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Chapter 2

Author: Ganna
"Dad! Mom!"

Tessa screamed, tears streaming down her face. She tried to rush toward her parents, but Beckett grabbed her from behind and pulled her against him.

He leaned close to her ear, his voice cold and merciless.

"I warned you, didn't I? No one was allowed to contact you. But your parents wouldn't listen. They even tried to visit you in prison behind my back.

"So Wrenford Holdings went bankrupt overnight. Then your parents got into a car accident while fleeing their creditors in the middle of the night. They both lost their legs.

"Now they can barely afford the basic necessities. They have no choice but to beg beneath that bridge every day."

A scream tore from Tessa's throat.

A monster!

This man was a monster!

She lunged at him, but before she could touch him, Beckett seized her by the throat and sneered.

"What? You want to take me down with you? Go ahead and try, Tessa, if you don't care what happens to your parents."

Tessa was devastated. She couldn't bear to look at her parents again.

She knew that if she angered Beckett any further, they would be the ones to suffer.

She dropped to her knees before him.

"Mr. Lockridge, I'm the one who killed Josephine. I'm the one you should hate! My parents are innocent. If you want to hurt someone, hurt me! Please, just leave them alone!"

She sobbed so hard she could barely breathe.

Beckett looked down at her without a trace of sympathy.

"Tessa, you do realize five years in prison isn't nearly enough to pay for what you've done, don't you?

"Want me to leave your parents alone? Fine. Show me just how far you're willing to go."

He turned to his bodyguards. "Bring her with us!"

Soon, they arrived at a private club owned by Beckett, an exclusive establishment frequented by Ravenport's wealthiest residents.

The bodyguards dragged Tessa, filthy and disheveled, into the club and up to an outdoor pool on the 68th floor. A towering diving platform rose above the water.

Beyond the terrace, the city stretched far below. Guests lounging around the pool were already looking up at them.

"You pushed Josie off a cruise ship and killed her," Beckett said coldly. "You're going to pay for what you did, and you're going to feel what she felt."

He came around from behind her and tossed her a rope.

"Want me to spare your parents? Tie yourself to this rope and jump off the platform. Sink to the bottom of that pool 99 times, and maybe I'll consider it."

Tessa went deathly pale.

He knew she was terrified of heights and water. That was exactly why he'd chosen this punishment!

She closed her eyes, but the tears wouldn't stop.

She'd made a terrible mistake. Ten years of loving Beckett had brought nothing but misery upon herself and her family.

Everything the Wrenfords had suffered was her fault. Now it was her turn to pay the price.

She opened her eyes, her voice filled with despair. "Will you really leave them alone?"

Beckett gave a cold, indifferent smile. "Of course."

"Okay." Tessa clenched her fists so tightly they ached. Her voice trembled. "I'll jump."

She hung a sign reading MURDERER around her neck, secured the rope around herself, and slowly stepped onto the diving platform.

Everyone could see her.

Once Ravenport's brightest star, she now stood before them, stripped of all dignity, like a condemned prisoner awaiting execution.

Her face was pale, her eyes hollow. Slowly, she spoke.

"I'm a murderer. I killed Josephine. I deserve to die.

"Josephine, I'm here to pay for what I did to you..."

The moment she finished speaking, someone shoved her off the platform.

Her frail body plummeted into the pool below, sending up a huge splash.

She remained underwater for a full ten seconds before they hauled her back up by the rope.

The rich kids and socialites gathered around the pool burst out laughing when they saw Tessa, pale and soaking wet. Some even pulled out their phones to take pictures.

Tessa gasped desperately for air.

Those ten seconds had felt like a nightmare. She'd been certain she was about to die.

And this was only the beginning.

When they hoisted her back to the top, her injured leg trembled uncontrollably. She bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.

Yet when she spoke again, her voice was louder than before.

"I'm a murderer. I killed Josephine. I deserve to die."

Then she squeezed her eyes shut as they sent her plunging into the deep water once more.

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  • The Man Who Loved Me All Along   Chapter 41

    The weight that had been hanging over Theodore's heart finally lifted. Understanding what Tess meant, he gently stroked her hair."I understand," he said softly."Everyone needs a chance to say a proper goodbye."Tess, it's time to say goodbye to those ten years of your life."Then she could finally begin a new life.Tess trembled, and tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.How lucky she was to have met Theodore. Finding him must have used up a lifetime's worth of luck.Even after Beckett was out of danger, he still hadn't regained consciousness.The doctors said there was a strong chance he'd remain in a vegetative state.Every day, Tess and Theodore visited him at the hospital.She talked to him about all sorts of things.Sometimes she reminisced about the past.Sometimes she scolded him for everything he'd done.And sometimes she told him she really was leaving."Beckett, please wake up. I want to leave. Please, just let me go."Whether Beckett lived or died had nothing to do with her

