She forced a smile and was about to change the subject when Jayden’s hoarse voice broke the silence: “I lost her.”
Victoria’s expression became rigid, but Jayden, who was lost in his memories, didn’t notice.
He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and blew out a large smoke ring, which masked the brief flash of pain in his eyes. “We grew up together, and naturally, we fell in love.” I always assumed we’d be together forever. We’d marry, have children, and grow old together. Then, one day, a package came.”
What is this? A package?
Victoria blinked, surprised; she had never heard of any package.
Jayden’s face darkened as she stared at the glowing tip of the cigarette. “The package contained evidence that her father was responsible for my mother’s death. I didn’t want to believe it, but after looking into it, I discovered it was true. I took over her father’s business and witnessed him collapse right in front of me.
“Later, I married her. I kept telling myself it was because I hated her, but I knew it wasn’t true. I loved her. I pretended to be indifferent, but I couldn’t move on from what had happened. I even had a vasectomy, but then, when I was on an overseas trip, she got pregnant. I didn’t believe the child was mine, but I still held out hope that they were.
“Then someone forged evidence, leading me to believe the child was not mine. I fell for it, and it resulted in our son’s death. She went to prison to get justice for him. After her release, she took our daughter with her, and they both died in a fire.”
The light from his cigarette reflected in his eyes, painting them a vivid red as his voice became colder: “I caught the people responsible, but no matter how many times they die, it will never bring back her or our children.
“I never thought she’d just leave me like that. If I had known this day would come, I would have rather spent my life hating her than have to live without her.”
Jayden’s voice wavered as he spoke, and his fingers started to tremble. After a long pause, he took another drag from his cigarette, allowing the smoke to fill the room and mask the faint flicker of moisture in his eyes.
Scenes from the past flooded his mind, like stills from an old film.
He could still see Victoria screaming beneath him, “Jayden, Wyatt is your son.”
He noticed her standing by the table, glaring at him with mockery in her eyes, saying, “What’s the matter? Have you really fallen for your enemy’s daughter? Or are you just too attached to our twisted love-hate dynamic to go through with a divorce?”
And then there was the memory of her with blood-streaked hands, clutching her face and sobbing, “There’s no happy ending for someone who’s lost their mind. I must have been under your spell to end up this crazy.”
And there was Victoria in handcuffs, her tear-stained face pleading with him, “Just let me die in prison. There’s no point in living anymore. I’d be better off dead.”
What had he told her back then? He didn’t recall.
He remembered only her hatred, tears, and eyes.
Victoria stared at Jayden, stunned by a side of him she had never seen before. He seemed lost, like a child without a lifeline. Her heart twisted painfully and tightened with each beat.
She set down her fork and placed a hand on her chest, as if to steady herself. “Jayden, do you regret it now?” she wondered. But, what good would it do? His regret could not bring back her father or her child.
She stood and approached him, placing her hand over his and pressing it against his chest. Her voice was gentle and almost soothing. “Jayden, she’s gone, but I’m here. I’ll be by your side.”
Her words lingered in his mind, like a gentle, enticing whisper. His expression darkened as he looked at her delicate hand on his. He gripped her fingers tightly, his voice low. “You’ll stay with me?”
Victoria blinked, startled for a moment, before smiling playfully. “Yes, I’ll stay with you. Jayden, it’s time to let her go. I’m here now, and I’m not her stand-in. You don’t need a replacement. Forget her!”
Just thinking about it caused Jayden’s chest to tighten. But she was correct. He didn’t need a replacement. No matter how close, a substitute could never be her.
He yanked his hand free of Victoria’s grip and fixed her with a sharp glare. “Get out.”
“What?” Victoria staggered back, startled. When she looked up, his face was unusually calm, but his dark eyes were stormy, bottomless, and unreadable. She knew then that he was genuinely angry.
She furrowed her brow, trying to figure out what she’d said wrong. She realised his demeanour had changed when she told him to “forget her” after their conversation.
A cold smile crossed her mind, but she put on a soothing expression. “Jayden, I’ll head out. Take a moment to calm down, and please, don’t do anything reckless.”
As the door clicked shut behind her, a series of crashing sounds filled the room. The place was a wreck for a few moments. Broken glass strewn across the floor, shattered pieces of porcelain everywhere, and chairs and tables toppled over in disarray. The smell of spilt alcohol permeated the air, heavy enough to choke on.
Jayden stumbled to his feet, grabbed a bottle, and poured it directly down. The amber liquid spilt down his chest, and he stumbled towards the window, dropping the bottle. His eyes, black as obsidian, gleamed in the light.
Images of Victoria flooded his mind, replaying like scenes from a movie. He clutched his chest, gripping his shirt as if it could somehow keep him together.
The pain was excruciating, as if someone had doused his heart in ice water, rendering him numb and cold to the core.
Back at the office on the 28th floor, Jayden’s assistant nervously delivered updates while casting glances at Jayden’s icy expression. “Mr. Lewis!” a cheerful voice rang out from the doorway.
The assistant looked up, almost sighing with relief. “Thank goodness, Alice’s here,” he said quietly.
But before he could relax, Jayden’s cold voice broke through. “If you’re not up to the task, stop wasting my time.”
He returned to his paperwork, his tone becoming even colder. “If you want a meeting, make an appointment. Now, leave.”
