Chapter 9

Hayden's words struck at my deepest wound, shattering what little composure I had left. He was right—I was not worthy of Ophelia. Even when Ophelia misunderstood and humiliated me earlier, I endured it. What good would the truth do now? Telling her would not fix anything—it would only bury her in guilt or force some hollow gratitude that neither of us needed. Besides, what could she possibly do for someone like me now? I was nothing but a broken man—a shadow of who I used to be. I glared at Hayden with fury in my eyes. "Lia can marry anyone she wants, except you. You're despicable, nothing but a phony rich boy who fights dirty. You don't deserve her." My words successfully provoked Hayden, and his face contorted with rage. "Even if I don't deserve her, you're in no position to talk!" His bodyguards immediately surrounded me, and I instinctively reached for my pocket, where I kept my self-defense tools from working late nights. More importantly, my phone was already set to the