Chapter 9
Jace told me he had liked me for a long time, longer than I had ever known Kael. He revealed that back in university, long before he graduated, he had planned to come to Willowcreek to confess his feelings.
But when he saw me with Kael, he stepped back, deciding it was better to remain a silent observer.
With tenderness shining in his eyes, Jace gently spoke, “At the time, I thought if that man could love you, protect you for a lifetime, I’d step aside.”
“But I didn’t expect that six years later, he would be so blind as to let
go of someone as wonderful as you.”
“Skylar, maybe it was destiny after all.”
I couldn’t help but smile softly.
Yes, destiny was something we had no
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Chapter 9
control over.
After we bared our souls to each other, my relationship with Jace bloomed like a
flower after the rain. It grew warmer and more intimate, and I found myself thinking
of Kael less and less.
I thought that after our last heated exchange, Kael would finally let go, but somehow, he found his way back to me.
When he saw Jace, his eyes blazed with jealousy.
“Mr. Grant, you’re a successful CEO. Surely, you‘ re not lacking in women. Why bother stealing my girlfriend?”
“I told you already, Skylar is my girlfriend. I won’t give her up!” Jace retorted.
I froze, shocked. When had they met? And when had such words passed between them?
Jace chuckled softly, his voice calm and steady as he pointed behind him.
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Chapter 9
“Kael, wasn’t Skylar your first love?”
As if on cue, two bodyguards appeared, guiding a struggling girl toward us.
It was Kaia.
She hadn’t expected to run into Kael here.
Their eyes locked, and her panic was impossible to hide.
Kael froze, his face hardening.
“Kaia, what are you doing here?”
“Kael, let me explain…”
And that’s when the truth came crashing down. Kaia wasn‘ t blind. She had been pretending the whole time.
“It was him! He used me!”
“He made a bet with me and asked me to
go to Willowcreek and stay by your side. He promised me that if I could get you to break up with Skylar, he‘ d marry me!”
“But he lied to me! He went back on his
word!”
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Chapter 9
Kaia’s fury was aimed straight at Jace.
Everyone stood frozen, taking it all in.
I instinctively turned to Jace.
“Is this true?”
A flicker of guilt crossed his face before he held my hand and admitted it without hesitation.
“It’s true.”
“Skylar, I only did it because I was afraid you’d be fooled. I dug deeper and found out that Kael had never truly let go. someone else.”
of
“He’s always been stuck on his first love. When he got together with you, he only saw you as a substitute.”
“Skylar, how could someone as incredible
as you settle for second place?”
Jace‘ s eyes softened, his gaze full of sincerity and devotion.
No matter how I looked at it, Jace wasn’t
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Chapter 9
wrong.
Kael had always carried a torch for
someone else, and no matter how much he tried to make up for his mistakes, the truth remained that he had deceived me. And that was something I couldn’t forgive.
But Kael, in his fury, sneered coldly before.
punch at Jace.
oa
Jace dodged with effortless grace, his
movements as smooth as water. It wasn’t long before a swarm of bodyguards descended, pinning Kael to the ground in a humiliating heap.
With bloodshot eyes and a voice trembling with anger, Kael shouted at me, “Skylar, did you hear that?!”
“The man standing by your side is nothing but a schemer! He’s not trustworthy at all! He set me up to tear us apart!”
I looked at Kael with icy disdain, my gaze unwavering and cold.
