Chapter Three
Raine knew he should stop obsessing over a woman he couldn’t have, but no matter how hard he tried, it never felt good enough. Forgetting Meira was a struggle he couldn’t seem to overcome.
He vividly recalled the first time he met her at the company’s Christmas party. She had accompanied Richard, her boyfriend at the time, and Raine couldn’t help but think she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Dressed in a simple long-sleeved, knee-length gown that had clearly seen better days, she exuded a charm that made him overlook its wear.
To him, she was stunning, even if her boyfriend failed to see it. When they were finally introduced and he shook her hand, he found himself reluctant to let go until she tugged gently, looking shy and innocent.
“Nice to meet you, Meira,” he managed to say, finally finding his voice. “Richard has told me a lot about you.”
“Good things, I hope,” she replied with a nervous chuckle.
“Definitely,” he smiled, and she smiled back, a moment he would cherish forever.
That fateful encounter lingered in his memory, marking the last time he saw her until her wedding day. She had asked him to walk her down the aisle because she had no one else to do it, and he couldn’t refuse.
He stood by as the first woman he ever loved married another man, witnessing her pledge her undying love to him. A year later, he became the godfather to her children. How pathetic he had felt.
Nine years later, he was still hopelessly in love with Meira Gilbert. In an effort to conceal his feelings for her, he forced himself to act distant and cold. Now, she resented him deeply, convinced that he was responsible for her husband’s disappearance.
"Sir... the private investigator has arrived," Hanna, his housekeeper, informed him.
"Let him in," Raine said.
A minute later, the private investigator entered his home office, closed the door behind him, and approached the desk.
"Please, sit," Raine gestured. "Got all the information I asked for?"
"Yes, sir. I even found out the country he relocated to," the investigator replied, handing over an envelope.
Raine broke the seal and pulled out the contents. Photographs and documents fell into his hands—proof that Richard had been cheating on Meira for years.
“There’s one more thing you should know, sir,” the investigator said, breaking the silence.
“What is it?” Raine asked, bracing himself.
“I discovered that Mr. Gilbert’s marriage to Miss Meira is fake.”
Raine's eyes widened in shock. “What do you mean?”
“The entire marriage was a sham. The pastor who officiated wasn’t legitimate, and the marriage certificate was forged," the investigator explained. "The woman in the photo with him is his legal wife—Mrs. Angela Gilbert.”
Raine’s heart pounded as if it might burst out of his chest. “Are you saying that... Meira's children are illegitimate?”
“Yes, sir.”
Raine clenched his fists. “Why would he do something like that to her?”
“For revenge,” the investigator said calmly. “Meira’s father duped Richard’s father, running off with the money they were supposed to use to start a business. Richard’s family was left penniless, and in the process of hunting down her father, Richard’s parents died. He became an orphan.”
Raine’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “But the house they live in belongs to Meira.”
“He’s already sold the house. The new owners are moving in by the end of this week.”
“Son of a bitch,” Raine growled through gritted teeth. “He’s leaving her with nothing.”
The investigator shrugged. “An eye for an eye. He was also responsible for her parents’ and sister’s deaths.”
Raine shook his head, confused. “That was a home invasion…”
“All orchestrated by him.” the investigator replied.
Raine’s rage simmered. “If I ever get my hands on him, I’ll make his life a living hell.”
“Then it’s best you don’t know where he is,” the investigator suggested.
“Fuck,” Raine muttered under his breath. “Meira is going to be devastated.”
“I think you should tell her before the new owners arrive,” the investigator advised. “It’ll give her time to prepare.”
Raine still couldn’t comprehend how Richard could be so cruel to someone as kind as Meira. How would she ever take this news?
“He stole from me too. Two million,” Raine muttered, his voice cold. “Was I part of his grand scheme as well?”
“Who knows?” the investigator replied. “People like him don’t care who they hurt.”
Raine sighed and extended his hand. “Thank you for everything.”
“Anytime, sir,” the investigator said, shaking his hand before leaving quietly.
Raine leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the papers and photos scattered before him, a deep frown etched across his face. Guilt gnawed at him—how had he missed what Richard was doing? He had left Meira unprotected, and now she was the one who would suffer for a crime she didn’t even know existed. Her, and her innocent children.
