He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 544

When exactly had Scarlett gotten her hands on Flynn Group's un-doctored financial ledgers—the ones proving massive tax evasion?

How was that even mathematically possible?

Had she been playing defense this whole time? Even back when she allegedly loved him more than life itself, had she been quietly laying down tripwires for her own escape?

Yardley's legs turned to jelly.

Under the blistering midday sun, a violent wave of vertigo crashed over him. His vision went black, and for the second time that week, he collapsed onto the concrete, completely unconscious.

-

Julian didn't take Scarlett home; he drove her straight to an elite smash room.

After gearing up in protective suits, they stood in front of a massive, heavy-duty punching bag. Julian handed her a pair of boxing gloves and nodded at the bag.

"Picture that as Yardley. Hit it, curse at it, destroy it."

"Getting it out of your system is infinitely better than letting it rot inside you."

Scarlett tried to keep up her stoic facade. "I don't need to vent. I'm completely fine."

But Julian's eyes seemed to peer straight through her armor. His voice was low, magnetic, and achingly tender.

"Scarlett... you never have to wear a mask around me. Just be yourself."

"You can't hide what you're feeling from me."

"This room is a vault. It's entirely soundproof. You can scream at the top of your lungs and no one will hear a thing. I'll wait outside. Take all the time you need."

Scarlett swallowed hard, her ears suddenly burning. Before she could process his words, Julian had already stepped out, pulling the heavy steel door shut with a solid click.

Alone, Scarlett tightened her grip on the padded gloves. Her ragged breathing slowly began to steady.

She honestly didn't think she was sad. She genuinely believed she had reached a point of absolute, bulletproof apathy.

But the second she swung her arm and her fist collided with the heavy canvas... the dam shattered.

A tsunami of suppressed grief, rage, and exhaustion slammed into her all at once.

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