Chapter 818

“Let go!” I snapped.

But Wayne? He didn’t even flinch.

This—everything—was his fault. Fury burned through me, and before I could think twice, I slapped him. Hard. The sound snapped through the air.

“You’re scum,” I hissed, my voice shaking with fury. He’d stooped so low he even used his parents’ coffin to pull off some shady deal. And Hayden? No way he’d hurt Lena unless Wayne forced his hand.

Wayne just stood there, his cheek burning red from the slap. But instead of getting mad, he looked like he wanted me to hit him.

“Say whatever you want,” he said, his tone eerily calm. “Call me scum, a bastard—I don’t care.”

I wanted to scream at him, to let every awful thing fly out of my mouth, but… I didn’t. Not because I forgave him, but because he wasn’t even worth wasting the energy.

“You can call me scum, a bastard. Fine. But I wasn’t always this way.” His voice shifted, quieter, almost haunted. “Do you remember what I was like when you first came to live with us?”

I stayed silent, but that didn’t stop him.

“Back then, I was the elder brother who had to be everything. I gave you and Jace the best food, the best toys, even if it meant I got stuck with nothing. When either of you messed up, I took the heat. Mom and Dad would snap their fingers, and I’d be the one running to make things easier for you both.

And you’d smile at me, saying, ‘Thank you, Wayne.’ That smile… it made me want to do more for you. I cared about you more than I ever cared about Jace. But no matter what I did, your heart—and your eyes—were always on him.”

Wayne’s voice dropped. “I told myself it was because Jace was closer to your age. That’s all. I thought if I just kept being good to you, eventually, you’d see me.”

He paused, taking a shaky breath. “But when it came time to choose, you picked him. You didn’t even look at me. Do you know what that did to me? I told myself I’d be fine as long as you were happy, but… letting go? It’s not noble. It’s torture.”

Chapter 810

“I hurt myself just to feel something—my arms, my legs. The scars are still there. And if that wasn’t enough, our parents made it clear who their favorite was. They wanted Jace to take over, but they didn’t have to say it outright, I knew. They wanted me out of the way.”

Wayne’s laugh was bitter. “So, I did it. I stepped aside. Left Kehlmark. Gave up everything. While you and Jace played happy family, I was overseas, alone. I drank to forget, ended up in places I shouldn’t have been. Got blackmailed, almost killed.

“So yeah, I became the bastard you see now. But don’t think you’re innocent, Rea. If you and my family had loved me—just a little—I wouldn’t be this person standing in front of you.”

Wayne let out a bitter laugh, his eyes boring into mine. “And then I heard you and Jace broke up. Do you know how excited I was? I couldn’t sleep that night, thinking maybe, just maybe, I’d finally have a shot.

“I didn’t care if I was your second choice—or if you didn’t love me at all. Just being near you would’ve been enough. But when I came back? You were already with someone else.”

His jaw clenched, his hatred almost tangible. “That’s when I started hating you, Rea. You became cheap to me. Disgusting. You’d just dumped Jace, and days later, you were with another man? Are you really that desperate?”

His voice shook, caught between anger and despair. “Even then, I couldn’t let go. I stayed by your side, even when it meant going against my family, breaking ties with Jace. I chased after you like an idiot, and still, you wouldn’t look at me. Not once.

“If you’d just given me a chance to compete with Hayden fairly, I wouldn’t have ended up like this. So don’t stand there acting all righteous. All this pain, all this chaos? It’s your fault, Rea. You ruined everyone’s lives. You don’t get to blame me. The one who should be reflecting is you.”

His voice dropped into a chilling whisper. “You love your friend so much, don’t you? Then I’ll take her away. And that man you care about? I’ll destroy him too. I want you to spend the rest of your life in misery, Rea. I want you to feel what it’s like to lose everything.”

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