Chapter 9%
Every time Sean got scared, he’d instinctively hide behind Regina.Z
So soft, so timid, so endearing that it stirred a natural urge to protect him.
How could that kind of boy possibly be some sleazy playboy??
But just then, a loud commotion erupted from the next table. A group of tattooed men were talking loudly.
“Are you guys talking about that Sean? That so–called second young master of the Crawford family? What a joke.“}
“He’s nothing but a cheap male escort. You’ve never seen him strut around naked just to please women–he’s like a living toy, even wilder than the club dancers.”%
“If you’re just looking for a fling, sure, go ahead and mess around. But don’t even think about dating him seriously. Total waste of time.“} “Didn’t you hear? He’s already had like six or seven girlfriends. God knows how many abortions he’s caused. His body is already half–ruined!“%
Regina clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles white, then suddenly slammed them down on the table.
“Who the hell are you talking about? Shut your damn mouths!”
The tattooed guys turned around slowly, smirking. “Oh? Don’t tell me Sean’s your girlfriend?”
“Little lady, take our advice–don’t fall for guys like that.”
“Otherwise, the only one who ends up broken is you.”
Before leaving, they tossed a thick stack of photographs onto the table./
Expressionless, Regina flipped through them./
The more she saw, the paler she became.”
The photos were explicit–far beyond anything she’d imagined.”
In every single one, the man was unmistakably Sean.”
Some showed him in fetish wear.
Some had him entangled with women in provocative, suggestive poses.}
Some were downright obscene.
Every picture felt like a knife to her heart.”
And only now did Regina finally understand.
That was who Sean really was./
All his ex–girlfriends had dumped him, one after another.”
Not because they were fickle, but because his private life was a total mess.”
And she–foolish, naïve, and blind–had treated him like a fragile treasure worth protecting.”
Regina didn’t want to admit it, but she couldn’t deny the truth anymore.”
Sean wasn’t even worthy of comparing to a single finger of Denver.
–
Back horne, Melissa had finally wrapped up all her matters and was free to go on our honeymoon.
Vie went to the Maldives first, then to Bali.
We even took a photo together in front of a grand cathedral in Europe.
We left traces of ourselves in every place we visited.
And in the process, we finally opened our hearts and stepped fully into each other’s lives.
That night, under the stars on the balcony, with her leaning gently on my shoulder, I finally said the words I’d buried deep inside.§ Melissa. I’m not the sweet, harmless guy you think I am.”
“The reason Sear’s reputation is in ruins–it’s partly because of me.“%
She looked up at me, surprised. “Why? What does that have to do with you?“%
4 let out a bitter laugh. “Because I knew anything I had, Sean would try to take it away.“”
“Those girls he dated? They were never my real girlfriends ”
“I pretended to be involved with them on purpose–just to bait him.”
“Every time he saw me holding hands with a girl, he assumed she was mine. Jealousy always got the better of him.”
“had swoop in and do what he did best–seduce, sleep with thern, and ‘win.”
“But the women i chose weren’t so easy. They weren’t the type to be fooled or used “B
“So, yeats i guess i knew he’d eventually pay the price. I just never stopped him
“newer warned hem. Does that make me a bad person?
Messe didn’t say a word instead, she wrapped her anns around me, pulling me into her warmth i
“I know? she whispered. “Its not your fault
You were raised in a place like the Crawford family. You had to protect yourself somehow. Daing what it takes to survive… that doesn’t
10:26 AM
d
“You were raised in a place like the Crawford family. You had to protect yourself somehow. Doing what it takes to survive… that doesn’t
make you bad.”
I hadn’t meant to cry. But the moment she said those words–my eyes burned, and the tears came anyway.}
