He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and continued with feigned courage.
“If you’re still not satisfied, then come at me alone.”
“If you want to beat or kill me, I’ll accept it—but don’t make things hard for her.”
His pitiful self-sacrifice stirred even more sympathy from the onlookers.
People murmured in admiration of his so-called bravery, and others sighed in pity for Selena’s supposed suffering.
And all their anger turned to me—the Cole family’s heir, a cold and domineering man who trampled on love and used power to destroy others’ happiness.
Selena wept and clung to Lucas. “Lucas, stop! Don’t do this for me! If we die, then we die together!”
What a touching performance—so moving that even though I almost believed it.
If I weren’t the betrayed fiancé standing in their shadow, I might have applauded their grand, star-crossed romance.
Instead, I laughed.
The sound was sharp, echoing through the suffocating air. Everyone turned toward me, uneasy and silent.
“Coming after you?”
I repeated his words slowly, my tone even, yet colder than ice.
“Lucas,” I said, meeting his eyes, “who do you think you are? Do you really believe you’re worth my attention?”