When our eyes locked, an unsettling sense of unfamiliarity swept through me.
Joel was no longer the gentle and easygoing guy with tousled hair; instead, he slicked it back, his eyes devoid of warmth, replaced by sharpness and a hint of disdain.
Yet, facing this familiar face, I couldn't help but feel a surge of resentment. The boyfriend who once vowed to love and protect me... could he still feel a shred of compassion for me now?
Clearly not. Joel looked at me as if I were a stranger and asked sharply, "What are you doing here?"
His cold voice snapped me back to reality. He was someone else's fiancé now. Holding back tears, I spoke slowly and deliberately, "I'm begging Mr. Griffins to help my grandmother."
Jasmine pulled him away, signaling to bystanders. "She's here for money."
Several imposing bodyguards swiftly moved in to usher me away. With my grandmother's critical condition weighing heavily on my mind, I reluctantly set aside my pride and appealed to Joel. Kneeling before him, I felt like a desperate soul seeking mercy, reminiscent of the time Joel, in a drunken plea, had begged me not to leave him, calling me Jazz.