Chapter 8
“I’ve known I was Richard’s daughter this whole time.“]]
“Talk about unfair, right? She gets born into the Hartwell fortune while I’m stuck being some dirty little secret. So I decided I’d steal you away and make her feel what it’s like to lose everything.“[]
“I thought it would be hard, but damn, you were so easy. A few nights in bed and you were completely whipped, couldn’t get enough of me.“]
She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, looking at Jaxon with pure mockery in her eyes.]
He lunged forward and wrapped his hands around her throat.]
The guards pulled them apart and dragged Scarlett back to her cell.
As she was being led away, she looked back over her shoulder:
“You’re gonna die alone and miserable.”
Those words became Jaxon’s curse. Night after night, he’d wake up screaming and crying into his hands.
Jaxon searched everywhere for my grave, but came up empty.[]
Finally, he had no choice but to kneel outside the Hartwell mansion, begging Isabella to tell him where I was buried so he could at least visit.]]
He knelt there for five days and nights, nearly dying on their doorstep, but the gates never opened.]
After that, Jaxon became a walking corpse. He developed severe depression, popping pills by the handful but never getting better–just wasting away to nothing.
He tried killing himself several times, but they always managed to save him. Eventually, he kept himself alive just for Aria’s sake, living in pure misery.
Ten years later.]
In a hidden desert laboratory, cheers erupted like a tidal wave as researchers hugged each other, crying with joy.
“Mission’s almost over. We just need to escort the target out and we can finally go home.”
Phoenix appeared beside me and took my hand.
“When we get back, want to spend the rest of our lives researching the whole marriage thing together?”
! paused for a second, then laced our fingers together and kissed him instead of answering.
When I brought Phoenix home, Mom’s teacup shattered on the floor.
“Remi? Is that really you?“]
e.0
Her lips were trembling, her aged hands hovering in the air like she was afraid I’d vanish if she touched me.
I dropped to my knees and grabbed her hands:[]
“Mom, I’m home!–]]
The next second, she slapped me hard across the face.[]
“You little brat! Do you have any idea what these ten years have been like for me?“]
Phoenix quietly handed her a tissue. Mom looked at him, immediately understanding, and pulled both of us into her arms.]
A week later, Mom hosted our wedding at the Hartwell estate, inviting just a handful of close family and friends.[]
We were halfway through our vows when the doors burst open Jaxon came charging in wearing a tuxedo.]
“Remi, I knew you weren’t dead!“]
He’d been having the estate watched this whole time, so he’d caught wind of what was happening.
He dropped to one knee in front of me.
“Remi, I’ve been trying to make up for everything every single day. I know I screwed up–please forgive me.“]
Phoenix tensed up, so I kissed his cheek to calm him down. Jaxon’s face went white.)
Phoenix and I are already married. Don’t come around anymore.“]
Chapter 8
“How could you marry HIM? I thought you loved me!“[|]
His voice cracked with disbelief.
Hearing that entitled bullshit, I smiled coldly.
“I stopped loving you a long time ago. Scarlett was your real wife anyway, Mr. Cross. Please leave.“]]
“I divorced her! I was an idiot–Aria even lost a finger because of that psycho. He misses you so much. Don’t you care about him at all?“[]
My breath caught thinking about the kid I’d raised, then I remembered how he’d looked at me at that sports day.
“People pay for their choices. Besides, I was never his real mom anyway.”
All the color drained from Jaxon’s face. Security moved to throw him out, but he pulled out a knife and pressed it to his own throat.]
“I messed up so bad, Remi. I can’t live without you!”
I watched this pathetic display with disgust.]
“You seemed pretty happy with Scarlett back then. You didn’t need me–so why the dramatic act now?”
Seeing the revulsion in my eyes, he finally got it. I was completely done with him.
Jaxon dropped the knife and left in defeat.
Much later, on a warm afternoon, my phone lit up silently.
“Jaxon committed suicide during a depressive episode.“]
I stared at the message for maybe two seconds, then turned off my phone. H
Phoenix pulled me closer in his sleep. I snuggled into his arms.]
Looking at the brilliant sunshine streaming through our window, I’d never
