Chapter 550
Chapter 550:
As the night deepened, the evening breeze whispered through the trees, carrying a soft chill.
“I can tell you still love Ryan,” Richard continued, his tone soothing. He offered Jenessa a look of understanding, which made it easy for her to open up to him.
“You must hate him for making such a colossal mistake this time p>
“I trusted him,” Jenessa admitted candidly.
“And he betrayed me. Anyone in my position would feel resentment p>
Richard’s gaze lingered on her, intense and unwavering, before he suddenly let out a bitter laugh.
“Sometimes I really envy Ryan. After all, you love him p>
Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and she turned away, her voice a fragile whisper.
“Emotions aren’t something we can control p>
She was acutely aware of Richard’s lingering feelings, evident from his pointed words over dinner. In the past, she couldn’t have responded to him in any meaningful way. Even now that she had broken things off with Ryan, she couldn’t bring herself to reciprocate Richard’s feelings. She knew in her heart that Richard was like family to her, not a romantic partner.
But Richard, undeterred, took a deep breath, his eyes brimming with hope.
“Do you think you could ever fall in love with someone else p>
Jenessa bit her lip, her eyes downcast.
“Rick, you’ve helped me so much, but I can’t just move on from Ryan as though nothing happened. In fact, I don’t want to think about romance right now. All I want is to safely give birth to my baby and live a good life with him p>
The hope in Richard’s eyes flickered and died, replaced by a profound sadness. He forced a smile, but it was bitter and held no warmth.
He already knew the answer, but he still asked anyway.
Richard’s face was a mask of calm, but beneath the surface, his heart churned with mounting jealousy. He simply couldn’t fathom what Jenessa saw in Ryan. In his eyes, Ryan didn’t deserve her love—not in the slightest.
Feel the thrill at
“I know you want to just forget about Ryan, but you know him well. Do you really think he’ll let you slip away that easily?” Richard changed his tune, studying Jenessa’s reaction carefully.
Jenessa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What are you getting at p>
Richard pressed on.
“As long as he’s single, Ryan will cling to the hope that he still has a chance with you. The only way to make him give up completely is to show him that you’re genuinely happy without him p>
Jenessa fell silent, lost in thought. Richard was right; letting go easily wasn’t in Ryan’s vocabulary. But was it really necessary to go to such lengths to make him back off?
Seeing the doubt in Jenessa’s eyes, Richard leaned closer and whispered, “Have you noticed the car trailing us? It’s been following us ever since we left the restaurant. I’m pretty sure it’s one of Ryan’s people p>
Jenessa glanced back discreetly, her heart skipping a beat. There, partially obscured by the shadows, was a car she recognized immediately. It was Ryan’s car—one she’d seen him drive countless times.
She clenched her fists, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. No matter what she said to Ryan, he never listened. He always did as he pleased, regardless of her wishes.
Richard’s voice broke through her turmoil.
“To help you shake off Ryan, I can pretend to be your boyfriend. And don’t get me wrong—it’s not because I desperately want you to be with me or anything like that. I just can’t bear to see you continually harassed by him. I’ve said it before—seeing you truly happy is all that matters to me p>
Finally, Richard sent Jenessa home, and they exchanged a brief farewell.
Once Jenessa instinctively peeked out the window, she spotted Ryan’s car parked nearby, showing no signs of leaving.
“Wait a second. Why isn’t he leaving p>
Frustration surged through Jenessa, a chaotic mix of complicated emotions swirling within her. She had made herself crystal clear; yet Ryan remained so obstinate.