. "This is Mr Hayes from Hayes and Associate Firm. Please, who is this?" the voice politely asked.

I drew in a deep breath, and my voice remained steady. "This is Mrs Volkov. Braelyn Volkov. I am calling for a favor."

"Braelyn Alderheim..." the voice spoke in disbelief, calling me by my maiden name. He recognized me. "It’s been ages. Of course, I will help you."

A silent beat passed before I spoke. "I want to get a divorce as fast as possible. Can you draft an agreement? Cost is not the issue." I finally was unable to even believe what I said.

It didn’t matter if the divorce favored Raphael. I was tired of this game. I was ready to walk away, even if I left with nothing.