Whether Bella's feelings for him were real or just another one of her games no longer mattered. Jack had already made his choice. And that choice was Phoebe. No matter what, he and Bella were never meant to be.
For a moment, Bella just stared at him, stunned. Then, her face turned pale.
"Why would you say something like that?" Her voice trembled. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Jack lowered his gaze, his voice calm but firm as he said, "Whether this is real or just another game… it doesn't change the fact that we can't be together."
Bella's face grew even paler. Her body shook as she forced out the words. "Why… Why not?"
Jack exhaled slowly. He said, "Because my heart already belongs to someone else."
There was no hesitation in his voice. He knew that any uncertainty, any moment of weakness, would only be crueler to her in the end. He had to be clear.
Bella bit down on her lip, her whole body trembling.
"Who is she?" she whispered.
"Phoebe," Jack said her name without hesitation, his gaze filled with unspoken regret as he looked at Bella.
"Bella, stop wasting your time on me. Whether this started as a game or something real, you should find love that belongs to you."
Bella felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her entire world seemed to shatter at that moment.
She stared at Jack, desperately searching for any sign that he was joking. But he wasn't. His expression was calm, steady—completely serious. What he said was real. And that realization hurt.
She had once thought she was just playing around with him. But at some point, she had fallen deeper than she ever intended—deeper than he had. She had convinced herself that her feelings for him were just admiration for his talent.
But now, hearing him say those words, it felt like someone had punched a hole through her chest.
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