Chapter 1252:
Whoever gave her flowers, shared a meal with her, or stood at her side in the future — none of it should matter to him. He was the one who had been abandoned. So why did jealousy burn so fiercely? Why was it impossible to walk away?
It felt as though something inside him had been torn open, a freezing wind cutting through his chest and leaving his fingers unsteady.
Brad inhaled slowly. Kari had told him Rylie belonged to the past. He should have stood up and left — but he remained rooted in place, eyes fixed on her as though held there by something he couldn’t name.
“You…” His throat felt dry. “Why did you treat me that way? Was our past really so terrible?”
Rylie looked up at him, her appetite vanishing instantly.
𝖯𝗼𝗉u𝗹𝘢𝗿 𝘀𝘁о𝗋𝗶𝘦𝘴 o𝗻 𝗀a𝘭𝗻𝗈𝘃e𝘭ѕ.с𝘰𝘮
She set her cutlery down neatly, slipped her bag over her shoulder, and rose to her feet. “Brad, Johnny wasn’t wrong. If I wanted, I wouldn’t lack admirers. I’ve thought about it carefully — if you’re going to let Havenridge Group pull your strings, then fighting to win you back simply isn’t worth it. Choosing someone steadier, someone who loves me without complications, might be the wiser path.”
She gave him a restrained smile, then turned away.
Brad’s palm struck the table with explosive force. Glasses and plates crashed to the floor, red wine bleeding across the white cloth while shattered glass scattered in every direction. Conversations halted. Diners stared. A server hurried over, only to stop short, held back by the fury radiating from him.
Brad braced himself against the table, chest rising and falling sharply. He couldn’t explain the outburst — only that something inside him felt ready to come apart.
Seconds later, he sprang up and went after her.
Rain sheeted the streets outside, umbrellas weaving through the crowd. Brad plunged into the downpour, caught Rylie by the wrist, and pulled her into a narrow alley. He pressed her gently but firmly against the damp brick wall — one arm around her waist, the other near her neck — rain sliding from their hair in thin streams.
His breathing was uneven, his eyes burning as they locked onto hers. “You’re done with me — just like that? Why? Because I injured a leg and lost my memories, you decided I wasn’t worth keeping?”
Rylie blinked, the chill of the wall seeping through her clothes. She frowned slightly. “It’s freezing.”
Brad paused, then drew her inside his coat as though shielding her from the rain. His voice dropped, thick with frustration. “Answer me.”
Rylie said nothing.
In that moment, he looked less like a powerful man and more like a wounded boy throwing a helpless fit. She almost laughed at the contrast.
The Brad she had once known had never been difficult to calm. He might have lost his memories, but his instincts still recognized her — that much she had already come to understand.
She lifted a hand to his face, her fingers sliding through his rain-soaked hair. Then she produced a piece of candy, unwrapped it, and placed it between his lips.
.
.
.