Chapter 1218:
Jayden shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t hold grudges over how you treated me. You did teach me many things. I’d be satisfied with simply stripping you of your influence and letting you live out your years in a retirement home. But you crossed the line when you went after my unborn child.”
He paused, his control faltering. “Elyse was barely two months along. She was so thrilled, so full of hope. It was our love made real, a symbol of our bond. And you ended that.”
Jayden’s face twisted with grief; tears slipped down as he spoke, each word filled with anguish. “That child was Elyse’s, carried for me. Do you understand how much I was waiting for that child’s birth? But you ended it. I don’t even know if it was a boy or a girl. You forced Elyse onto an operating table and made her endure every bit of that pain.”
Enzo scoffed. “You’d turn against me just because I killed your child? You can father plenty of others. Sleep with more women; you’ll have children to carry on the line. They’ll still share your blood.”
Jayden sneered. “But they won’t be born of love, only of lineage. Grandpa, you excel at turning people into instruments. In your eyes, women with children are just vessels for heirs. Offspring are merely assets to uphold the family. To you, every Owen is just a piece under your control. Was I ever anything more than a pawn?”
Facing the reality of danger, Enzo lost his composure. He began yelling like a child denied his wishes. “This is rebellion, pure rebellion! You’ve opposed me for months over a single lost child. You must be out of your mind to want me dead! If you dare go through with this, don’t you fear the people I have in place who’ll strike you down first? I’m warning you. Put down that weapon, and I’ll let you leave.”
Jayden scoffed. “I came alone to put an end to this twisted history between us. If you kill me, fine. I have no regrets. But if I kill you first, don’t blame me.”
With that, he prepared to pull the trigger.
But just before the shot could leave the chamber, Jayden sensed imminent danger and swiftly took cover behind a stone column.
Seeing his men nearby, Enzo relaxed and began to taunt Jayden. “Do you have any idea how many people I’ve stationed here? You might dodge one, but you won’t evade them all.”
Jayden frowned, scanning the area with sharp attention.
Enzo continued, “Jayden, your intelligence has always been undeniable. From a young age, I knew you were the ideal choice for the Owen family’s future. That’s why I held you to higher expectations. Just come back with me. Isn’t it Elyse you want to marry? I’ll make the arrangements. You can be together. I’ll even throw the most extravagant wedding for you both.”
“A wedding for us? That’s the most absurd thing I’ve heard,” Jayden said with biting sarcasm. “If you meant to bless us, how could you end the life of our child?”