He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 96

For him, the only thing that mattered right now was securing those company shares.

If he didn't secure his inheritance, the fallout would be far more agonizing than a momentary blow to his pride.

But he would never let her see the cold calculation behind his actions.

All she saw was a man laying his soul bare.

Just as he had predicted, her reaction mirrored his exact expectations. He maintained his composed facade, his eyes locked on her face.

He took the initiative to break the heavy silence.

"It's true that our marriage originally happened because Grandpa believed our union would bring him luck in his final days," his deep, magnetic voice hummed smoothly in the quiet room. "But I haven't forgotten everything you've done for me over the years, or how much you've loved me."

His words were like a masterful melody, plucking perfectly at her heartstrings.

It was impossible for her to remain completely unaffected.

Yet the sheer trauma of the past few months made it impossible for her to just let it all go.

His rich, emotional voice continued to fill the space between them.

"I've known Janetta for ten years, and I won't deny that I cared for her. But because of my sudden marriage to you, she was unfairly cast as the other woman. I felt incredibly guilty about that, which is why I couldn't just abandon her," he confessed, laying his history with Janetta out in the open.

It was the first time he had ever spoken so frankly about his relationship with the other woman.

Her fingers curled slightly, still resting against his arm, but she remained perfectly still.

She was listening.

This was the open wound in their marriage; she couldn't afford not to listen.

"And now that she's pregnant, I definitely can't just turn a blind eye," he continued reasonably. "But we've been married for seven years. It's impossible for there to be zero feelings between us. If I felt nothing for you, I would have never touched you. Besides, you're pregnant now. Are you really going to risk the baby's life over this? When Grandpa was alive, his biggest wish was to see you have a child to solidify our marriage. You don't want to let him down, do you?"

He knew exactly where to strike.

Grandpa was her ultimate weakness. In the entire Hayes family, Grandpa was the only one who had truly loved and protected her.

He never blamed her. He only told her to take good care of her health and reminded her that they were still young.

With him, she had felt truly cherished.

His final words to her on his deathbed were still seared into her memory.

"Lena, my dear... your child will be the sole heir to the Hayes family. Even after I'm gone, I've made sure you'll be taken care of. No one will ever bully you. Not even Sebastian."

He had used the last ounce of his strength to make that promise.

She had sobbed uncontrollably that day.

And now she finally understood. He truly had arranged everything to protect her.

He had built an ironclad safety net that left Sebastian with absolutely zero room to rebel.

Faced with the memory of that sweet, fiercely protective old man, she simply couldn't bring herself to be ruthless.