She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 997

Helena felt a wave of humiliation. Admitting the truth felt like a slap in the face after she had been so self-righteous about leaving him.

But she knew Morris. He was terrifyingly perceptive; there was no point in lying. Besides, it was only a matter of time before the rumor mill at Lonsdale Music Atelier churned out the details of her breakup anyway.

She stared at her plate for a moment before letting out a defeated breath. "I'm breaking up with Swain."

Morris slowly swirled the dark liquid in his glass. His eyes locked onto hers. Even though a vicious thrill of victory shot through his chest, his face remained a mask of polite curiosity. "Why? He has zero grounds to break up with you. You're completely out of his league."

Helena gave a bitter, mocking laugh, the alcohol still buzzing in her veins. "You're only looking at the surface. In reality, I'm the one dragging him down."

"Helena." Morris stopped swirling his glass, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "Since when did you become so pathetic and self-deprecating?"

"Since my parents robbed me of any chance at a normal life!" Helena snapped, the words tumbling out of her in a rush of suppressed rage. "If I had a healthy, loving family, I'd be a great catch. Swain's parents would have welcomed me with open arms. But guess what? My family is a toxic, rotting pile of garbage."

She threw her hands up, the frustration boiling over. "Did I ask for this? Do I have a choice? If I had any say in the matter, I would have chosen not to be born at all."

Furious and heartbroken, she reached across the table, grabbed the wine glass right out of Morris's hand, and downed the rest of it in one gulp.

Morris leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingertips lightly against the mahogany table, watching her without saying a single word.

"What?" Helena snapped, her liquid courage flaring. "I took a few sips of your wine. You don't have to stare at me like that."

Morris's lips curved into a slow, devastating smile. "The wine you just chugged was a 1945 Romanée-Conti. It went for about a hundred grand at auction. To put that in perspective, Swain would have to starve himself for three years just to afford the glass you just drank out of."

Helena stared down at the empty crystal glass in horror. "So... do you expect me to pay you back?"

"If you actually go through with dumping him, consider it on the house." Morris casually slid the empty bottle across the table toward her. "In fact, I'll give you the other ten bottles in my cellar."

Even in her haze, Helena wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what he was doing.

"You really want me to break up with him, don't you?" she asked.

"I've told you this before. You don't belong in the mundane world. You and Swain were never going to work," Morris said evenly.

Helena let out a humorless laugh. "Then tell me, Morris, where exactly do I belong?"

"Right by my side." Morris didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. His gaze bored into hers, dark and possessive. "My life has always been effortless. Because of that, I rarely know what I actually want until it's gone. I grow through regret. And I recently discovered that I am entirely incapable of accepting a world where I don't have you."

Helena scoffed. "Please. You just can't handle losing a toy who willingly caters to your twisted kinks."

"Then let's drop the games and make it formal. A real relationship, so we can play much higher stakes," Morris replied, completely unbothered. "You have to admit it, Helena. I am the only Dominant who has ever truly understood what you need."

Helena couldn't help but laugh at the sheer audacity. "You sound like you were hiding under the bed taking notes while Swain and I were having sex."

"To be completely honest, watching you two infuriated me," Morris said smoothly.

Helena gritted her teeth, refusing to back down. "So?"

He stared at her for two terrifying seconds. Then, he took her trembling hand and pressed her palm against his unbruised cheek.

"You can slap the other side."

Helena's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is this another one of your twisted punishment games?"

"Consider it an alternative proposal." Morris let his hands slide down to grip her waist, pulling her flush against him. "I am willing to lower myself to take care of those dark cravings you've been starving. Since Swain betrayed you... you can always betray him right back. Call it punishment."

Helena shoved against his chest. "I already told you, I am never doing the secret hookup thing with you again."

"Then we'll date in the open," Morris negotiated flawlessly, his emotional baseline terrifyingly steady. "We can date privately while you finalize your mess with Swain, and the minute it's done, I'll make you my public girlfriend. How does that sound?"

Helena was completely paralyzed.

She couldn't comprehend him.

"Are you an actual psychopath?"

"Yes." Morris nodded slightly. "I was obsessed with your body, but recently, I've found myself fascinated by your mind. If I am forced to eventually marry and produce an heir, I've thought it over carefully. If it was you... I wouldn't mind it at all. In fact, I think I'd be delighted."