Chapter 212

It was the hottest August of the year.

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Rebecca wished she could go back in time and ask him, ‘Wasn’t the rooftop burning up in August? Why didn’t you wait for us?‘

‘Even just five more minutes would’ve been enough, she thought.

“After that happened, Jeffrey stopped smiling so much, and he wasn’t nearly as arrogant anymore,” Riley said, a wave of nostalgia washing over her as she remembered those happy days with the four of them. “He used to be so into himself, always getting into it with Stanley over who looked better.”

Rebecca felt her chest tighten even more.

They were just sixteen or seventeen, right in the middle of their teenage years.

For most people, that’s the time they remember most vividly in their whole lives.

Going through something like that at that age, it was the kind of thing you could never really forget or get

over.

“Back then, Stanley and I were both afraid he’d be messed up for good after what happened,” Riley said. “He barely spoke or smiled anymore, and the way he handled things got colder and more ruthless every time.

Things didn’t start to change until we saw him with you.

He finally started to warm up again, and that’s when we felt safe to go and focus on our own lives.”

Rebecca remembered her first real encounter with Jeffrey was at a big banquet.

Her parents were off handling business, and she’d tucked herself away in a quiet corner–only to have a well- connected guy start pestering her. Jeffrey stepped in and got her out of trouble.

Back then, just like Riley had said, he hardly ever cracked a smile and gave off this icy, distant vibe. Rebecca always figured he’d be hard to deal with–not someone you wanted to cross–so she instinctively steered clear of him.

From then on,

they kept running into each other–always crossing paths again and again.

And later, when they finally got married, Jeffrey told her he’d made sure those “coincidences” happened on

purpose.

“Rebecca,” Riley called, pulling her back from her wandering thoughts.

Rebecca blinked, coming back to herself.

Riley’s eyes softened with warmth. “Thank you for dragging that guy back–he’s as stubborn as an ox. We

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Chapter 212

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done it without

that time with the knife. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like he was even more messed up

not too bad,” Riley replied, sounding

stared at Riley, not getting

could get through to him. But

even care?‘ Rebecca couldn’t help

she doubted it. It never really felt like he

just seemed… selfish–almost like he was only

to ask,” Riley said, picking up on Rebecca’s shift in mood

“What is

thing sets him off, and he goes straight for

help but start guessing what she

thoughts are just going in circles,‘ Rebecca

go back to him and help him finally let go

to stick to what you did today. Don’t let him walk all over you, don’t cave to his threats

froze for

this isn’t anything like what I thought she’d

glanced at her. “Well?

felt a wave of shame

her for

Riley blinked, confused. “Huh?”

refusing?‘ Riley wondered,

to understand him…” Rebecca said, feeling a kind of guilt

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Chapter 212

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what she’d just said could easily be taken that way. “If he was just a kid, maybe I’d want you to help him out. But

suddenly seeing Riley in a whole

now, Riley had only ever been Jeffrey’s friend to her. But right then, Rebecca found herself genuinely wanting to be friends with Riley for

a good person, Rebecca thought, the feeling hitting her stronger than

do as I

silent for a moment before finally saying,

wrapped up, it was lunchtime. Amelia texted that she wouldn’t be coming back, so Rebecca just ordered lunch for

message from

in on

never all the way,” Riley said, sounding completely unbothered. “His goal is

he always this intense?”

then, he used to lose his cool on other people,” Riley recalled, her voice steady. “Especially his own

complicated relationship, but stopped herself –she knew the more details she dug up, the harder it would be to keep her guard

strong and

over at

gown. Still, the

his phone a little too tight. “She’s

scoffed quietly, keeping

the sarcasm in the

look–even laid up and hurt, he still had that

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Chapter 212

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