Chapter 28
A single light comment made Devlin’s eyes redden with tears.
“We’ve been together for so many years. Can’t you forgive me just this once?”
“Sure, I’ll forgive you.”
He hadn’t expected her to say that. Devlin froze for a moment, but his eyes instantly lit up with hope.
“As long as you’re okay with me being with other men. While I’m with you, I’ll text him and like his social media posts.”
“I’ll sneak out to spend the whole night with him while you’re asleep.”
“I might even get pregnant with his child and expect you to raise it with me.‘
With every word Jennifer spoke, Devlin’s face turned a shade paler.
Just hearing it was enough to break him.
“Could you accept that?”
Devlin instinctively shook his head.
“Jennifer, I can’t…”
“Exactly. So why should I forgive you?”
>>
“If you want my love, you have to offer the same loyalty in return. Otherwise, you don’t deserve it.”
Jennifer coldly watched as Devlin choked on his sobs.
“Devlin, you failed as a husband and as a father. The only thing you can salvage now is to try being a good son.”
“Otherwise, I won’t even respect you.”
“We’re divorced. I took the half I was entitled to. If you’re unhappy about it, feel free to sue me. Otherwise, if you still have any self–respect, don’t come looking for me again.”
With that, Jennifer stood up and left.
Behind her, Devlin’s anguished cries echoed, but they could no longer make her turn back.
After blocking Devlin’s mother’s number, she finally cut all ties with the Mellon family and its drama.
The once–envied couple, with their romantic story of a younger man and an older woman, faded from public interest, replaced by newer, juicier scandals.
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Jennifer purchased a home, moved in with minimal belongings, and settled down.
One month later.
An unexpected visitor knocked on her door–it was Byron’s sister, Miss Mackenzie.
Feeling uneasy, Jennifer invited her in and poured her a cup of tea.
“Miss Mackenzie, there might be a misunderstanding. Byron and I haven’t been in contact for a month.”
Miss Mackenzie sighed.
“Could you come with me somewhere?”
Confused, Jennifer nodded.
Miss Mackenzie took her to Byron’s villa.
They walked all the way up to the attic, where the door was secured with a password lock.
“It’s your birthday,” Miss Mackenzie reminded her.
Jennifer entered her birthday, and the door opened.
Inside, the walls were covered with photos of her, from college to her recent travels.
Among them were pictures taken by the media when she attended events with Devlin. Of course, only her figure remained in those shots.
Miss Mackenzie handed her a booklet from the table.
Flipping it open, Jennifer was stunned once again
It was her old college notebook, one she thought she had lost long ago.
Slowly turning the pages, she saw her handwritten travel plans:
“If possible, my first stop would be City A, to feel the evening sea breeze and wait for the sunrise…”
“My second stop has to be a cherry blossom grove, where…”
“…I heard they have the best fruit wine there, though I don’t know exactly where the best place is…”
The pages had yellowed with age, evidence of how frequently they had been revisited.
No wonder Byron always knew her next destination. He had memorized the places she wanted to visit and even explored them himself.
The last page of the notebook held two lines written by Byron in his own hand:
Chapter 28
“One must never meet someone too stunning when they’re young, or everyone else afterward will feel like settling.”
“And I refuse to settle.”
Jennifer’s heart stirred.
灣
“And this,” Miss Mackenzie said, handing her another notebook.
The words on the cover left Jennifer frozen in place:
“Operation: Steal Her Heart.”
Chapter 29
Chapter 29
