"Lailah, is it true that you dumped Mr. Hughes and hooked up with a musical prodigy?"
Ash Rhodes intercepted Lailah Gray on her way back from anatomy class with a face full of gossip.
Lailah smiled without a hint of shame. "Yes, it's true."
"No way! Weren't you head over heels for him before? How could you dump him like that? Jenson Hughes is the prince charming of our school. So many girls would do anything to be with him. You should have treasured what you had......" Ash couldn't believe it.
Suddenly, Lailah interrupted Ash. "Allow me to clarify something. I never loved him. Well, to be precise, I did love his family's fortune!"
"......"
Ash stared at Lailah in shock, her mouth hanging open. Lailah's words had been brutally honest, almost cruel. But her look of sheer joy suggested she wasn't lying.
"Now that I've received a million dollars, it's time to say goodbye to him and move on." Laila sneered and waved her hand dismissively.
She sounded content and satisfied.
Just as Ash was about to say something, her face suddenly turned red as she looked up. "Mr. Hughes......"
There he was, standing by the fountain.
The man was tall and well-built. His expression, however, looked cold and lifeless at that moment. His icy gaze was fixed on Lailah as if he wanted to devour her whole.
Lailah's breath caught in her throat, and her hand tightened on her book. She didn't say a word.
The truth was, she had known Jenson was there all along. That was why she had been so candid with Ash. This whole conversation had been meant for him.
Ash watched anxiously as Jenson approached. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. As an outsider, she felt even more helpless and nervous than they did.
"I have to go," Ash muttered, knowing her excuse was weak but desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere. Without waiting for a response, she turned and fled down the hallway.
Jenson closed the distance between himself and Lailah.
Each step causing her heart to constrict with pain.
Finally, they were face-to-face. His tall frame shadowed her, making her seem small and vulnerable. But despite her appearance, it was Lailah who had uttered those cruel words only moments ago.
Jenson's unique and alluring scent invaded her senses, her nose tingled, and she fought back the tears that threatened to spill over. However, she managed to hold them in, refusing to show any weakness in front of him.
"Repeat to me what you just said."
His voice was hoarse and seemed calm on the surface, but those who knew him understood that the more composed he appeared, the more turbulent he was inside.
Lailah's breath tightened.
After a moment, she slowly lifted her head to look at him. "I asked your mother for that one million. I'm sorry, but my heart has always belonged to Joe Mercer. We......"
Before she could finish her sentence, he silenced her with a sudden kiss.
He became like a wild beast, pinning her against the wall and lifting her chin. His dominance took control of her lips and left her gasping for air. She struggled to push him away, but his strength was too overpowering.
"Enough, Jenson! Let go of me!" Lailah cried, turning her head to evade his kiss.
Jenson looked down at her, a sneer on his lips and a smoldering anger in his eyes. "Enough or not is not for you to decide. When our relationship ends, it's me who decides. Do you understand?"
Lailah nodded, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't bring herself to say anything.
"Good." Jenson smiled and pushed her away, watching her collapse in pain against the wall.
"Lailah, it's over between us, for good." Jenson's voice was as cold as ice.
With those words, he angrily pushed her away and turned to leave, not even looking back.
In the end, it was he who put an end to their relationship. He didn't care whether they stayed together or not as long as he was the one who ended it.
Lailah's face went pale. She leaned against the wall and slowly sank, the pain in her heart making breathing hard. She didn't even notice the blood trickling down her leg.