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Chapter 353

Author: Rosie Steppe
But who would've thought that behind closed doors, Desmond's life was so rough?

"Desmond was only human. He got tired too. I'd catch him sneaking out at night to smoke, trying to hide it from me. Every time, it broke my heart. I blamed myself for being such a burden," Tanya said, shaking her head like she was the tragic one.

"I wanted to leave him, not because I didn't love him, but because I loved him too much. I didn't want him to be so worn out." Her words painted her as some kind of martyr.

"Well, he's not tired anymore. He'll never be tired again," I muttered under my breath.

Tanya caught the bitterness in my voice. "You've never lived a day in my shoes. You don't get it," she snapped, her voice rising.

She stared at me, but after a beat, the anger drained from her face. "As for Desmond's death, I swear I didn't hurt him. I just wanted him to see my betrayal, to push him away so he'd leave on his own, set him free."

"The car accident wasn't your fault?" I whispered.

"No, no
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    She just wanted him around?The nerve of her.I looked at her pitiful face, my voice turning colder. "Tanya, you've got it wrong. It's not Jace's body you want—it's his status, and all the money that comes with it."Tanya pressed her lips together. "I won't deny that, but..."She paused, then delivered her next line like a punch straight to the gut. "But over these months, Jace has treated me just as well as Desmond ever did. I've really fallen in love with him. I want to spend my life with him."So, this was her way of telling me Jace cared about her, that she couldn't live without him.Even now, she saw me as competition.Yet here she was, begging me for help.Even while pleading, she couldn't resist twisting the knife. She really thought I was that easy to play.I gave her a faint smile. "Jace was so good to you, but he still ran off."Her face froze. I continued, "Are you sure he wants to spend his life with you?""As long as he comes back, I'll make it work," Tanya whis

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    Jace stayed silent. Tanya, already bawling, tried again, her voice shaky. "Jace, I can't do this without you. I don't even know what to do anymore..."Still, nothing. Tanya panicked, thinking he'd hung up. "Jace? Are you there?"She glanced at my phone, saw the call was still connected. "Jace?"Finally, his voice cut through—cold and sharp. "Who told you to go to my house? Did you forget what I said?"Tanya's hand shook as she held the phone. "I didn't have a choice. I'm just trying to protect the baby. You said nothing could happen to it."I had to bite back a laugh. Just days ago, she was ready to ditch the baby in front of Desmond's parents. Now she was all protective mom mode? Please."Tanya, this is the last time," Jace warned, his voice like ice."Jace, wait—"But the call ended with a cold, empty dial tone. Tanya just stood there, gripping the phone tighter. "Jace... Jace...""Yeah, he hung up. Give me my phone back." I snatched it from her hand.She staggered, looking

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