"I’m so sorry, Meira," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I’m sorry..."
The next day
Meira was startled to see Raine at her doorstep on Thursday evening, just a few hours after he had dropped her and the twins off.
"What do you want?" she asked, her tone guarded.
"Can I come in?" he asked calmly.
"Why?" Meira's distrust was clear in her voice.
Raine took a deep breath, his expression serious. "I’m ready to tell you everything I know."
"I’m not interested anymore," she replied sharply. "You should leave."
"It’s important, Meira. It concerns you and your children," he pressed.
Meira hesitated, her hand hovering near the door to shut it in his face. But something about the look in his eyes—those sad, blue eyes—made her pause.
"Come in," she relented, stepping aside.
"Thank you," Raine said as he entered the foyer. She closed the door behind him.
"Where are the twins?" he asked.
"Upstairs," she answered flatly, leading him into the living room. "What can I get you?"
"I’m fine," he replied, sitting down in the armchair as she took a seat on the couch.
Raine placed an envelope on the coffee table between them, drawing her attention.
"What’s that?" Meira asked suspiciously.
"Richard’s truth," Raine said quietly.
Her brows knitted together. "What do you mean?"
"You should see it for yourself," he gestured toward the envelope. "It’ll show you the kind of man he really is."
Meira reluctantly picked up the envelope but didn’t open it right away.
"For all I know, this could be something you fabricated," she accused, her voice hard.
"It is my work," Raine admitted. "But I did it for you. It’s something I should’ve done a long time ago."
"You’re starting to scare me," she muttered as she tore open the envelope and emptied the contents onto her lap. Her expression shifted from confusion to shock as she stared at the photos—pictures of Richard, her husband, looking cozy with her best friend and her friend’s kids on a boat.
"What is this?" she demanded, throwing the photos onto the floor in disgust.
"Like I said, it’s Richard’s truth," Raine replied solemnly. "Your best friend, Meira—she’s Richard’s legal wife. You were never actually married to him."
"Excuse me?!" Meira shot up from her seat, anger flashing in her eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are to—"
"It’s the gospel truth, Meira," Raine interrupted, his tone firm. "Everything that happened years ago—it was all orchestrated by Richard."
"Why?" Meira asked, her voice trembling.
"Revenge."
"What?" she whispered, barely able to process his words.
"Sit down before I tell you the rest," Raine suggested, his voice gentle. "I don’t want you fainting."
Meira, already feeling lightheaded, did as he said, sinking back into her seat.
Raine took a breath and began to explain everything—how her father had duped Richard’s father, stolen their money, and caused the downfall of Richard's family. How Richard’s parents died while searching for her father, leaving Richard an orphan.
Then, how Richard, in retaliation, had staged the home invasion that killed her parents and sister. He told her about the fake marriage, and all the lies that had followed.
Meira stared at him, wide-eyed and unblinking, frozen in shock. Her breath caught in her throat, and Raine panicked, rushing over to her.
"Meira, breathe. Come on, breathe," he urged gently.
"You’re lying," Meira gasped, her voice barely audible. "Richard loves me."
"I’m sorry, Meira," Raine whispered, cupping her face tenderly. "I’m so sorry."
"I don’t believe you!" Meira jumped to her feet, pacing the room in distress. "I want you to leave!"
"Meira—"
"Please, Raine!" she shouted. "Get out!"
Raine paused, then sighed. "Fine. But one more thing… the new owners of this house are moving in tomorrow. You need to start packing."
Meira’s face drained of color. "What are you talking about?"
"Richard sold the house," Raine said quietly. "Go look for the papers, if you don’t believe me."
Meira glared at him, then raised her hand, signaling for him to stay where he was. Without another word, she stormed upstairs to her bedroom.
Thirty minutes later, Meira came back downstairs, empty-handed, looking devastated. She collapsed onto the bottom step, her face lost in despair, and started to cry.
"He stole from me too," Raine said softly. "And now he’s left the country. I know where he is."
"Just go, Raine," Meira sobbed. "This… this is what you wanted all along, isn’t it? Now you’ve got it."
"What? No! What are you talking about?" Raine asked, confused.
"You must have suspected something about him," she accused, gesturing to the papers strewn across the floor. "Is that why you did this? Do you hate me so much that you’d ruin my life like this?”