Semua Bab I Stopped Loving Him: Bab 11 - Bab 20

To outsiders, Virgil was the new head of the Carringtons, a proper gentleman who followed the rules and kept his emotions in check.But after five years together, I knew better than anyone that he never forgot a slight. And I was the one thing he would never let anyone touch.I used to work at a magazine in Goldridge. A new editorial director came in and looked down on the foreign staff. No matter how strong my drafts were, he always sent them back with the same response: revise and resubmit.When Virgil found out, he did not waste a word. He bought the magazine, fired the director, and sued him for racial discrimination.Afterward, I received an apology and a settlement.I ran home, bursting with excitement, and teased him about it. "Virgil, you're like one of those all-powerful CEOs in a romance novel."He smiled faintly."I am." Then he looked at me and added, "So, my dear heroine, could you stop carrying everything by yourself and lean on me a little more?"I nodded. From t

Christian recalled what Jessica had told him before. Because her mother had been a mistress and she herself had been born out of wedlock, life at the Winslow residence had been miserable.Jessica claimed that as long as Juliana was around, she was bullied at every turn. Supposedly, Juliana had taken her room and her clothes and even pushed the engagement to the Carrington family onto her because she did not want it, forcing Jessica to marry in her place.At the time, Christian had believed her. Jessica had cried so pitifully, and he liked her. That had been enough. He had never bothered to verify her story. He had simply decided that Juliana was the one tormenting her.But now, looking back, was that really the truth?With Robert around, could Juliana truly have bullied Jessica like that? And the engagement to the Carrington family… had Juliana really been the one who did not want it?A seed of doubt took root in Christian's chest.Before he could sort through it, Robert spoke ag

I did not expect to see Christian again so soon.His engagement party with Jessica had turned into a complete farce, and the gossip had spread throughout their circle. I assumed that the Fairmonts and Winslows were already scrambling to contain the damage.So when the doorbell rang and I opened it to find Christian standing there, I was genuinely surprised.He wore a black coat. The bruises on his face had not fully faded, and he looked worn in a way I had never seen before."Do you need something?" My voice remained flat and distant.Christian did not answer. His gaze moved over me, then settled on the wedding photo by the entryway, the one of Virgil and me.He stared at it long enough that I began to wonder if that was the only reason he had come. Maybe he had shown up just to look at my wedding photo."If you don't have anything to say, then leave."That seemed to pull him back. He looked at me, his expression conflicted. "Juliana. Go apologize to Jessie."I almost laughed.

The woman in front of him still wore the same fragile, pitiful expression.For the first time, Christian could not stop wondering what lay beneath it: a heart built on lies.He did not dare follow the thought to its conclusion. If Jessica had staged the photo scandal at the engagement party herself, then what about everything that came before it?The possibility pressed down on his chest until he could barely breathe."Chris, what's wrong?" His stare had clearly unsettled Jessica. "Is it because Juliana refused to apologize? It's okay. I can put up with a little more, as long as you—""Enough!" Christian cut her off, his voice rough. "We'll talk about this later. I'm tired."He stood and went upstairs without looking at her again.Jessica watched him go, her brows drawing tight.His reaction was too strange. Nothing about it matched her expectations. He had gone to see Juliana, and when he came back, he not only dropped the demand for an apology but also turned cold toward Jess

Christian's voice was flat, but the disgust in it cut deep. "Jessica, I had no idea you were such a good actress. You fooled me for years."I kept thinking you were the one being bullied. I thought you refused to be with me back then because you were ashamed of your status. I thought Juliana forced that unwanted engagement on you. Turns out you were chasing money and status from the start."The tears in Jessica's eyes froze. She listened to him, then looked at the evidence. The color drained from her face, fading from pale to ashen gray.Christian knew everything now. He had heard that phone call too. There was no point in pretending anymore. She jerked her head up. The weakness vanished from her face, replaced by something twisted and ugly."Yes," she snapped. "That's exactly who I am. So what?"Her voice rose, sharp with reckless fury. "I'm only six months younger than Juliana. Why did she get to grow up as the Winslow family's precious daughter? Why did she get a marriage allia