A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1858

Silence befell Geralt. Was this how it needed to be? Had all that had happened to Arianne not been sadistic enough already?

His lack of words, to Mateo, spoke volumes about his conviction, or rather, its faltering.

“Ralt, there is no turning back for me,” Mateo said. “This is the only time I stopped being a nice guy, you understand why, don’t you? I just want it to be her and me. Us, together. But I can’t make that happen any other way. It’s she who didn’t want to leave Mark! After all that I’ve done for her, she just keeps clinging to this... faith in him! I have no other way! There’s only one way to resolve this, Ralt, and it’s to rescue her from here!”

Geralt drew a sharp inhale of breath. “The fact that she never thought of leaving Mark Tremont despite everything is a solid, irrevocable testimonial of her love for him, don’t you see? What good do you think dragging her away from him is going to do? You will never possess her heart, Teo. The two of you will be doomed to grind out the rest of your days in a hell of your own making, and where’s the sense in that? Honestly, I’ve been meaning to tell you to lay this obsession to rest for a long time now—”

“No! Never! I will make sure she finds love in me! I will!” he shouted, already near madness.