LOGINRob’s smile widened. “I never loved you. You’re ugly. Too skinny. But at least I tolerated you. You should count yourself lucky I kept you at all.” The words shattered on impact. He watched them hit her. He enjoyed it. “I’ve always loved Scarlett,” he went on lightly. “You were never the one I wanted. I only came to you because she rejected me at first. I mean—look at her. A model. And then there’s you.” He shrugged. “Be realistic.” Jade’s vision blurred. She hated herself for that. “Reality doesn’t bend just because you’re crying,” Rob said coolly. “Face it.” Her heart felt scorched. Hollowed. She clapped once. Soft. Broken. “Wow,” she whispered. “You both deserve awards. Truly. All that effort… just to ruin me.” Her voice trembled but didn’t break. “So you settled for me. Used me. Wasted my time. Because you couldn’t have what you wanted.” “Yes.” His grin widened. “And I sold it beautifully. You believed every second of it.” She staggered back as if struck. “Kudos,” she
Preview X Recap❤️ ───────────────────────── Hi, lovely readers! This is not an official chapter, but a special little treat for those who can’t wait for the next update, plus a short recap to refresh your memory and keep the story vivid. I hope it excites you and gives you something fresh to enjoy in the meantime. Drop your thoughts. This is a safe space. Happy reading ✨✨✨❤️ ❤️PREVIEW: ───────────────────────── Chapter 72: Bruised Your Ego Rob’s smile widened. “I never loved you. You’re ugly. Too skinny. But at least I tolerated you. You should count yourself lucky I kept you at all.” The words shattered on impact. He watched them hit her. He enjoyed it. “I’ve always loved Scarlett,” he went on lightly. “You were never the one I wanted. I only came to you because she rejected me at first. I mean—look at her. A model. And then there’s you.” He shrugged. “Be realistic.” ───────────────────────── Chapter 73: Take Your Pick The words pierced Jade somewhere tender.
Why did it feel like she was slipping away when she was never really his to begin with? Kain stood at the edge of the yacht, the night stretched open around him, black water breathing softly below. He lifted the small bubble wand to his lips and blew. Fragile spheres floated into the dark, catching light for half a second before vanishing. Beautiful things never stayed. “Why do I feel like I’m slowly losing her?” he asked quietly. Then, softer, almost embarrassed by the confession, “Or am I just delusional because we met once, years ago, at a carnival… and my old stupid heart decided that meant fate?” Mario didn’t answer right away. He watched him, brows drawn, concern etched into his usually easy face. “You were sure about her from the beginning,” Mario finally said. “That hasn’t changed.” Kain laughed. A short, humorless sound. “Sure?” He shook his head. “Mario, I tricked her. I put marriage papers in her hands and told her they were freedom. I did it to save her, y
‘Love will ruin you’ Kain looked at Jade. No. Love was not something he would surrender because it was inconvenient. He would not become the man who taught him to fear it. He stood there, soaked, exposed, the weight of his choices pressing down on him. And still, even now, even knowing what this would cost him, he did not want to turn back. Not from her. Not from this. . . Jade told herself to breathe. Relax. It is nothing serious. He just slipped. She repeated it until the words lost meaning, until they sounded like something borrowed from someone braver. Still, the word he had said stayed lodged in her chest, heavy and unmoving. Wife. Kain was speaking, trying to explain, his voice low and measured, as if calm might undo what had already been released into the air. Jade did not hear the sentences. Only the effort behind them. He had only said it as a form of protection. Then Scarlett moved. She stepped into Kain’s arms as though her bones had suddenly softened,
The faint ticking of the clock grew louder, each second landing like a quiet verdict. He dragged a hand through his hair, his chest tightening as competing truths crowded him. A dying fiancée waiting for a future she deserved. A woman already bound to him without knowing. A child sleeping somewhere in the world, depending on him to become someone better than the man he had been raised to be. Obligation pulled one way. Love tore another. Guilt stitched itself through both. Kain exhaled slowly, the breath leaving him heavier than before. The empire beneath his feet didn’t feel powerful. It felt like thin ice. And he was beginning to hear it crack. **** Kain drank the juice in one hard swallow. The glass met the table with a sharp knock that felt louder than it should have been. He did not apologize to the room for it. Time had already stripped him of that courtesy. Time was no longer on his side. If he did not break the inheritance will soon, if he did not dismantle the
Kain paused halfway down the last step. The moment stretched, thin as wire, before he resumed walking, his expression settling into calm politeness that betrayed nothing beneath it. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Quinn,” he said smoothly. “You’re up early.” They turned toward him together, like a synchronized judgment. Juice had already been served by the staff. The glasses sat untouched on the table, condensation sliding slowly down their sides. Kain gestured toward the sofa. “Please. Sit. What brings you here so early? And since when are you back in the country?” Mr. Quinn cleared his throat. The man’s presence filled the room with quiet authority, his silver hair perfectly combed, his posture unyielding. “We returned yesterday,” he said. Mrs. Quinn leaned forward before her husband could continue. She had always been the softer voice between them, but softness had never meant weakness. Her gaze pinned Kain in place with unsettling accuracy. “Tell me something honestly,” she sa







