Chapter 1216:

Enzo’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning cold. “But I never expected you to fake being crippled. That deception was beneath you, especially with me.”

Jayden laughed softly. “Such tricks may seem minor, yet they serve their purpose. During my time pretending to be crippled, I gained insight into your true motives. Frankly, it’s disheartening.”

With a scoff, Enzo replied, “I feel let down too. I nurtured you from the ground up, guiding you to be bright, capable, and successful. All of it was meant for you to work with dedication and sustain the Owen legacy. And this is how you repay me? With betrayal—not just of me, but of our family!”

Jayden met Enzo’s gaze calmly. “You claim it’s for my benefit, but it’s really about you. You resent your mortality. You want control over the Owen legacy indefinitely, to remain at the helm. So, you shaped me to be a mirror of yourself, just to have me echo your ideals. I’m not my own person; I’m a vessel for your ambitions, a host for your dream of immortality.”

Disappointment clouded Enzo’s face. “So that’s your view of me. Everything I did, I did out of love, yet you believe I pushed and manipulated you.”

Hearing Enzo’s words, Jayden felt a blend of sorrow and bitter amusement. He saw himself as someone deprived of the capacity for love—a creation molded by Enzo’s influence.

“Since being with Elyse, I’ve felt emotions I never knew. Every single day with her is special. Yet, everyone around us questions why I cause her pain, why I make her cry,” Jayden said.

He paused, a hint of sadness crossing his face. “When I heard that, I was stunned. I never thought I was hurting her. I was showing my love, giving her all I had. I loved her more than anything. But still, they say I hurt her.”

His emotions intensified, forcing him to pause and gather himself.

Once he regained his composure, he continued, “Eventually, we divorced, and Elyse kept asking why I did things that caused her pain, why I concealed things from her, why I chose to carry burdens alone. It was because I loved her, wasn’t it? Isn’t that what love is—only bringing happiness to her?”

Jayden grew silent, then looked back at Enzo, his words slow and deliberate. “But it seems that’s not the case. She never found joy, never felt fulfilled. In trying to show love, I was causing her harm. But is that my fault?”

“I was taught to think this way. I grew up without love, so when I wanted to show love, I didn’t know how.”

After another short pause, he asked, “Grandpa, am I pathetic? I don’t even understand what love truly is.”