Chapter 23
The past repeated itself–Zora rejected Justin.
Justin’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. He suddenly grabbed her hand.
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“No! You have to come with me. Frederic is not a good person. He’ll ruin you. I’m telling the truth! All of his overseas businesses are-”
“Enough, Justin!”
Zora yanked her hand away. In her eyes, there was disappointment, anger, and condemnation–everything except love. That truth pierced straight into Justin’s heart.
“Being with you is what will ruin me! You forced me to give blood to Selena. You humiliated me with money over and over again. You are the real scum! Why do you still have to come after me after I finally escaped from you?
“I like Frederic! I love Frederic! He’s not like you. He would never hurt me! Justin, do you think everyone is as cruel as you?”
Zora’s voice trembled with conviction. She was nearly breathless as she shouted with all her might. Her eyes were red, but Justin’s were even redder. His tears had already begun to fall.
“Do you really… not love me at all?” Justin’s voice shook.
“I don’t love you. Not even a little. Maybe I did once, but now, I have someone new.”
“Then, why did you donate your kidney to me? Why did you risk your life to save me during the avalanche?”
“That was the past!” Zora insisted, “Justin, don’t you understand? All of that is in the past!”
V
Her voice cracked into a desperate scream. She didn’t want to see him at all! “Can you just leave? Can you stop appearing in front of me? I don’t want to see you. Justin, I hate you!”
Her hysterical cries shattered the last of Justin’s resolve. He stood frozen, staring at her, drowning in endless pain.
He had lost her, after all.
Justin didn’t say another word. He simply looked at her. But the engagement banquet wouldn’t halt just because of his interruption. Even though Lynch Group was a small corporation, it made them furious to be interrupted like this.
“Mr. Johnson, even for someone like you, disrupting my engagement like this is inappropriate, don’t you think? Zora said that she doesn’t love you anymore. Please don’t make things difficult for her, Mr. Johnson.”
Frederic’s expression was grim. He hadn’t expected such a scene, but fortunately, Zora loved him enough not to humiliate him.
“You don’t have the right to speak,” Justin spat, turning his gaze on Frederic. His presence alone made Frederic fall silent instantly.
“Justin, do you have to do this? Can’t we just end things properly?” Zora’s eyes were filled with disappointment, cutting deep into Justin’s heart.
But Justin had to take her away. Knowing that Frederic wasn’t a good man, he couldn’t just stand by and watch her walk into disaster.
“Norah, come with me first. I’ll explain everything to you. Just come with me…” His voice almost sounded like a plea as he reached for her hand.
Zora didn’t move. “I will never go back with you, Justin. Let it go. There is no future for us. If you insist on forcing me… I’d rather die in front of you.”
Her eyes turned steely. She suddenly grabbed a fruit knife from the nearby table and, without hesitation, aimed it at her chest.
“No!”
Justin’s heart nearly stopped. He lunged forward, reaching out to stop her by gripping the blade tightly in his bare hand.
Blood gushed from his palm, and the pain spread like wildfire. Still, he made it in time.
Justin grasped the sharp blade, prying it from Zora’s hand. As the deep wound exposed his bone, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
But he didn’t dare to push Zora any further.
With a helpless, lingering gaze, Justin stepped down from the stage, looking like a defeated man.
Only then did Frederic fully grasp what had happened. He rushed to Zora and pulled her into his arms.
“Are you okay, Zora?” he asked in a voice filled with concern. “Why were you so reckless? What if you got hurt?”
“I won’t, Frederic.” She forced a smile, swallowing back her tears.
Justin was still the same. Whenever Zora was in danger, he would throw himself forward without hesitation.
And that was exactly why she needed to stay away. She didn’t want to be entangled with him anymore.
As Zora watched his desolate figure disappear into the crowd, she could no longer hold back. A quiet sob escaped her lips.
Thinking she was just shaken, Frederic held her close, comforting her.
No one knew that Zora’s heart was aching just as much as Justin’s.
