Chapter 79: You Don’t Deserve My Love

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: You Don’t Deserve My Love

~Reynold’s POV~

Sensing my approach, Frederick turned his head toward me. The moment I stepped in front of him, his gaze settled on me through the tinted lenses.

Behind me, the students immediately started whispering among themselves.

"Is Frederick here for Reynold?"

"Oh my God, is that really why he came?"

"Reynold and Frederick? No way!"

"Didn’t Frederick see that video of Reynold with four men? Of all the people on this campus, why did he have to choose him? He could’ve chosen someone better."

"Wait, you mean the Reynold from our department?"

Honestly, him being here for Reynold doesn’t make Reynold special.

"Yeah, Reynold is way too young for Frederick."

The whispers spread quickly through the crowd, and more students turned to look between Frederick and me, trying to figure out what was going on.

I swallowed hard, my voice dropping to a nervous murmur. "Mr. Corvin... why are you here?"

"I came to pick you up," Frederick answered simply.

Without waiting, he reached for the passenger door, pulled it open, and held it for me.

A sharp gasp rippled through the crowd.

"Oh my God... did Frederick just open the car door for him?"

I hesitated before getting in, looking up at him in disbelief.

"Did... did you drive here yourself?"

"Yes," he replied calmly.

I slipped into the plush passenger seat. Frederick closed the door, walked around the front of the car, and got into the driver’s seat. Once he settled in, he turned toward me and reached across to fasten my seatbelt.

He was surprisingly gentle, his movements slow and deliberate. When I instinctively slid my hand beneath the strap, he gently caught my wrist.

"Remove your hand," he murmured, his voice softening slightly. "Put it over the belt so your hand doesn’t get trapped or bruised underneath."

I did as he said. Once my hand was clear, he clicked the seatbelt securely into place, started the engine, and smoothly pulled away from the curb, leaving the crowd and campus behind.

For the first few minutes, the cabin remained wrapped in heavy silence. Then Frederick finally broke it.

"How was your class?"

"It was fine," I answered quietly.

"Alright."

A brief silence followed before he asked, "Are you not happy to see me?"

I looked over at him, my heart aching slightly. "I am happy... I’m just... I don’t really know how to react. You’ve always said you wanted the contract between us to remain a strict secret, and now you suddenly show up to pick me up right in front of everyone. I’m just confused."

Frederick kept his eyes on the road, his jaw tightening slightly. He glanced at me for a brief moment. "Have you strictly followed the rules of the contract from the beginning, Reynold? Or have I ever treated you strictly according to the contract?"

I blinked, surprised by his question. I stared at him, my chest tightening. I didn’t know how to answer. He had always given me so much more than the contract required.

Instead of answering his question, the ache in my chest finally spilled over. "Then... why won’t you love me back?"

Frederick’s expression turned cold. "You’ve never given me a reason to love you. You’ve never shown me that you deserve my love. In fact... let me put it this way: you don’t deserve my love. Whatever I’ve done for you, I’ve done out of generosity."

His words hit me like a physical blow.

You don’t deserve my love.

I sat there in stunned silence, the blood draining from my face. So it wasn’t that he was simply incapable of loving me... it was that he believed I wasn’t worthy of his love.

After a heavy silence, Frederick glanced at me again, his voice dropping low. "Kiss me."

I stared at him for a moment, my hands trembling as the sting of his words settled deep inside me. But unable to deny him, I leaned across the center console and pressed my lips softly against his.

For a moment, Frederick paused.

Then he kissed me back. His lips parted against mine as the kiss deepened, while one hand remained firmly on the steering wheel and his attention stayed on the road ahead.

When we finally parted, he didn’t say another word. His profile remained stoic as he kept his eyes fixed on the road.

A moment later, my phone buzzed quietly in my pocket. I pulled it out and found a text from Alden.

I heard Frederick came to campus to pick you up himself.

I quickly typed my reply.

Yes.

Alden replied almost instantly.

Alright, Reynold. I’ll come to check on you later.

I quickly typed back.

You don’t have to come.

His reply came almost immediately.

One of my friends lives around that estate anyway, and I’ll be at his place later. Maybe I’ll drop by to check on you.

I stared at the message for a moment before replying.

Alright.

I locked my phone and slipped it back into my pocket, silently praying Frederick hadn’t noticed.

A few minutes later, the sleek black car glided through the front gates and came to a smooth stop in front of the house. Frederick switched off the engine.

I stepped out into the warm afternoon air, and Frederick climbed out from the driver’s side, walking around to join me.

We walked side by side toward the front entrance. Since it was Friday, a thought crossed my mind. I wondered if we would be going back to his main estate for the weekend like we usually did.

I glanced up at him. "Mr. Corvin... are we going to your estate this weekend, since today is Friday?"

Frederick shook his head. "No. I’ve decided to stay here. I won’t be leaving until Sunday evening."

"Alright," I murmured.

We stepped inside the house and walked straight upstairs to the bedroom.

Once we were inside, I quietly sat down on the sofa while Frederick moved to the edge of the bed. He reached for the zipper of his crisp white shirt and slowly pulled it down before shrugging the shirt off his broad shoulders. Despite myself, my gaze drifted over the hard lines of his chest and sculpted muscles. A sudden shiver ran through me, my body reacting instantly at the sight of him.

It’s only because he hasn’t touched me in over a week, I reminded myself, realizing how long it had been since we’d been intimate. My cheeks grew hot as I tried to convince myself that was the only reason my body was reacting to him. Afraid he would catch me staring, I quickly looked away and fixed my gaze on the floor.

A moment later, Frederick changed into a more casual outfit. Just as he finished, his phone began ringing on the bedside table. He picked it up, and the rigid coldness in his expression immediately melted away. His features softened in a way they hadn’t around me in days, and the change in his tone made it obvious who was on the other end.

He was talking to Lily.

Without a word, he turned and stepped out of the room, leaving me alone with the heavy ache in my chest.

I remained on the sofa, the sting of his words from the car replaying over and over in my mind.

You don’t deserve my love.

Frustration and quiet agony boiled inside me. I haven’t done anything wrong except lie to him, I thought bitterly. So how can he judge me entirely based on one mistake, one lie, and decide that I don’t deserve his love? That’s so unfair.

I sat there staring blankly at the wall, my mind racing. But how do I deserve his love? What on earth do I have to do to finally earn it? Who can I even ask for advice?

I remained silent for a long while, trying to figure it out on my own. Desperate for an answer, I pulled out my phone...