Chapter 114: The vice president’s position was never yours.
"The vice president’s position was never yours," Noah barked. "It was always meant for Elena."
Tessa gritted her teeth. "You are the one who gave me that position," she shot back. "Have you forgotten already?"
"Because you deceived me," Noah snapped. "I believed you were more capable than Elena, that you were the better choice. But I was wrong."
His eyes darkened. He regretted taking that decision.
"You made one poor decision after another, costing the company millions. Because of you, I’ve been humiliated in front of the board. Even the employees have lost confidence in you."
"Oh, really?" A deep scowl settled on Tessa’s face. "You only know how to blame me."
She folded her arms across her chest. "Have you forgotten who secured the meeting with Mr. Ryan? Without me, you would never have signed the contract with Novacrest Global."
Neither of them spoke afterward. The room fell into a tense silence as they stared each other down.
After a long moment, Tessa’s expression softened. She stepped closer and reached for his hand.
"Stop fighting with me, Noah," she pleaded gently. "I love you. I’ll do everything I can to help you. Forget about Elena."
She guided his hand to her slightly rounded stomach. "Focus on me and our baby. We can still have a happy life together."
Noah’s features twisted.
There was a time when he had truly believed he could spend the rest of his life repaying her sacrifice, loving her, and building a future together.
Now, the mere thought filled him with disgust.
He pulled his hand away.
"After everything you did to Elena..." His voice was icy. "You still expect me to spend the rest of my life with you? Keep dreaming."
A chill ran down Tessa’s spine. "What do you mean? Are you abandoning me?"
"Elena is the only woman who deserves to be my wife." His answer came without the slightest hesitation. "Her father sacrificed his life for my family. I promised him that I would protect her and love her for the rest of my life."
His jaw tightened. "And I’m bringing her back."
Tessa’s breathing became uneven. Rage erupted inside her.
"You told me you loved me. You chose me over her. You broke her heart yourself." Her voice rose with every word. "She already left you. She’ll never come back."
"Shut up," Noah roared, his voice echoing throughout the study. His bloodshot eyes blazed with fury. "If you hadn’t manipulated me, I would never have hurt her."
Tessa let out a bitter laugh. "You are blaming me?"
She pointed a finger at his chest. "You were the one who told me you couldn’t forget me. You said you still loved me. You begged me to take you back."
Her smile disappeared. Tears streamed down her face.
"I gave you everything. I even risked my own life to save yours. Because of that, I’m living with a damaged heart. I never blamed you. I never stopped loving you."
Her sobs grew louder. "And now you want to abandon me? You don’t even care about our baby anymore?"
Noah closed his eyes briefly. He turned away and ran a hand through his hair before letting out a weary sigh.
No matter how much he hated her now, he still owed her his life. That debt could never be erased.
"I’m only tolerating you because you are carrying my child." His voice was calm, but devoid of warmth. "Once the baby is born, I’ll divorce you."
"What?"
"I’ll arrange the best doctors for your surgery," he said urgently before Tessa could utter anything further. "I’ll make sure you have more than enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life."
He looked at her coldly. "But the child will remain with the Sinclair family."
Tessa glared at him, her chest heaving with restrained fury.
She didn’t want his charity. She wanted to own the Sinclair family. Still, she swallowed her anger and remained silent.
’Once my child becomes the heir to the Sinclair family. A mere divorce won’t be enough to throw me out. I’ll still be the mother of the future heir. No one—not even Noah—will be able to replace me.’
Noah shot her one last warning look. "From this moment onward, behave yourself. If I find out you are plotting against Elena again, I’ll make you pay a price you’ll never forget."
His eyes turned frighteningly cold. He pointed toward the door. "Now get out."
Tessa’s fingernails dug deeply into her palms. Without another word, she spun around and stormed out of the study.
The moment the door slammed shut behind her, the hatred in her eyes became almost tangible.
"Elena..." She gritted her teeth so hard her jaw ached. "You’d better stay away from Noah and the Sinclair family."
Her expression twisted viciously. "Because next time, I’ll make sure you disappear for good."
Left alone, Noah slowly sank back into his chair. His shoulders slumped with exhaustion. He leaned against the backrest and rubbed his throbbing temples.
Ever since Elena had walked out of his life, everything had fallen apart. She had quietly taken care of every aspect of his life. Whether at home or in the office, she had always been there without asking for recognition.
She remembered every meeting, every document, and every appointment. She had organized his schedule so flawlessly that he had never once felt overwhelmed.
Only after losing her did he realize how much she had silently carried on her shoulders. Without her, nothing seemed to go right.
He worked from dawn until midnight, yet the paperwork never ended.
The company was in chaos. His home no longer felt like home. His life had become a complete mess.
With trembling fingers, he opened the drawer and took out a photograph of Elena. He gently brushed his thumb across her smiling face.
His vision blurred. Memories flooded his mind one after another.
Elena would personally prepare healthy meals. She would wait for him late into the night, no matter how busy he was. She would remind him to rest whenever he buried himself in work. And she had quietly devoted herself to him in countless ways.
Yet, he had never thanked her. He had taken her love, her sacrifices, and her unwavering devotion for granted, as if they were things that would always be there.
A sharp pain gripped his heart.
"I miss you..." Tears rolled silently down his cheeks as he caressed the photograph. "I was so blind. I trusted the wrong person. I destroyed the life we built together."
His shoulders trembled with regret. "I’m sorry, Elena."
His tears fell onto the photograph. "Please... come back. It hurts so much. My life has become meaningless without you. I need you."
But the woman he longed for no longer belonged to him.
While Noah drowned in regret and loneliness, Elena slept peacefully in Elias’s warm embrace.
Wrapped in Elias’s unwavering love, patience, and protection, the wounds Noah had left behind were slowly healing. She no longer lived in the past. She no longer waited for Noah.
Instead of crying over a broken heart, she was looking toward the future where Noah Sinclair no longer had a place.