Chapter 84: I Never Asked You to Unlove Me

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: I Never Asked You to Unlove Me

~Reynold’s POV~

Frederick looked at me for a moment before finally speaking. "Reynold, I never asked you to unlove me. And trust me, I’m not trying to control you. But if I want to keep you safe, I have to be controlling sometimes because I don’t know who might want to harm you."

"I don’t believe you! You never liked me!" I cried, my voice breaking. "So stop making me feel like I have no choice in my own life! I’m just a boy, and I did nothing wrong except be born into a world that broke me. I care about people who show me kindness because kindness is all I’ve ever starved for! I appreciate anyone who cares about me because it’s what I lack the most. I just want people to stay in my life and love me for who I am!"

I took a sharp breath, wiping desperately at my face.

"You punish me because I didn’t listen to you about Julian, but this is what you should know. Yes, Julian might be resentful and jealous, but he was literally the first person who ever stood up to my own brother for me! He was the first person who looked at me and told me everything would be fine. He was the first person to give me a gift and the first to celebrate my birthday."

"When we met, he was good to me. He was good to me until you came into my life and forced me to hide things from him, which only made him more paranoid and jealous. I know he’s messed up, but he never, ever wanted anyone to hurt me. He’s stupid, but he was the first person to tell me that I mattered. So when you told me to stay away from him, it was difficult for me. You can’t expect it to be easy for me to cut him off instantly just because of you. I know he was jealous. I saw it, and I wasn’t blind to what was happening. But he was still my friend, and I chose to trust him."

I swallowed hard, tears still running down my face.

"If trusting him makes me a fool, then yes, I was a fool. I knew something between us had changed, and I know I made a mistake by following him. It was both our fault; he planned it, and I allowed myself to go along with it. I wanted to see the truth for myself instead of simply staying away from him based on suspicions. I just never imagined it would end this badly."

"So you’d rather lie to me and go against my words for a friend just because he cared about you?" Frederick asked coldly.

I shook my head. "I didn’t mean to disobey you because I wanted to rebel," I wept, my voice dropping into a broken whisper. "I kept him because he felt like a lifeline when I had no one. And tonight... I didn’t mean to disobey you tonight, either. I just... I was in so much pain. I needed someone to talk to about you. I wanted someone to tell me what on earth I needed to do to make you love me. I was terrified of losing you, so I went to talk to him. And you..." My voice cracked. "You looked at me and reduced me to something cheap."

Frederick fell silent for a moment, his dark eyes widening as the anger slowly drained from his face. He didn’t say a word until, finally, he spoke again.

"You should focus on your studies instead of chasing men," Frederick murmured, his voice unusually soft.

"I want you to love me!" I screamed back, desperation tearing through my voice. "And there’s no way in hell I can focus on anything when I’m terrified that someone else is going to take you away from me!"

My voice broke, and the tears came harder. "But it doesn’t matter anymore. You don’t value me. You think so little of me..." I swallowed hard, my chest aching. "I don’t care anymore. I’m done."

I choked back a final, ragged sob, turned sharply on my heel, and started toward the stairs, desperate to get away from him.

Frederick remained frigid in the center of the foyer, watching me go, his chest rising and falling heavily.

I reached the first step and hurriedly tried to climb it, but my foot suddenly slipped. I instinctively reached for the railing to steady myself, but I couldn’t regain my balance. My ankle twisted beneath me, sending a sharp burst of pain through my leg.

"Ah!" I cried out, losing my balance.

Frederick immediately rushed toward me and caught me before I could fall. I instinctively grabbed his shoulder, clinging to him as I tried to steady myself. But the pain in my ankle was too intense, and I gasped as I carefully sank onto the step.

"I’m fine," I whispered, even though the pain was already throbbing through my ankle.

I tried to push myself back up, desperate to keep going, but the moment I put weight on my injured foot, a sharp pain shot through my leg.

"Ah!"