  • The Man Who Loved Me All Along   Chapter 40

    Tess stared in shock. It took her a moment to come to her senses before she rushed toward Beckett, who lay on the pavement."Tess..." Beckett slowly reached out a bloodied hand, wanting to touch her face. But even the slightest movement sent excruciating pain through him."Beckett, have you lost your mind?"She shouted at him, but Beckett felt strangely content, almost as though she'd just praised him."Tess, don't cry. If I die saving you, I'll die happy. I couldn't ask for more.""Who asked you to die for me? Beckett, you owe me so much! You think giving up your life will make us even? Not a chance!""You're right. I owe you more than I could ever repay."The light in Beckett's pain-filled eyes faded, and his voice grew weaker."I can't make up for what I've done in this lifetime. Tess, would you let me make it up to you in the next?"In his next life, he'd protect her with everything he had.He'd treat her right, love her the way she deserved, and never let her suffer the slightest

  • The Man Who Loved Me All Along   Chapter 39

    Rosalie continued, "You once said your biggest dream was to travel the world with the person you loved most. So for the past year, Mr. Lockridge put aside all his responsibilities at the Lockridge Group and traveled around the world with your urn, as if you were still alive."Miss Wrenford, he really does love you. I once overheard him talking to your body. He said he'd never loved Josephine. He'd mistaken her for you. He'd loved you, and only you, all along."Everyone knew how deeply Tessa had loved Beckett.But only Beckett knew how much he'd loved her.For ten long years, he'd kept it hidden in his heart like a secret.Tess had always believed Beckett had never loved her. Yet Rosalie claimed she'd been the only woman he'd ever loved.She'd always thought he'd be glad she was dead. But according to Rosalie, he'd nearly lost his mind and spent an entire year clutching her urn."Miss Wrenford, he really loves you. Ever since he found out you were leaving Willowmere, he's been drinking

  • The Man Who Loved Me All Along   Chapter 38

    "I'm fine." Theodore had only suffered a minor injury, but Tess was beside herself with worry. He quickly tried to reassure her. "Don't worry. Let's go home. You can put some ointment on it when we get there.""Don't lie to me. Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere?" Tess was so anxious she was on the verge of tears. "Do you have any idea how scared I was?"Beckett's eyes widened at her words, his heart aching as though it were breaking all over again."I'm really fine," Theodore assured her.He kept comforting Tess until she was finally convinced he wasn't seriously hurt. Then they left with their arms around each other.Not once did Tess look back at Beckett.But she knew that shortly after Theodore drove off, Beckett got into his own car and followed close behind them.When Theodore pulled up outside Tidecrest Estate, Beckett stopped nearby.He didn't get out. He simply rolled down his window and watched her from a distance.Tess ignored him and helped Theodore inside.Ollie was alr

  • The Man Who Loved Me All Along   Chapter 37

    Back in the private dining room, Theodore stared coldly at the man lying on the floor, still bleeding."If I remember correctly, you're from the Prescott family, aren't you? You'd better watch your mouth. You have no right to talk about my woman that way.""Dr. Westcott, I was wrong! I'm so sorry!"The man clutched Theodore's pant leg, desperately begging for mercy. He'd never imagined that a woman like her could have two men as powerful as Beckett and Theodore standing up for her."I never accept apologies," Theodore said coldly. "Besides, I'm not the one you owe an apology to."He turned to the others. "Someone, deal with him."Theodore pulled his leg free, ignoring the man's desperate pleas. Then he wrapped an arm around Tess and led her out of the room.Tess was his. If anyone was going to teach that bastard a lesson, it should've been him. Why should he let Beckett do it?What a joke.After all the pain Beckett had caused her, what right did he have to come back now and try to ste

  • The Man Who Loved Me All Along   Chapter 36

    The man's words set off another round of laughter and teasing.Everyone was joking about how much Tess cared for Theodore and how lucky he was to have such a wonderful woman by his side. Beneath the teasing, there was genuine envy.Then someone spoke up in a low voice."Wasn't Tessa Wrenford with Mr. Lockridge before? I heard she was practically obsessed with him. So how'd she end up with Dr. Westcott? Sounds like she gets around."The man hadn't spoken loudly, yet somehow, everyone in the room heard him.The laughter died instantly.In the sudden silence, someone's breathing grew heavier by the second.Everyone turned toward the same corner of the couch.Tess froze. She slowly lifted her head from Theodore's chest, one terrifying thought drowning out everything else.Beckett was here, too!Of all the places to run into him!Bang!Beckett shot to his feet and kicked over the coffee table in front of him. Bottles crashed to the floor, shattering everywhere.The sudden outburst was terri

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