My leg gave way again, but Frederick caught me around the waist. "Stop," he said firmly. "Don’t try to stand up. Just sit down."

"I can walk," I insisted, trying to pull myself up again.

Frederick immediately placed a hand on my shoulder, keeping me from putting any weight on my ankle. He immediately crouched down beside me and reached carefully for my injured ankle.

"Let me see it."

I lowered my head, refusing to look at him as he gently examined my ankle. Tears continued to slip down my cheeks, but I stayed still, too exhausted and hurt to argue with him anymore.

Frederick looked up at me, and his expression softened. He reached up and gently brushed the tears from my cheek with his thumb.

"Just because I don’t say the word love out loud," he murmured, his voice losing its harsh edge, "doesn’t mean I don’t feel it. If I didn’t care about you, I wouldn’t still be putting up with you, you troublesome little pet."

My eyes remained lowered, but hearing him call me little pet after an entire week of icy silence and formal addresses sent a sudden jolt through my chest. My heart began to race despite everything.

He continued, gently resting his hand against my shin.

"And if you’re upset because you overheard my phone call with Eva earlier, you misunderstood. I only pick up her calls to demand that she come to you and apologize in person for what she did."

A cold edge returned to his voice.

"Because behind the scenes, I’ve already cut her off from the modeling jobs and opportunities I helped her secure. Most of the valuable connections she has came through me, and I’ve made sure those connections are no longer available to her. She has been calling, demanding that I reverse my decision and restore everything I took away from her."

His expression hardened. "I told her I would make the call to the agency and have her position restored, but only after she comes to you and apologizes in person. Until then, she gets nothing back. She doesn’t get to hurt what’s mine and walk away without consequences."

My breath caught, and I immediately looked up at him. A slow smile spread across my face.

"So... I’m yours?" I asked softly. "And you told her to apologize to me?"

Frederick nodded once, his expression steady. "Yes. Always have been, and you always will be."

I smiled, hiding my face by burying it against his shoulder.

"And as for what I said about leaving early tomorrow morning," he continued, his voice softer now, "I wasn’t planning to leave without you. I was taking you with me. The driver was going to bring you back by Wednesday because of the holiday on Monday and Tuesday. Just because I didn’t explain it to you doesn’t mean you weren’t included in my plans."

I raised my head and looked at him, still trying to process everything he was telling me. "But you said you didn’t know when you would come back to me or when I’d see you again."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I answered you that way earlier because I was angry. But tonight... I said those things because I was out of my mind with jealousy. So forgive me for saying them, okay?"

The defensive walls I had built around myself all night finally crumbled. I choked back another sob and shook my head.

"I’m sorry for everything... I’m the one who should be apologizing. Please forgive me."

Frederick’s expression softened completely, a rare tenderness settling into his eyes.

"I already forgave you the moment I chose to stay in this house with you instead of walking away. I just... I had to punish you a little for pushing me so far."

I looked at him, my heart swelling with a desperate, aching hope. "So... you really forgive me?"

"Yes," Frederick whispered.

I stared at him for a long, breathless moment, the heavy ache in my chest finally giving way to a fierce longing. I reached out, my fingers curling into the collar of his robe. "Then... sleep with me."

A possessive spark flashed in his eyes, followed by a slow, wicked smile. "Alright. Let’s get to our bedroom. I’ll take care of your ankle first... and then I’m going to fuck you the exact way you want."

I stared back at him, a genuine, watery smile breaking across my face. I pouted playfully, tilting my chin up.

"Kiss me first."

Frederick didn’t hesitate. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead before closing the space between us and capturing my lips in a slow, deep, tender kiss that chased away the last of my doubts.

When he finally pulled back, a soft smile touched his lips.

"Alright, crybaby. Let me carry you to the bedroom."

Before I could say another word, Frederick slid one arm beneath my thighs and the other around my back, then effortlessly lifted me into his arms. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, resting against his broad chest as he turned toward the stairs.

He carried me carefully up the staircase, making sure not to jostle my injured ankle...